Thank you for all those ideas. A modern front door makes all the difference & all agree the lattice has to go. Will definitely recolour the roof tiles, gutters (maybe round down-pipes), garage door & possibly the driveway / path. I like the thought of just rendering or cladding the portico alone. Not big on sparse architectural plantings, but would consider architectural plants lining the path within the existing beds. It was already dark when I wrote the first post so here are some freshly snapped shots. In the process of growing a Pink Wisteria along the garage facia so will have to be careful painting, but should look fabulous in bloom with a dark backdrop.

Hi Lisa - well, we started!! Haha. We ended up painting all the ballustrades white, the poles a shade of beige/grey and then Domino on some feature walls/sections. However we had to pause as we went back at work during Covid (my husband and I run two business plus have two kids so we just ran out of any time to continue). And after some time, we've decided to change it all and go Monument 😆 We're going to get the roof painted in Monument and then keep the rest dark too - i'll be replanting the front near the stairs to the door so we're hoping the new greenery pops out. More work, but after seeing how it's turned out, we agree we think it will all look really nice it it goes the one colour, maybe a pop colour front door to balance it out :)

The three things I like are the bricks , the tiles , and the overall style and even 'class' of the place . What I dislike is the yellowy beige ( in fact it has a pink tinge in some lights ) -- shocking haha ! And likewise that blue doesn't suit . For a starter , I'd do everything ( yes , the fence and pillars and caps -- everything ) that is beigey in a crisper white . The blue probably depends on your preference -- a darker almost royal blue may look okay , similarly so may a charcoal ( remember , the sharp white will contrast , and bring out the brick and tile tones too ) . Even a nice orange -- citrus doesn't suit the house style , but apricot is too wimpy against the bricks IMO ) . Fresh and crisp and clean with a sense of style .

I'm thinking similar to me me -- if you swapped the kitchen and dining , basically the dining chairs and even table can become part of the family room ( looks a lot bigger too , but the downside is you have to clean everything come mealtime -- probably not a bad habit to get into anyway ) . The kitchen could then be walled off from the lounge presumably , or able to view each other if that suits your lifestyle -- it gets a good view and light from the patio , maybe even a servery ? One slight further option if you really wanted , would be ( as above ) swap kitchen and dining , BUT remove the 'foyer' wall , including that linen and fridge space , and have the dining table near the entrance door . Personally , not what I'd do , but it does add more space , particularly to the Family room ( check as far as load bearing walls etc before you even considered this option ) -- there are some advantages , but some slightly strange ones too . Might make you think of options ?