I say go for it as your door is the window to your home. My advice would be to consider the colour of the flecks in your brick to make sure your chosen colour works with it and not to forget about the colour of your roof and window frames. For example I would have loved a red door but it would have looked ghastly with the green roof on my 25 year-old house. Instead I did black with dark grey window frames (which truly just look black) which works to pick up the black in the brick. I added my big pot plants with green foliage and still got a touch of red in the form of an old chair I picked up from an op shop years ago. The entrance is welcoming, attractive and reflects what is waiting inside. Have fun and if your chosen colour isn't quite right do what I did and find a way of incorporating it into the scheme somehow.

Matthew, I think you have got things the wrong way around. A triple-fronted 1960's house with its distinctive stepped shape and hipped roof-line is always going to look like a 1960's triple-fronted house, no matter how much you try to disguise it with render. The character of a home is defined by its form, not so much by its exterior finish. I would be saving my money on the render, tidying up the front of the house, celebrating its existing style, and putting your render money towards landscaping, or improvements in the home, such as a new kitchen or bathroom. I would be removing the daggy old roller shutters, consider replacing the windows if they are in bad condition with something appropriate to the style of the home, cleaning the brickwork, repainting the gutters, eaves and wrought iron in a fresher colour. Reinstate and celebrate the style that you already have, rather than trying to make it look like all of the other 1960's houses that have had their character and appearences compromised in the name of "modernisation". If the new unit in the rear will be built in face brick, why would you change the existing face brick house to a rendered home which will look at odds with the new brickwork? If you do decide to render then you should render the whole exterior as the side facing the long driveway is very exposed.

Hi Jaymee, my name is Dean from Dean Dyson Architects. Without firstly fully understanding all the requirements and restrictions of your project we are unable to offer correct and useful advice. We have a process to help clients in your exact position. We go through a 'Needs and options review meeting proces'. This a one hour meeting with us at our studio is designed to help you understand your options and how to achieve them. We will bring you all the facts regarding your block, listen to your needs and ideas, advise you accurately on what you are able to do and tell you whether what you want to do is feasible. This process allows us to provide you with correct reliable advice and with actual achieveable options. Our clients have told us that following their meeting with us they instantly knew what was possible and how to achieve it. It saved them time and from having the same repeat conversations of can we even do that? If you would like to discuss your project further with me feel free to call our studio or visit our website should you wish to find out more. All the best with your project, Dean - 0400 039 508 Dean Dyson Architects.

Thanks Tracy, that looks great. I'm confused a little. I don't quite understand the "don't paint the bricks" sentiment. I understand that there is maintenance involved, potentially needing to re-paint the house every few years. Not sure how that is different to having to repaint inside every so often or if we had weatherboard, etc. As to the shutters, more than happy to change that. We are thinking we remove them and also replace the windows as well. They are the same brown aluminium frames. Perhaps going a thicker, modern black frame, with double glazed windows as well. We like the shutters in that they provide some safety as well block out the light. But we hate the look of them. Otherwise it is painting the shutters, which seems like quite a difficult process as they are powder coated, and lots of nooks and what not to get in and paint.