Great suggestions already. I like the idea of the french doors leading to the lounge and opening onto a covered patio. Block up the existing door unless there’s a good reason for keeping it. I’m sure you can find something interesting to do with the space gained inside the house. Keep everything light and bright paintwise but you could let your head go colour-wise , soft lemon or green with white trims, or different shades of your favourite colour. Some plants in the ground, some in pots: a lemon tree, rosemary, succulents,etc. Good luck.

Here are some of my thoughts on your front garden ... 1. Create a better "welcome walkway to your front steps . remove the hedge currently there ... mass plant an architectural wow-factor plant and uplight so peoplre know where the front entry is during the nightime. 2. "Correct" the sloping lawn, add a paved area for extra parking. 3. Create a garden bed along neighbours boundary and plant up with a hedging plant for privacy. 4. Create a garden bed in front of the wall using plants that will not block out the view from the windows. 5. For the remaining garden bed toward the kerbside, xeriscape with drought loving plants, choose plants that will not be taller than 5 feet (1.5mtrs) 6. All the garden beds with gravel, crushed river pebbles, or small river stones to compliment existing driveway. No need to change colours of house! Now there'll be no lawn to mow - but a valuable extra parking space - a designated "welcome" pathway to guide visitors to your front door - and a gorgeous "garden" to view from the front windows.

I would remove those two knobs on the railing at the bottom of the stairs, otherwise the railing would be OK and I would paint that a medium grey. I would paint any window frames a light grey which will tone in with the aluminium and the guttering a dark grey. I would also paint those two big gates at the side dark grey to draw attention away from them or get a new remote controlled gate, depending on finances. The verandah surface will need more and I would tile that with a tile that looks like timber in a weathered wood colour that has greyed. All this grey will tone down the red and orangey colour of the exterior and the tiles will stand up to the weather even though they look like wood. If you remove the hedge you might find more than you bargained for, but I would wait until the rest is done and then rethink the landscaping because the look will be different.

Wow, what a great looking house! You don't need to distract from its pure form and honesty of materials by introducing "decorative" elements that will detract from the clean lines of the architecture. If anything you should be following the original intent and simplifying it. Possibly lining the underside of the verandahs to conceal the exposed and contrasting beams. Your decorative pot is just so wrong with the house - give it to somebody who has a Tuscan style villa. Architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886–1969) adopted the motto "Less is more" to describe his aesthetic. His tactic was one of arranging the necessary components of a building to create an impression of extreme simplicity—he enlisted every element and detail to serve multiple visual and functional purposes. With your house remember "Less is more". If you hate the aesthetic of your house I am sure that there will be a pretty, decorative Hamptons style house for sale in your suburb soon, just don't try to change the style of your home with unessary decoration. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls