You need pop.... I do not think gray would give you enough. Maybe you could paint the door red and replace the awning with something more refined. if you could find some of the of the same or coordinating bricks from the chimney then you could make two poles out of them and a wooden roof painted white. Or for a less costly route just paint the door some vibrant color an all the trim a nice clean white. You could also get some potted plants for a little more color.

The Bricks are OK, if you like them, keep that round feature deck in the brick and render the rest, or stone clad the feature and render the rest, or cheapest of all just paint the rest in a dark warm neutral and render the round feature in a lighter but similar tone. You have the windows to consider. If you changed the colour of them you could also change the overall colour scheme from warm to cool. Although a black and white scheme is current, it looks better on timber houses and in suburban and inner city areas in my opinion. There are lots of different elements to your house which would look more integrated if you chose a warm colour scheme with a maximum of 3 colours. You can even make the bricks work if you paint upstairs a warmer colour to match them and changed the tiles and front steps to wood. Wood integrates everything in a warm colour scheme.

All the 'sad' and disapppinted people commenting here; those who 'dislike this and that, or want to see 'character' retained, etc, etc, ought to get out more; to go see the world. As far as I can see, much of the architectual integrity HAS been retained. Is this 'sadness' a Victorian thing?; must we save all the old buildings, all the trees, the whole planet - from what? For what? Despite the hype, we're not likely to tip the place off it's axis anytime soon. Likewise with older houses; give them fresh breath, i say. Using whatever our creative and forward-looking brains can offer us is a positive solution to all things. My recently renovated heart agrees! This cosmetic reno' is nothing short of a grand improvement on its' former presentation; it's lighter, brighter and far more livable; refecting the owners outlook on life, I'd say. So, to all the 'experts', to those who want to pretend that they'd prefer to live in the dark ages - say, the 70's which were notoriously bland and most everything built then was built to a tough budget. ( I remember building in the 70's, in the 80s', renovating and building in the 90s', the nouties and still renovating now; i just can't seem to leach it out of my DNA as I complete the restoration of a 1930's Cal' Bung', one runied in the 70s' by some hapless 'handyman' who insatlled a plastic Chub and added a Victorian bull-nose verandah! All my homes turned out differently as my tastes and budget changed. Beginning in 1974 when I painted the front door of my 60's 2-bedder, bright yellow, the weatherboards 'Conifer'; the darkest posible green, now cracking in the sun, no doubt! Or has it been renovated by some 21st century house-hipsters? Then in 1976 I chose Avo' toilets, basins and bath ! Used native timbers, unpainted T & G everywhere, too ) I pulled out 'space wasting' french doors and installed open arches ! And wall-papered everything that didn't move. Not every so-called 'mid-century' home is a classic, or is worth preserving. Like this one probably was, they were pretty darned ordinary, particularly compared to those of the Victorian, Edwardian, the Art Deco and Californian Bungalow styles before them; all of which HAD definable chararcter, had enduring stlye; and are much sought-after and highly valued for having it laid, thickly, throughout. 70s' era homes were / are lacking wholly in character; and they lacked space, lacked insulation, lacked lots of design and comfort amenity we all want and deserve today. They're, nevertheless, given a new and longer life when younger eyes and energy are applied to their renovation, design and decor. Good on them!

Can you post any more photos including the staircase, and how the room next to the staircase is accessed interesting extension not following in the traditional manner of the house, Always follow KISS, keep it simple S for the best result. You could add a traditional front door in black but I don't think it necessary as from what I can see in the photo is the entrance and door already have a lot of character. The lovely Picket will look less fussy if done in one colour quoting Taking the new build/old build divide quite literally, the existing cottage has been redefined as a crisp white entity. In a street of Heritage vernacular, where every architectural shift is picked out in a nuanced tone, this is a drastic departure in itself. Add to this the decision to present the new addition in solid black, and the radical nature of the build becomes apparent (Dulux low sheen black and Lexington white). http://www.wrightsonstewart.com.au/wilston-project