hi Adrian and Erin, now that looks flash! and it is amazing the difference the small things make! we will certainly look at this and Erin, tks so much for the photo. Do you think the new square posts holding up the veranda should be painted the same colour as the windows ( we think we will restore the windows to the existing white) or made a feature, ie maybe dressed timber or another colour? Our landscape plan includes a pergola ( maybe dressed timber or painted white) leading up to the front porch and a few low retaining walls ( maybe rendered or sandstone?) and maybe the post colour can tie in somewhere? cheers kim

Paint the extruding garage a feature colour and the room above a different shade of that. For the rest of the house one colour. I like what the other person said with greys. Use grey as a feature and may be a toned down white for the rest. Posts could be black or dark grey and timber slats as you thought. If you have timber slats anywhere, I would probably leave some exposed brick somewhere, that is, if you are painting or rendering the house. I like 3 different elements in a house. eg. 3 different colours or 3 different products/textures.

Thanks jbantick. I agree with you... I was leaning towards opt #1 as well (opt #2 a little cold)... but we'll change the projection from Monument to the slightly darker Domino to balance off the dark Sambuca roof. Shale Grey is actually darker than the Dieskau main render which I'm trying to lighten... so we'll change the fascia to Surfmist, same as all our downpipes... it will also make the eaves appear wider and won't clash too much with the underside which is white. Also decided to keep Night Sky for gutters as it elongates the roof and same colour for the capping on the now darker projection... should hopefully tie in nicely with our black alum windows too. Yes, in the end I think the matrix look is the go... it just changes the overall look, for the better I think... will cost us a bit extra, but in the scheme of things well worth it! And finally, I love my door too :) had a few ppl gasp when they saw it, but that is the one thing I'm not changing! :)

Hi Deb, If this place were mine I would be going for a timeless Australian look to blend with your native and European plant choices that's durable for our climate. I would start with a portico built over the entry in hardwood with a colour bond pitched lined roof trim all the wood in white. Clad the walls with Hardies weather boards or flat planks, building a wide timber trim around the downstairs window to create a feature. I'd go with charcoal walls to compliment the white trim classic colours that will endure time. I'd clad the retaining walls all with a stacker stone tile that resembles old English mortar less stone walls. Some outdoor lights by Barnlighting Autralia are classics. If you want a cheap alternative creeper over the bricks, be aware that all vines will erode the mortar and attract spiders, yet my favourite creeper for this application would be "ficus pemula" it sits really flat and can be trained as a solid wall. Perfect for privacy. You could pave the entry path with "Millboards" wharf style boards so it looks like a beach path, they will never rot or need maintenance, otherwise you can use concrete moulded timber look planks. Some flax grasses to add to the coastal look. As for this upstairs Windows, what was the building designer thinking?.. There's a couple of choices, you can create one way visibility with white shutters inside or out, line the glass with sunblock film or have some exterior screens fitted outside with laser cuts screens, timber etc or replace the windows and create a more balanced frontal feature with higher rectangular windows. This cladding can take to a contemporary look, coastal look, bush style etc. the best feature of this cladding is the additional insulation and uniformity. Have fun