The next time I decorate by a colour of the year will be the first time. Don't hold your breath. I have nothing against this particular colour but it doesn't work with all the things I've collected over the years, and I am not about to discard carpets bought after hard bargaining with dubious merchants in Istanbul or Islamabad because they don't "go" with a paint colour that someone voted "colour of the year." In its place, I think the colour would be quite nice (better than this years choices, certainly). It's just that my place isn't the right place for it.

now that you mention it ace and miss, I do believe the horse is a little horrified at what has happened to those poor springbok. And now that I know that is a who and not a pattern on those pillows, that is all i shall ever notice when i look. My appearance is now roughly the same as the horse, I do not seem to be turquoise though.

i saw the glowering pendants and the paintings at about the same time. I always thought my taste was a bit eclectic, but not to the extent of having things staring at me all the time. Dog pedestals, paintings, dog statues, antlers (faux but still animals), and that porthole type thing looks like something out of 1984. Big Brother is watching. Definitely not for me.

The back of the house you've nailed it -- all windows in the charcoal . Do the pergoda in a similar stain , and it's done . The front though -- you say the roof is Manor Red -- it looks like a fading brown to me ? Might be the photo , but I would go redder there -- it looks in that picture that it will need doing soon ? The one area I would concentrate on though is that gable ! I'd do all the upright boards and the surrounding boards in a really crisp white , and leave the infill in primrose or beige . Subtle but it will lift it . You then have the option of leaving the windows as they are , or going all black / charcoal / monument -- the latter would look more modern , but i don't think that would be the best look for the house -- I'd leave them as they are and embrace the period .