Hi, I like the overall concept of the darkish grey, it suits the home. I am a colour consultant and have been working with the Dulux range for 17 years and you are on the right track with the Guild Grey. The Dulux Signature will give you a dark blue house. Another option if Simone Weil which is just a bit lighter than the Guild Grey, if you find that one too dark. Sample pots and A4 brush outs onto white cardboard are the best way to decide, because computer programs give an overall impression of the "look" but are not accurate with colour choices, you can't beat the human eye. All the best, it's going to look great.

Hi Fiona. Those boards were replaced after initial build (after installing new wider slider), so that’s why they were lighter. It was weathered and needing a clean and recoil there. I took cutek’s (expensive)advice and started with quik clean (loosens dirt which was evidently incorporated into my layers of oil), then followed with pro clean (timber brightener). I scrubbed my butt off and was still not happy with the result. It just didn’t evenly clean it up, and I used fairly concentrated doses, and got down on my knees to scrub, not just a brush on a long stick. I oiled with cutek extreme (instead of cd50). Some more pics, after scrubbing then after oiling (still dark). I did redo my handrail in johnstones deck oil, and it appears to be lasting well, no peeling... but I’m still a bit cautious about risking my deck with this finish (water based over oil). I think I’d prefer dirty weather deck than a peeling finish. Next house I’m only having timber deck if it’s entirely undercover!! Do you have a similar dilemma?

Congratulations Aaron on finding your "Forever home" & wanting to preserve it's 70's vibe. It does look like a big project to get your teeth into! I would think the black to be a bit strong & tend towards a warmer tone with the brick. Sandstone is also a light stone with yellows, apricots & warm tones. Woodland Grey from the Colorbond range has olive/brown tones which might suit. It depends on the vision you are trying to achieve but it looks like a natural modern style would suit the theme of the house. By that I mean taking cues from nature for colours. Good luck!

It's (as always) about balancing the elements.......you can have a timber overload, but you can always counter/balance/freshen up with other contrasting aspects......It's easy to paint out character, harder to put it back if you make a mistake/wrong decision. Below is one of our contemporary projects that features both cedar window frames and cedar ceilings. The owners also had what i'd describe as more traditional styled "homely" furniture rather than super edgy contemporary pieces. It's not right or wrong with this stuff. Rather than try to find the answers from looking at examples from other side of the world online with google or pinterest, perhaps re-focus on what you have in front of you, asking what are the unique/special aspects about your home that are of value, and then build the decisions of what to do and what not to do around the prioritising of the elements. It's easy to standardise finishes with paint or herringbone pattern or whatever is the latest fad, harder though to achieve sympathetic timeless results marrying together elements of yesteryear, last century and contemporary living. It can be a fine line between getting it right, going too far, or not doing enough or completely stuffing it up, which is why potentially you may be best to seek some professional guidance and advice from a designer with an experienced eye (such as the service offered above by Dr Retro)..... PD :) www.pauldistefanodesign.com