Hi Heather, did you find something that worked? If not, do you have any pictures of the space you can show us to help us suggest some ideas?

We're building too this year and our exterior colours are light & dark grey... couldn't afford the timber cladding :( ... and we are having black alum windows, so I say go for black! :) Black windows suit most facades, from the contemporary to the more traditional... Plus what's your alternative, the alum silver? That would look even more blend against the grey exterior colours... whereas black will make the windows a stand out feature of the house... If you're concerned the facade may look a bit drab and if you're game enough, then be bold with a pop of colour in the front entry door... Internally, the black windows (against white/light walls?) will frame the outdoors looking almost like a picture... And no, you are not stuck with a monochrome look inside... you can easily introduce timber (floors, furniture, etc) to create warmth, or any colour you want as black goes with everything... Good luck :)

Just me , but I'd start at the front , and just take the 'small steps' approach . The basics look well done . I'd go for repainting the front door in a 'popping' bright colour ( a bright red seems logical to me , as it would tie in with the 'plum' colour around the guttering ) , and see how that looks . The door does have the advantage and disadvantage that it is in the shadow most of the time , so it needs to be bright to be noticed , but you'd have to get the colour right . If that worked , I'd then be inclined to do the front and side window surrounds in the same colour as the front door , but initially only 30mm wide ( use making tape ) . The ones along the front and rear may look okay with the whole 80-100mm board painted , but I suspect the side windows would look overdone and out of character , So start smaller , stand back , wait a month , and modify if need be . Another thing , the 2 concrete 'bases' in front of the front door may get an uplift by doing just them ( they look like maybe 800mm tall by 300mm wide ? ) in the plum colour of the guttering -- ties the top and the entry together ? The pillars above them and across the front of the house , I'd leave as they are .

I think it depends on the household and the time of day that the rooms are used. What your instinct says about what most people look for in a house is a good view from the master is irrelevant, as this is your house so it has to be right for your household. Unless you are planning to build it and flip it in the short term then what other people think doesn't matter. A master bedroom, which is mostly used at night, doesn't need views or sunlight, unless you are overlooking a nighttime view, such as Sydney Harbour (which I don't think you are). A house with more views and northern light to shared, common areas often feels better than if these assets are exclusive and restricted to two family members. If a study is to be used by a professional adult during the day then make the most of the views and northern light with good separation from kitchen/dining. If the study is going to be used by kids to do homework and cruise the internet then having it adjacent to the kitchen for supervision is probably a better solution. best of luck with your considerations, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls/Dr Retro Virtual Visits