Your welcome Mari, like I said you already have a good eye. I don't think you necessarily have to paver the whole drive either. I’d recommend doing driveway improvements after you’ve done the major stuff that might scuff up the existing driveway, like landscape contractor or fence guys with equipment and extra dirt or stone being scraped off of it. I was just thinking a skinny band of pavers to help out, maybe 3’ or however wide the covered walk is on the side next to the house. It looks like the existing drive is asphalt. You can just saw cut a nice straight edge and then install the pavers next to it. I also did the band across the end to help fix the cracked piece. You could have the asphalt resealed black to make it pop or since it looks like most of the sealer is worn off you could probably pressure wash and do a colored acrylic sealcoat. It might work but you’d have to do more research and ask some professionals in your area of Australia. I like the idea of a lighter color on the drive so it doesn’t get intensely hot on summer days. Here were a few of the color choices off this website I pulled up. Thanks for letting me contribute - Septic Tank in Chicago http://www.sealandcoat.com/colored_asphalt_coatings/index.php

Agree about the paving stones - a mistake to be repaired & pulling them up & allowing someone on eBay to reuse them where they may match, sounds good. However, don't agree that the bricks are a mistake. Personally, I love textured bricks as you can pick out a colour from them to do trims & in 15 years, change the colours & refresh & still go well with the brick colours. I think yours are particularly nice. Removing shutters - great. If you can, take the opportunuty to take off the ornate screens on doors & windows & replace them with the very simple looking security screens. Renewing the roofing material to something that lets in more light is also a good idea. If it's not feasible to do at this time, it can always be planned in steps, but it's good to know ahead what the plan is/will be. Re colour choices. I would suggest not going with the current fashion completely. Remember when everything in every suburb was "mission brown"? Everything that has that colour is immediately dated. Best of luck, and enjoy

It's just that the carpet doesn't sit nicely with the wall colour. You need some accent colour in there so your chair is fine but I would add or replace some of the cushions on the lounge. The artwork is over your head so bring that down to eye level and I would look for a new colour for the wall as that is the easiest to change. Hopefully you don't live in a too warm climate as the carpet is a warm colour and the toning the wall will add to the warmth. I realise that grey is very popular at present so my other suggestion would be a huge grey mat to cover a much larger part of the existing carpet.

Yes go monument!and if you go for some lime acacias out the front (tall weeping or the low bush)it would brighten up you whole look.Also adding strappy green plants that bulk up would give it a bit more of a clean look. If you don't want to go monument on roof go a light grey and tie in with a couple of tall light grey planters on either side of your door. Pleas please please!find someone with a jigsaw and cut the tops off your pickets to give a cleaner look before you paint them. I'm stating the obvious but those security screens are pretty overwhelming,can you just have them on windows that can be opened,it might not look so busy out the front.