Hi everyone, we have moved in! We didn't manage to paint before we moved and think we will go for a staged approach - above the wood panels first in a warm white then decide on the panels. I'm having a bit of trouble working out what kind of sofa to buy and how at arrange the lounge. All furniture except coffee table temporary in photos and would love some ideas!

Thanks for the replies! My wife suggested we talk to a local real estate agent, so i think that is a good idea... just that Im not sure how helpful they are likely to be if we arent selling yet :) As for saving for our dream house, I dont disagree, however if doing this up nicely over the next ~5 years or so while we live here nets us some extra in the eventual sale, then that of course will help us as well. Interesting thing happened today actually. I got a knock on the door and one of the older neighbours asked if he could take some lemons from the tree. I of course said yes. Anyway he was telling me he had lived in the street for 40 years. I asked him if the house had always looked like this, and he said no that ~30 years ago the old old owner did a massive renovation and pulled off the timber and put up the bricks and gutted the inside of the house. Interesting stuff!

Thanks for the extra pics. Still thinking along the same line. Trim the bushes by the sidewalk to make the sidewalk more visible and accessible. If you can, replace the package with new door with clear glass or no glass and new sidelights or none. Put in a courtyard that comes out to the white wall with whatever works for you. Pavers, pavers and gravel, low decking, concrete, tile, brick. Anything. Add bench , chairs , mini trees in pots flowers. Make it welcoming. Could even add a trellis over the area. Deck could be made smaller and planting beds put in under Windows for small shrubs or flowers. Grass in the area between the ac unit and the driveway. Add a walk way from drive to the deck in material that works withe the rest. I would add pictures but don't know how.

Hey all, I am getting a timber pergola installed in my backyard. It is a flat pergola with roofs. Here are the details of the project :- 1) Flat roof timber pergola. 2) Merbau hardwood decking- most likely in red color 3) Black/brown bamboo fencing 4) Natural grass lawns 5) Red brick exterior 6) Paperback/dark cream color roofing on the pergola matching the windows and the fascia. 7) Concreting done next to decking . Doubts :- 1) Now my first confusion is whether to paint the pergola in dark grey /charcoal completing the exterior or black/dark brown complementing the fence. I don't want to go all cream as the roof is cream too. Neither do I wanna paint it red as I feel it will be all too red (bricks and deck ). Please help me select the color. Should I paint it all one color or have pillars painted separately ? 2) Please help me pick a color for the concrete paint to blend in with the whole exterior. I am thinking either cream ( wall color ) , light orange or charcoal grey. Attached are the pics. Last one is off the internet on how the decking would look. Any inputs are appreciated. Thanks much