What a lovely house. I've seen cases where render increases street appeal, but this is not one of those cases. I love the brick - it suits the house much better than a rendered façade would. Please don't render it.

Maybe a small couple of things could make a big difference - a different colour on the timber gable detail, and the garage door? Freshen up the trims with some fresh paint. As much as I love the timber colour of the door, this might be another option to change a small detail to get a fresher look. Spray painting the roof might also offer the option to choose a colour which reduces, and contrasts more nicely with the red bricks. This could all help to make the red brick shine more, by reducing the overall 'redness'.

This is a gorgeous home, which has good street appeal already (although somewhat hidden). I agree with all the above. No render. This is a large, high-maintenance home already- don't add to it!.

• Prune the front hedge right down to the fence height. You will need to be brutal, and it will look woody at first, but Spring is coming, it will fill out again. It is too high and is hiding the house, creating a shadow on the house, creating security issues too.

• Pressure wash the roof - see how it comes up. You will need to do this anyway if you are going to paint it, which you might be able to avoid pending how it cleans up.

• Pressure wash the driveway, seal the stone after.

• Paint the front door, garage door and gables (to get rid of the red-brown). I'd paint the front door a gloss navy (pulling the blue from the lead-light), the garage and gables- the monument you suggested would work.

• New lights at the front door, new plants.

• With the money you save!! Pay a gardener to go over it in Spring for a good tidy up and you go on holidays!

I never thought about a painted door but it's lovely and does break the red. I feel like we're stuck w/ garage door as it's quite new but could change front door & those timber slats on gables. THANKYOU

Thanks Mel N I love your ideas and the detail you've gone into. Interesting how everyone is unanimous re not rendering

Would you keep the leadlight window in centre? I'd been toying with a new front door and re-installing normal window (which was there originally) and just popping a shutter on it same as rest of the windows....

Hi there it's easy to paint the garage door and it would make such a big difference, unless you need privacy in the leadlight window I'd leave it and spend the money having the garage door painted (you could consider painting the frame of the lead light window black as well. cheers

by the way I love the hanging pot light at the front door.

Hi Sharon, I'd keep the lead-light, it gives the house a point-of-difference (they are also fantastically expensive !!!, shame to waste!).

Is the garage door colourbond or faux timber panel?

Perhaps paint the gables out first (on reflection- I think a lighter colour similar to what's on the verandah posts, Paperbark maybe), drop the hedge height and see how it looks ? This might reduce the overall 'heaviness', and it might be able to tolerate the darkness of the garage door.

I'd remove every pot and outdoor chair, bench etc , esp those near the front door. Have a look around for maybe one simple beautiful chair for outside..

For me the garage door colour ages the house and not in a good way, they are very easy to paint. But make all of the other changes and step back and have another look. Your black entrance gate ties nicely to a new black front door, I think I might just remove those flying things on the wall to the rear of the house cheers

The front hedge is a bit off-putting to me. Perhaps you could consider reducing its height so that it is not so much of a "solid wall' effect and perhaps offers a tantalising glimpse of the front garden?

I'd definitely leave the brick and the roof, it looks like a good, solid and classic house a and the front door would come up beautifully in a smarter colour.

I'd paint your front door, gutters and garage door Dulux Monument and it would look fantastic, particularly with your brick and roof couloirs and that lovely sandstone. Then the gables in the same sandy colour as your posts, though if it's too yellow-creamy you could use a warm grey taupe like Dulux Dieskau.

Replace the coach lights with a sleeker but still classic version like Beacon's Southhampton and an additional pair either side of the front door. Replace the urns with say 3 simple tubular pots of varying heights on the left side with some interesting crassula and rounded Japanese box.

Trim your hedge right down and thin out to shoulder height. Not sure if you can replace the finials on your fence as this Victorian style doesn't suit your house and is a bit dated. Then rip out any ratty looking plants (poor roses always look ratty!) and replace with plants that are ideal for the aspect - if they're in the shade only put in clients that in part shade even magnolia little gem is versatile. Otherwise a lovely sweet viburnum will add softness and bright foliage. Plant mondo grass in the tall pot and remove the pew bench and rectangular planters and get a new small batch of fresh pebbles for between the square pavers. You could even put an interesting bench (or that pew) along the wall on the right of the front door, style it up with a couple of outdoor cushions (KMART even have some smart stripe ones).

and finally get the roof cleaned but otherwise leave it!

it's a great house, it won't take much to make it look really fresh and stylish.

Ditch the leadlight. Get rid of the old planters and lge. pots and replace with something modern (see above). Black front door looks super. Spray clean the roof only. Do not render. Embrace your 70's house . Choose a colour from your bricks (remember 70's). Google painted Canadian/American house for inspiration. Do not be afraid of colour. If you can, get rid of the roof over the french doors, the one with the balcony above. Trim the hedge down. Get rid of the stepping stone path. Engage a qualified landscaper. It will be worth it! You go girl!

Much of the above could help this fine house. however my designer thoughts to absolutely transform it into a really goodlooking home are:

Firstly to let the roof tiles be the honest, costly, substantial attribute that they are with any aging beneficial to soften look and seal!

Secondly, I absolutely without question would change colour and finish of plain beicks by bagging with colour tinted cement product called Adtex (based in Mittagong and made in Albion Park), which comes in dozens of great colours and is oh, so easy to apply! I would recommend "Stone" as the colour which I used internally in a stairwell though covered entire outside of house in "Eucalyptus" with an extra dash of black to grey it off a bit...looks amazing!!

Nothing you do could ever improve the look of your house so exponentially and increase value as this finish, which never needs painting as it just ages gracefully like a limewash along with being quite inexpensive!

thirdly, I would definitely add some interest to Windows by adding storm shutters with all timber work painted a dark grey including front door and surrounds. Personally I don't like the front door as is such a not good Federation touch, however an expensive replacement when painting will help a lot! Now here's an idea... changing the glass of front door and side windows to frosted glass or plain would make a world of difference! I would definitely do this!

All the best for your potentially great looking new home!!

sincerely

Victoria Blanche Ross

Decorator/Designer

The lead light should most definitely stay - I think you are blessed to have such a wonderful, hand crafted piece of beauty / history. Obviously the plants at the front door need to replaced or cut back to bring on new growth. In general from the photos I do not see too much wrong with your home your lovely hedge covers the street frontage except the drive way / garage. I would not worry to much about trying to improve. I would not go with rendering.

I can't imagine anyone wanting to get rid of leadlight, it adds character and beauty that is not seen in too many houses, I feel the house trimmings and garage door should be lightened to a nice soft grey/stone colour, (even a creamy stone) I'd even take the colour you choose to the bricks at the bottoms of the posts even the front door all matching to lighten the whole appearance of the house and shutters of the same colour could dress the windows and lighten the brick, I agree with the hedge being not so tall as it is a barrier to the overall look of the home, that will allow the area to look lighter with out painting over the other bricks but still look uniform, I think if you change the pots pick a pop of colour in say yellow, lime or orange and plants that will be green as a good foil for the pots this will allow the pops of colour to lighten and brighten at the same time, the bagging with tinted cement sounds great too and as it seems it comes in a lot of different colours and need not be maintained as paint would this would allow the same lightening look with out 'more work' down the line so a good idea with similar result I'd still paint the front door a matching colour to keep it uniform as well as lighter.

Good luck.