How about timber cladding, with some white render?

Via Estrella - Custom Home · More Info

It looks mid century at the moment.

Please dont render. It automatically dates - cream brick looks perfect. I agree with the painting of trim, either dark or white and uniform over trim, guttering etc.

mid century brick enthusiasist

I think the house needs some balance. Cover two thirds of the front of the house with large stones with some grey toned stones in the mix. The first third to be done, would be the third, when you look at the house, on the left of the front door, or if not the whole wall on that side, at least put stone somewhere on that wall, perhaps across the whole wall under the window height with the rest of that part of the front above the stones to be perhaps rendered? The other third of the front, to be stoned is the wall behind where the air con unit is, I would do this entire wall, including covering the hob wall sticking out next to the air con, cover the hob all the way up from the ground, also cover the chimney. The cost of the stones would probably be no dearer than the cost of if you decided to render the whole house. Either move the air con or cover it up with a 50's/60's inspired planter
box. If the windows are still in good order, keep them, just frame the
windows with timber, painted white, and paint all of the existing railings in
black. Paint all of the rest of the bricks on the front of the house, grey. Don't make a feature of the garage door, just let it blend in with the paint colour. Perhaps you could somehow make modern styled timber gates for the two carport areas, but I think those two entrances need to be covered up, not just left open and paint the white brick work around these areas in the same grey.

I agree with michellepfergusion. It is a fabulous looking original mid 60's house. If you render it, then your façade is no longer of that period. And yes render will date, in 10 years, it will be seen as a mid century house that has lost its' original charm, a bit like when people modernised Victorian houses and put in aluminium windows and fake brick work!

I believe you should always be true to the original period of your house....

I won't comment on the house but landscaping will make a big difference to the approach. I've noticed that the retaining wall has a forward lean on it.

The driveway is vast and patchy and has a big visual impact on the approach to the house. Some thought may be given to a solution there as well.

Hi I love the house! It is already perfect and already mid century. I would leave the brickwork as I believe the original is always better and more authentic.

I agree with the keep-the-brick brigade :) Landscaping would give the wow factor you are after; that retaining wall needs fixing and something to hide the wheelie bins (maybe a dark green trellis gate to go with the garage door if you don't want to replace it, I personally think the green is fine but you're the one that has to live with it). Whatever you choose, best of luck!

Dark green is coming into fashion in 2017.

I like the windows too!

Please do not render your house - this is a great example of how this house should look and you will introduce a continuing maintenance factor that you will regret for years to come. Face brickwork is valuable. A clean up and paint job will do wonders for its appearance, along with work to the garden - classic, classic classic Australian (Perth?) 60's architecture. Look back at some historic images if you can, these beautiful residences often had charcoal or red coloured painted porches and driveways and patterned garage doors - fabulous.

it's like looking at the house I grew up in! My father built our double blonde brick, single story house and would be aghast to think anyone would hide those beautiful bricks :-)

Thank you everyone. I have decided on not to render. And I will work with the advice of looking at the window colour, the green trim/balcony and we are currently getting plans for improved landscaping as well as correcting the leaning retaining wall. The driveway will also certainly be looked at depending on cost. Everyone's input has been most valuable, thank you again.

I personally absolutely love the way the white window trims look and they enhance the look of the brickwork. White is clean and timeless. All the best with your project.

You have made my day - one day your house will be as iconic as a Georgian, Edwardian or a Victorian. Have fun with the rest of it.

Cream brick enthusiast

Another vote for the current look. I love the pale bricks and the white trim. I think that rendering is a passing fashion that we will soon dislike

maybe the tiles could be nicer.

there's a similar house near me that I think was spoiled when they repainted the green trim in charcoal.

Great to hear that you have decided not to paint the brickwork. Can I offer my opinion - I'd suggest painting the garage door and surrounding frame and the adjacent beam and column (currently white) in a dark charcoal/brown to match the ground floor brickwork try Dulux Namandji or Mali. I would redo the retaining wall with large boulders in a more freestyle layout than the current straight line and take up some of the concrete drive near the retaining wall to create a garden on the lower level, curved to still provide access to all of the undercroft unless you wish to enclose part of it with a large full height window. I'd love to see the wrought iron balustrade painted black. My home in the mid sixties had salmon coloured bricks, white window frames and fabulous turquoise gutters! The downpipes were painted to match the bricks thankfully - turquoise might have been a bit over the top! Good luck with your project, would love to see your progress. W

Hi oaks, here are two examples of the stonework I referred to in my earlier post/suggestion, Would love to see pics