Analysis first, then design, please. Decide all the activities that you and your family wish to occur in the front and side yards, that are not appropriate to the rear. Look at all the views as you approach the house, as well as the views from all the windows of the house. If you have underground utilities, map them out, so you and your contractors know their precise location. Think of how your guests will approach the house, that is why there is a front walk from the street. Don't trash it, resurface it, and consider charming them with the beauty and fragrance of plants on the way to your door, while admiring your home revisions. Where will you welcome your guests? How about an outdoor room with a little furniture to sit and have morning coffee with the morning news, invite your neighbor over, you won't have to invite them into your house, just your outdoor room. Will the kids want some activiies to be based on your new driveway surface? Will the new drive provide a turnaround space, so you and your guests don't have to back out onto the street? Can we see the rear yard, or is it a perfect fit to your family needs. Enjoy your new home, it's a beauty.

It was great to see a show that highlighted that good design is so important, and that good design doesn't necessarily mean bigger. I was also interested to see the egalitarian way design was shared with the 'masses' through project homes and DIY plans. A peculiarity of Australia. It seems such a shame that good design is now considered out of reach of most people. Having engaged an architect to design our renovation, I can understand why people shy away from the fees, however we're now about to embark on a renovation that keeps the best of the old, creates a space that is more contemporary and suited to our lifestyle, and flows so much better! The footprint of the house stays almost the same, so we will have a lovely big backyard. I'm tipping this may be a selling point in the future. Wouldn't it be great to see volume builders adopt these principles and start to offer better designed multi-functional spaces. Smaller houses are less expensive to run. So excited to see Pettit and Sevitt. I'd love to see Merchant Builders back in Melbourne, they were big on the entire concept, working with a hero of mine, Landscape Designer Ellis Stones. Oh to dream.....

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.

Great suggestions by dreamer, I think a dark colour for all your trims would look great, even the eaves, we painted our eaves same colour as our trims and I absolutely love it, it gives a really edgy stand out look, try with colour swatches to give you an idea, along with your fence to highlight the entrance it will look fabulous. So many colours to choose from, sample pots are worth it to get your desired look.