I completely love the twirly bits, and the window trim. It's unique, special and shows the family within has a sort of fun spirit. If you would be more comfortable with a cottage that looks more "regular", then take it off. But please don't! For some color and inspiration, google French provencal fabric images. I can completely see a little black metal bistro table and wood slat back chairs on your porch with a cloth of one of those fabrics. I would paint it a light dusky blue, with white trim and mid-charcoal accents around the windows and the corner pieces on the front porch. Although the yellow with the blue would be quite right too! The front walk looks to be in good condition. You can do a stone overlay on that, letting a small portion of the stones hang over the straight edge, to give it a little more rustic look. It looks like you have a good collection of Queen of the Nile lilies (guessing here). Were they blue on blooming? You can create some slightly larger and curving beds in the front, and transplant some within it. I would add lavender and rosemary in a mix with those. For some grey and texture, put some lambs ears (a perennial) along the outside edge. Check your local growing zone to see what will thrive in your area! Lucky you. What a find!

Lovely print. I had a peacock feather print and I had a colour called glacier Grey behind. Think it was Wattyl . Again like your other walls it is a greenish grey but darker. I also had my prints on a charcoal wall..loved that too. As you said the picture ties in with the chairs and now it's not necessary to add more matching colours. I'd buy a couple of sample pots and paint large pieces of cardboard. With the other walls I would consider painting them in whisper white (Dulux) a very universal colour that ties in nicely with all colours.

Hi chittering5 we used the 25.5cm lights. Our island bench is fairly small at approx 1800x900mm. I actually purchased 3 (at much better price than currently listed) but felt it was too many for the space when I mocked up the (widest) diameter of the lights with paper cut-outs. Trying to decide if I can use the 3rd light in the bathroom or something without it looking lonely....

Absolutely agree with blueskies60 ! Remove the artwork/bench/plant that's on the left and replace then with either a bookshelf or a tall chest of drawers. Perhaps the plant can be repositioned into the corner on the floor where this troublesome niche is (there seems to be more than enough light there for a plant) and just place something calm and simple in the niche itself - perhaps a Japanese style scroll or pen and ink art work set off with a more rounded object sitting in the left corner of the niche; a gorgeous rock, a lovely candle, a calming statue... If you have (my preference) a chest of timber drawers on the left where the current art work is, you'll break up the symmetry, have more storage and have another surface upon which you can place a changing display of objects. This is the area that I would utilise for a mirror.