Practical functional easy to clean kitchen ... I would bring colour & style in with things like bar stools & kitchen appliances ... It looks as though it connects into a living area ... That is where you can bring in your personality ... Great space along the top where clock is ... Again another space to colour with your style with art work ... If you have a free wall add in a kitchen type piece of furniture, that has open shelving... I think it is quite neutral & easy to inject personality without major changes to what is there.

Q7) Louise - I live in a small federation single fronted cottage in an inner west suburb of Sydney and would like to freshen the façade to modernise it and improve on the street appeal. Within the next month I am planning on replacing the bullnose awning to one that is flat but angled, paint the exterior of the house and lay tiles in the porch and step areas (carport and planting to soften the façade will come later). The tiles that will be laid in the porch are artisan style ones shown in the pics below, steps will be marble. The house is north facing and I am going for the Hamptons look. I would like to know (a) if you think this colour scheme will work and if there is a better colour scheme that you can please recommend - Dulux tranquil retreat for the exterior, trims will be crisp white, surfmist for the awning and momentum for gutters, (b) should the awning have a corrugated or trimdek profile and (c) the tradie will be removing the timber post and replacing this will aluminium ones white in colour - is aluminium a terrible idea? The houses on the street are a mix of federation, bungalows and modern ones. Some are as-is in pretty much original condition and others freshened up with render and paint in pretty neutral colours.

I'd definitely leave the brick and the roof, it looks like a good, solid and classic house a and the front door would come up beautifully in a smarter colour. I'd paint your front door, gutters and garage door Dulux Monument and it would look fantastic, particularly with your brick and roof couloirs and that lovely sandstone. Then the gables in the same sandy colour as your posts, though if it's too yellow-creamy you could use a warm grey taupe like Dulux Dieskau. Replace the coach lights with a sleeker but still classic version like Beacon's Southhampton and an additional pair either side of the front door. Replace the urns with say 3 simple tubular pots of varying heights on the left side with some interesting crassula and rounded Japanese box. Trim your hedge right down and thin out to shoulder height. Not sure if you can replace the finials on your fence as this Victorian style doesn't suit your house and is a bit dated. Then rip out any ratty looking plants (poor roses always look ratty!) and replace with plants that are ideal for the aspect - if they're in the shade only put in clients that in part shade even magnolia little gem is versatile. Otherwise a lovely sweet viburnum will add softness and bright foliage. Plant mondo grass in the tall pot and remove the pew bench and rectangular planters and get a new small batch of fresh pebbles for between the square pavers. You could even put an interesting bench (or that pew) along the wall on the right of the front door, style it up with a couple of outdoor cushions (KMART even have some smart stripe ones). and finally get the roof cleaned but otherwise leave it! it's a great house, it won't take much to make it look really fresh and stylish.

Ok. I am a little confused where to head. I need a future vision for all components of house and fence to make the little decisions. The pool blue tiles I love but not sure how to tie in with all the fences internal and external and with house especially if this green goes anywhere else ? But I have bought a " green paint" dulux scott's pine very similar to what was there but it is quite wet here so I stumbled on a photo edit option and have done an unskilled mock up on a photo and taken a photo of it in the meantime (as I couldnt work out how to save it!!! ) But although the green is lighter than actual paint I have bought I can actually (ok it has taken me a while) see how the green would work. But if I do that what would I do will both my green fence and my maroon fence from the outside. I also tried to track down junior navy and couldnt find that colour anywhere? I have slate in need of a little tlc inside front door which I love. I know for some people they find it hard to clean or dated. Its individual and I am beginning to subscribe to conscious consumerism. Lets be clear my house has had renos from some different eras so was and is going to be earthy but eclectic and individual in decorating style.