From the title I was expecting something completely different. I think your house has good traditional street appeal. The two things I notice are the balustrading and the landscaping, which I see others have also commented on. I'm not sure what to suggest about the balustrading but somehow it looks not quite right to me. I think those ornamental panels look too busy? Landscaping can really enhance a house. Yours looks quite nice in the second picture but in the first picture it draws attention to the fact that there is no clear entrance. Be careful if considering painting brick or replacing aluminium with timber. You could end up with a high-maintenance facade that looks like a budget reno. I think your house could be completely updated with render and new windows and glass balustrading and maybe a stackstone feature, and I have seen some like that which look beautiful and it's hard to believe it's the same house. But if you don't want to go the whole way then I think you can get a nice result by working with what you have as much as possible rather than covering it up.

Hi Polly, I live in SE Qld, so completely different climate from you. Where I live, Lomandra are incredibly hardy and will grow in shade or sun. Westringia are also hardy, They will take part-shade and adapt very well to being clipped to size. I'm also happy with my dianella. They are really great for getting green 'lushness' in shade. I grow quite a few grevilleas. The hybrid ones flower all year round and give great colour to the garden - and the birds love them. I also grow leptospermum, melaleucas and callistemons in areas where my drainage isn't good enough for grevilleas. I also like Chrysocephalum apiculatum as a ground cover. According to the experts it grows in Melbourne. Where I live it's very long-flowering and spills onto paths nicely. I'm growing a few lilliepillies in shady areas, but we had lots in our last garden so I wanted a change. We have no lawn at all in our garden. No kids or dogs so don't need it. There are so many wonderful natives. Our local Bunnings actually stocks quite a few, or you can find a specialist native nursery that will have an even bigger selection. They can give you advice on what will grow well in your situation.

Strong geometry, cool blue and glass and a plain lawn background. to fill the diamond with bush is going to cancel out its strength. But something different to the slightly sterile design compilation … if the finance is there, get two or three massive raw rock slabs and one spectacular architectural tree. resist going vertical .. layer them horizontally to slightly overlap or break the hard lines of the diamond, but not to obscure it. Then choose you vertical with a sculptural tree. There are vertical cherry trees with spectacular autumn colour which would contrast with the rocks (texturally), and be floaty like the water in the pool…. whatever the tree, lift the foliage up from the soil level, and underplant with jut one kind of tight low ground cover, even moss (if your climate can support) or ground hugging juniper that you can train inside the diamond. This combination of elements is rich for the eye, softens the geometry, and adds interest which is lacking right now. The place for shrubs and grasses and palms is to border the lawn.

Thank you @bigreader - we've drawn out a rough plan and there is room for a .5m or 1m garden bed on the left, gate and ped gate. It just depends if the pedestrian gate should line up with the front door & centre of the house... I know a lot of little houses it doesn't @Sunfish House do you think it is important... Also... even removing the garden bed would be a squeeze to get the ped gate centred I think. This (I'm not a very good drawer) drawing includes 0.5m garden bed with blank space from the centre to the right garden bed as I'm not sure what to do with that. @dreamer thank you for the input... I saw this yesterday which I really like for the driveway which also looks quite soft & go with the Olive look (I think). Aggregated stone colour paver/concrete...