Lovely home, I think going dark on your trims would look beautiful with your bricks. A grey like Raku is not too dark, maybe a colour consultant from Dulux might be a great idea and help you get the right choice for your lovely home.

Thanks for your reply Julie! I love the images you have shared, the dark looks great with that brick. It's so hard to visualise new colours with our house. I agree I might need professional help!

You have chosen too many colours. The brick is busy enough as it is. I would stick with one colour for your roof and all the trims, gutters, fascia, garage doors. As an example, colours such as Dulux jasper or wallaby. Woodland grey has a green undertone, and would not suit your home.

It would be a massive and expensive job to change the brick paving of the driveway, as it continues around the home. Maybe place potted flowering plants at front door and front windows to break up the visual lines between brick paving and house bricks.

Thanks Dreamer. Are you saying one colour for the roof, and that same colour for garage doors, gutters, trims? Or a second colour for the garage doors, gutters, trims? The only reason I liked Woodland Grey is that some of the darker mottled bricks are a good colour match with it. But I do also like Wallaby.

If you go a darker colour agree with dreamer, add gorgeous planters at door compliment paving.

Agree one dark for all painted items .

Ok thanks Kate. We live in Brisbane, and it gets very hot. I've been warned off using a dark colour for roofing due to heat absorption, which is why I've been avoiding dark even though I love the look of it. Your thoughts?

In the second pic , the house next door ( to your right ) looks to have a dark roof and trim , so that partially answers your query about the heat -- just ask them !

Having said that , your main roof looks to be darkish , the one above the garage doors that horrid 80's green , and the gutters a fetching pink ? So like most , I'd try and get as many things dark as possible -- roof , gutters , uprights , etc . In fact , if budget allows , I'd consider changing the front doors -- they are pleasant enough , and let in light , but I'd like double solid doors -- I'd go Bright Red to make it a focal point , avert the eyes , and it will work with the bricks ; but I suspect most people would go a charcoal or Japanese Black or similar .

And you say about modernising the look , but I think that unless you render or paint all the bricks ( I'm personally not a fan of either ) you will always have those bricks , so anything else is just playing around the edges . For example , you could spend $2k upwards to change the wrought iron railing on that upstairs terrace ( I'm not even sure if it can be seen easily from the street ? ) , and go modern dark smoked glass , but everyone will still see those bricks .

Thanks Pottsy99, I agree there is no getting away from the bricks! Just trying to work with them as best we can. We've only owned it a few years, and have been working on the inside and getting rid of the apricot everything! This house was 'death by apricot' when we got it. The main roof is just dirty, and would be the same horrid green of the smaller roof.

Neighbours do have a dark roof, and they seem ok with it, but their aircon is running all through summer. Everything I read about roof colours says dark roofs retain heat, so I'm hesitant about that.

New front door is on the cards. Just trying to work on the overall external appeal now, so new verandah railing, garden, etc. Need to sort the colour scheme first.

I think your garden is lovely, paint the railing the dark colour as well and add a gorgeous front door.

More lovely pics, thanks Julie! The railing will 'disappear' more if it's a dark colour too. Appreciate your ideas. :)

Another thought -- it seems counter-intuitive , but in Pic 1 , to the left is one or two houses with Orange/Terracota tile roofs . One has mottled bricks , and it doesn't look too bad -- almost an 'embrace the era and embrace the area' haha -- all the mottled brick houses can stick together against the other bully houses !

We're definitely in a brick area! Stuck in a time warp... haha!

Hi , we have been at the afl grand final. Yeh Geelong!.

Yes I think that one colour for ALL the trims, including garage doors and verandah posts, and balustrade. I agree about the issue with roof colours and heat in your area, but wallaby is not black and may be okay for your roof.

Thanks dreamer, and yes a fantastic win to Geelong!