The roof colour only looks out of place because the other paint colours don't coordinate. Instead of painting the roof, consider painting the other areas. Leave the building colour as it is, but consider another colour to bind the roof and the off white bricks. A true red would be better.

Also the entrance looks as though it has been brought forward since the building was completed and this looks out of place. I would recede it back in line with the window area on the LHS. This may have been done to provide an entry foyer but externally it doesn't work.

Lastly, you need height in plant material around the home. Tall homes like this, that do have that 'box' look are best corrected with tall plants that are not all grouped around the building but move away from the building to stagger the vertical aspect. Instead of all palms, consider some of the wonderful colourful tropical trees, especially if they have red flowers or rich green leaves. Both colours will really lift the brick colour and your roof.

Hi Jaimia,

I tend to agree with 12sally12 sentiments. Celebrate the house and it's foibles (boxiness, entry, colour, balcony treatment). However it's great to adapt a home to make it yours - just making the right decisions is the hard part!

The extent of change depends on your budget and your tolerance for inconvenience. I've listed a few ideas that vary from 'nice to have' to significant structural (and cost) changes. These will affect the colour scheme, and therefore the way it will appear overall.

Roof – dark colours appear heavier and more dominant. Your home looks to be built in the 70's, it's likely due for a new roof soon. Consider a fresh new zinc or white colorbond roof. Upgrade the gutters and downpipes at the same time.

Balcony – remove the clutter (replace handrails), and extend the balcony beyond the face of the main facade. This will give the effect of elongating the front elevation of your home. The detail of the new handrail extending along the continuous balcony frontage should in turn provide a fresh new look (more contemporary).

Arches – these could remain, or go (depending on your desire to keep the quirkiness). These are likely to be aesthetic brickwork only - but check with a structural engineer if these can be removed.

Entrance – there are two parts to this: The first aspect is to do with the appliance from the street frontage. Prioritise making the front door the most welcoming part of your home. This can be done with a pathway from the front of the site, with garden areas and great planting to accentuate the entrance to your home.

The other aspect of the entrance is how entrance 'reads' from the outside of your home. This depends a little on your location (and climate). As a guide I'd suggest revising the entry wall, including the door and windows proportions to 'open up' this part of the facade to the street. This should be designed in the context of those iras listed above, as well as benign conscious of security and protection from sun loading.

I hope this helps Jaimia,

(Keep in mind many of the aspects listed above will require structural design asa minimum!)

Cathi

They built great houses in the 70"s, a lot had concrete tiled roofs, have them checked and if sound paint them grey along with gutter and barge boards as you suggested but please do a soft grey otherwise it will look too top heavy, down pipes same colour as bricks (photo of soft grey roof)

Paint garage doors same as brick colour minus the stripe, you also bring both doors inline for extra space in the garage for storage etc.

Front entrance update would help, does this open into a small foyer

Railing, windows painted, I prefer black for this, I have attached a photo of a house that the owners had the roof painted, they painted all the metal windows themselves, said it was easy.

Paving in front of entrance, this photo shows they used white pebbles and pavers with a small screen, plus a new hedge.

similar entrance doors to these let in much needed light as these houses can be quite dark

Oops guess you must have finished by now any updated photos

I'd get rid of the top storey brick arches and top columns. Put a glass balcony on the simplified top storey Then modernise the whole entrance to make a beautiful feature of it. Google ages to get ideas. Modernise the garage doors. I love the blonde brick colour, keep it but freshen up the roof tiles, they look dull. This house has wonderful potential.

Id get rid of the top storey brick arches and top columns. Put a glass balcony on the sidelified top storey.

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