I love this house because it is quite sculptural. Before you paint I would remove ALL the vegetation that is crammed up in front of the house. Declutter. I think the garage is a visual problem that needs to be dealt with. SO a brave solution would be to paint it all beautiful black...( a warm black (dulux Terrible Billy has warmth)...nothing with blue or green in it..they look cold) ...including the garage door, or do garage and left side of house black and middle section maybe a colour or a sexy grey. OR paint the whole thing a really good white. Be careful...some whites look like undercoat. Needs to be a warm white. Then you could paint the left wing another shade to distract from the garage. Tell us what you decide....good luck

With the roof tile colour I suggested off white, but NEVER WHITE as you'd need sunglasses to enter (talk to a roof painting company). It's also a way to minimize heat by reflection, therefore lowering cooling cost and making life more comfortable, plus very aesthetically appealing. Though the down side is more regular semi pressure cleaning. I do like mid to light grey for outside timber decking or tiles under a roof line with this colour combination. For anything else as far as outside in direct sunshine, stay light but in the same hues, it can be too hot to walk on barefooted if remotely mid to dark in colour.

little cottage by the river sounds like heaven...starting with the new steel roof and primrose windows how about a Colorbond browns (Jasper?) with a native garden and dark stained verandah railings etc or Colourbond blues and greys with a traditional cottage garden

If you have access to Resene paints I would look at Triple White pointer or Double Thorndon Cream - these colours have a grey green toned neutrals which would add to the monumental look of the home and the garden. No need to break it up as the garden does this.