@creativelychallenged the paint colours are grey - Luna Eclipse by New Look (paint place) and dulux quarter lexicon for trims the door and stairs are monument grey :)

Hi Aecordts, where is your house? The birches tell me it's not tropical, and the view shot suggests New Zealand. Wellington? Your front garden is "of its time", which isn't 12 years ago but about forty. I'd bring those conifers up to date by adding a couple of good big rocks, some gravel and scads of tall grasses and bright perennials. The whole thing needs loosening up. The only thing I'd lose completely are those lollypops under your front windows. They look twee. Go for some roses, not hybrid teas but rugosas or Portlands, or maybe one of the more solid and shrubby David Austins. The important thing is that the foliage comes all the way down to the ground. Alternatively, fill it in with black (and I MEAN black!) phormium cultivars. The columns are fine as they are.

Yes, I agree they are fairly narrow and I think practicality must trump original design in this regard. You can still remain true to the era, and simply widening the steps to flush with width of verandah will only improve upon the original design. I believe it will also future-proof the steps as I can imagine as people age, they sometimes require the firm arm of someone else to assist them safely up and down the stairs. I have to agree with Mel about the letterbox. IF you are set on mixing styles, then perhaps use the same timber you used for the letterbox to face facade (street facing) of new steps.

Thank you oklouise The house started out as a small single storey fibro house (left section). By the time we bought it, it had a 2 storey extension 6.2m w x 12.1m d added to the right side and the whole house was bricked over - leaving a strange stairwell on the side of the new extension (which we faux brick stamped 15+ years ago as it was bright white). There is a small step down to the front verandah but still good head height. The current garage doors are also quite high at 2.5m and would not need to be as high when replaced. So hoping the bulk head (if that is all we come up with) would be consistent / level across the front. That was just my first thought, but fresh eyes and fresh/other ideas are welcome!