Could you add an exterior picture of the front door? Is the roof tile terracotta with some charcoal colour throughout? I've seen house with similar brick and roof colour (I think) and they've done new gutters and fascia in colorbond monument. Looks great. The colour is already there on the window sills and fence capping tile.

Hi JV, I think unless you are planning to do a huge facelift to the home, I would just embrace the retro feel rather than trying to mask it and have it looking too random and shoddy. I actually think the cream brick at the sides is quite cool, it looks in really good shape, I would definitely leave that! And the trellis, I just think you can't fight it as it's all the balustrade too. Replacing that with glass will just look like a 70s home with bad out of place glass added. I like your timber idea, though I'd just go a regular cladding rather than decking which will look... well like decking on the wall! Get a cladding (Even a Scyon style product), paint it a light charcoal (or even a dark olive/khaki colour) and it would look stylish, retro and actuallypretty cool as I'd expect from an IT guy. Add some plants (mother in laws tongue, a crassula, another succulent) in a few pots of varying heights (say 3), add a stylish outdoor light, maybe a plaque wiht your business name, a cool doormat, remove the screen door and I think it would look great. Look up mid century modern references, there's a lot. Even though it's not mid century, you could stretch to that. I think it would look far better than trying to mask what you've got and have it come off as looking really amateur.

Don't try and modernise this home, it has a lovely mid-century character that you should build on. I suggest to all of my clients that they should live in a home for at least 12 months before spending big renovation dollars. Understand how your house works with the change of seasons, and the existing electrical and plumbing services. Sometimes when you are on a tight budget in an old house then boring things like gutters and hot water systems are more important than supeficial aesthetics. Elements that are not original, such as your roller blinds at the front aren't contributing to the look of the house. The right landscaping could provide the shade you need and look much better. Love it for what it is, rather than try and make it into something that it is not. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls

First step would be outline what and why the railing and deck needs replacing , so that you ( or we ) don't repeat the mistakes . Like oklouise said , what is the front and rear deck made of ( sounds like they are concrete slabs , but just checking ) , what are the rails currently , do you know how solid the pillars are ( they look a different brick to the house , so may have been added later and/or have steel uprights in the middle , etc ) . The answers to those questions will give 'us' a base -- a concrete deck or two is harder to replace than wooden ones , same with steel poles imbedded in 2 metres of concrete etc . Just some general comments though -- what is the material between the 2 windows on the upstairs front ? And you say about not replacing the windows , but possibly changing the rear door ? Is that because of cost ? The brown frames will always date your house , but they are no where near as bad IMO as the yellow glass . Personally , that glass would be the very first thing I'd change ; 2nd thing would be doing charcoal on the gutters and garage doors ; THEN I'd update the decks and rails . Depending on what the fill panel between those 2 upstairs windows above the garage doors is made out of , maybe paint it off-white or charcoal -- add some interest in a subtle way . If you keep any part of the blue rails , paint them . Also look at some landscaping , a solid brick or maybe charcoal coloured concrete mailbox , charcoal stained fences -- but I still shiver at the yellow glass haha .