That sounds like a good idea bigreader. The frame is a bronze with a greenish tone and painting the bit between the windows the same colour would make the window look more cohesive. I also want to repaint the concrete verandah that runs around the house (semi-rural with water tanks underneath so don't want to pave etc). Thinking Berger paving paint Jasper which is a darker tone? Thanks...exterior colours are so difficult. .

It could be horsehair plaster. Plaster used to be re-inforced with horsehair, but it looks more like fibreglass strands. Horsehair matched the period of the original home, whereas fibreglass doesn't. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls

Hi 1991_kid, though this image may be a render, the stone tops do represent an actual material. You may like to look at the Natural Stone type called Quartzite. Quartzite comes in smaller slab sized that Granite and Man Made Quartz Reconstituted stone slabs and it is very hard (unlike marble) and comes in a variety of different colours. Quartzite stone slabs do come in various types of Grey and does come in a type that has a formation which looks similar to your image. Perhaps something like the Atlantic Stone Quartzite or the Taj Mahal Quartzite or the Grey Cristallo Extra Quartzite. Hope this is of help, Malcolm

Hard to tell from pic if it’s metal ie vertical Matt colourbond or wood-ish ie James Hardie products like scyon, linea or axon. Could also be a batten over a plain cladding. For your purpose have a look at the James Hardie products.