The 2 brick photos still look slightly different to me , but thats not overly important . Most of the fence is very basic , and not looked after . The front fence is 'sort of' artistic , but I don't think even that is well done . And then there are those panels 'stacked' 3 high further back , where they can't be seen . Oh , and the letterbox is really basic . In fact , the whole place looks like what I call a 'rental' -- lacking a bit of love . Do you know if those bricks ( either colour haha ) are readily available in your area ? Cause here's my suggestion -- if the budget stretches , and the neighbours agree , do the side fences with brick posts , and brick up to 500-600cm , maybe even a metre further back , with a single panel above . The front fence -- brick posts , and panels similar to present , but you'd need 1 less panel wide as there would be 'those' brick poles in between each panel , and of course do a slightly taller 'post' with a letterbox ( probably using the same brick , with a stainless steel letter slot and numbers -- or maybe keep it low ? ) . That would add a heap more reference to the house , the bricks , the carport , and the panels . Presumably its more $$$ than you intended , from your painting comments , but it would add a lot IMO . Just a thought . . . . . . . . . . .

Vergola pergola would be perfect. Thinking about using the boundary, a rough guide from a Melbourne architect is 25% of the length of the boundary plus 10M , don't quote me! So the following pushes out at the front which allows for a narrow Japanese style stone garden with sliding glass doors opening up to it. this will also help to expand the size of the kitchen. The boundary fence brick or other with something like Laser cut steel panels for privacy on top Entrance from the garage can be via the laundry or into the passageway with easy access to the bathroom Just a couple more thoughts for you to ponder

Daphnemaria, the cost was $12,000.00. That was for the veneering of the benchtops and splashback. I have a large kitchen and I had been given an estimate of an entire kitchen replacement, with polyurethane cupboards and engineered stone benchtops, of $38,000.00, not including stove and sink. As it was, I kept my existing stove and sink, but had I opted for an entirely new kitchen, I would have had to replace them, which would have added another $5,000-10,000 I suspect. So for my purposes, I think it was a reasonable cost, only took three days, with virtually no mess or disruption.

I'd like to see a full front shot -- that is what everyone else ( as well as yourselves ) sees most often . Just for starters , looking at the rear view , I'd go charcoal or Japanese black on the fence and the bricks along the garden end , as well as more modern plants in the garden mix . Having said that , the patio pic shows a more modern bamboo , and the darker tones -- maybe an abstract steel panel in charcoal on the wall , and a way better light ( or probably half a dozen led downlights if you can get them installed at very little cost ) -- that's why I'd want to see a complete 'front' pic because you want a complete design plan , rather than a few 'trendy' bits that may not all work together .