Is there part of the house we can't see? Where is your front door? Just the double frontage like that is plain, but that was the style and not much you can do about it. The homes you are looking at do have a lot of features with opportunities to bring in other colours but there is nowhere with yours to do that and if you try it usually cheapens it. If you take the triple fronted house you posted, I would do the lighter green on the weatherboard and the deeper green like they have used on the window frames, I would do for the baseboards and the front door. I would keep the window frames and eaves white and paint the guttering to match the roof. Are you country? Are here any water issues for the garden? Instead of trying to do something with the house, I think I would be inclined to give it all a cottagy look with a picket front fence, nice entrance, a lush lawn and lots of plants for colour and lushness. The dark green baseboard will be a nice background for some small shrubs in front of the house. Weatherboards really lend themselves to that look. Don't forget the addition of old tyre swans - lol I notice you have small awnings over the windows - maybe replace them with some striped canvas ones in greens and terracotta - if you can get the combination. [houzz=]

While I agree that the steps do not currently match the house and were an add on, I don't see why you can't make them work! Add Saltillo tile to the tops of each step, in keeping with what you already have. Then add Talavera tiles, in random patterns if you're funky, all matching on each layer of riser if you're more of an orderly person, or in the middle, which would be to have each riser contain the same pattern all the way around the whole step, but having each step in a different pattern. (I would make them match somewhat) Then, have a welder fabricate hand rails to continue from your upper porch rails, down the sides of each step, so elderly and young folks can still access your stairs. It will also keep the flow and the beauty of the steps in tact. Then, you might consider adding a few scattered tiles elsewhere on your porch to help tie in the whole look, like a Talavera tile-topped table, or maybe a row of tiles above the front door? I can't really see the in the photo if that would work, but there are tons of Talavera tile ideas that would dress up your lovely home! [houzz=] [houzz=] [houzz=]

hi yes batches are different from batch to batch, but the finishers, toner, and self levellers, grout, are all different and have differing impact of the finish. Two of my Grandsons work in the concrete polishing industry (have for years)and come across this problem every other day. They are so very used to fixing up concrete pourers blues. I do know of some extreme difficulties (some over forty years old under carpet that have had the same problem) that have given my boys a hard time. However, at the end of it, using the right gear, you can literally see your face in the reflection plus the reflected image via the window.

Hi Ginger , I'm in New Zealand , and the suggestions I would make if your house was here in NZ or Australia would be that there's nothing wrong with the house itself , I like the colour and style . What I would focus on is 'the rest' . The garden looks a bit new and a bit plain -- personally , I'd do a big colourful glazed pot , at least 60cm tall and wide ( 2 ft ) in your favoured blue or red or burgundy or green or similar , and have it 'in' the garden near the footpath ( you might need to move 1 plant ) . Maybe something unusual -- a bamboo or cactus or 3 or 4 small plants ? In the main garden , add some variety too -- a brown flax , a shrub with red leaves , 3 or 4 low yellow grasses ? The pergola over the door I like -- white rails and uprights , maybe a slightly sloping clear plastic roof -- it would tie in with the door , the windows and the look and era . The fences I would stain charcoal -- that would fade and weather well , and although 'black' ( charcoal ) , yellow and white is pretty cliche'd , it would work , and hopefully be different enough to make your place stand out from all the copying neighbours haha .