1.Original Red & Black Accent / Red White Accent 2.Light Grey / Blue With White Accent 3.Yellowish - Black Accent 4.Cream - White Accent 5 Black & Grey Accent

If you want to make the house hotter, then painting the roof charcoal will certainly achieve that. Repointing the brickwork is the most sensible from a maintenance perspective. Once you render and paint, then you have to keep painting (and it's likely to be out of fashion sooner or later). Try to keep passive cooling in mind (i.e. light colours & permeable landscaping) with any of your renovations, and I think it always pays to try and embrace and compliment the original architecture and be unique, rather than trying to look like the latest project home. In my opinion the arch window is actually quite cool, and the excellent mock-ups provided by Geo Toria are along the right track.

Anna, I hear what you're saying about the datedness of these designs however, they kind of are what they are! I'm not a designer and would suggest that you consult a good one for this project but here are my thoughts: the design makes a very 80s/90s statement so do you want to keep that and enhance or totally strip out that 'character'? the roof colour is of its era and contributes much to the overall 'dagginess' I am seeing a bunch of dark windows and doors that are exaggerated by the white walls - a monochrome but not in a good way! I feel that getting a good landscape architect in to address the entry would dramatically improve things yes those lights have got to go! Good luck with your project. I think you will have it looking amazing when you work it all out.

This will be an exciting challenge! How about starting with which style you would like. Hop onto google and search around before and after pictures that might help you decide on a particular look you wish to achieve. Pinterest has ideas too, and just type in “house facades before and after”. Do you want modern, or beach or Hamptons? Etc. The style should reflect your internal decor style for flow and a bit of harmony. Once you have decided on style, examine which aspects of the current facade you would like to enhance and that definitely don’t work. I would enrol an architect or exterior design consultant to discuss these aspects and perhaps get ideas. Start by considering a focal point - you lack this in your current facade. Could be an entrance, a large window, veranda etc and something that provides depth to the facade. Consider balance and symmetry: you have large garage doors that would benefit from something that balances that. First impressions from me are that the windows are small and shuttered: these might be within budget to change. The house facade is very flat: perhaps features such as a porch addition might break that up. There is no entrance that invites you in and as such it looks shut up. Could you work in a welcoming entrance here? Paint would work wonders and if rendering is too expensive, a good paint job could transform the look. Timber cladding adds interest, a little warmth to a cold brick facade, and charm. Would that fit with the style you are aiming for? It’s a big job but simple tweaks could transform this. Best of luck