We have a architectural hardware store and sell a range of black lever and pull handles. They are really popular at the moment, and I'm loving the look!

Hmmm, I see what you mean. There are two aspects I would focus on - the door surrounds and the garden pathway/approach. For the doorway itself (depending on how much you want to spend), you could put a small porch over the door for shelter (with a light for evening visitors). Maybe add a (wider than the doorway itself) glass or trellis surround on the RHS of the door, or add a small deck/steps (over the top of the current ones) that extends the doorway outwards and sideways and provides a sheltered platform for people to stand on while waiting for you to welcome them. The trick would be keeping it in the style of the (stucco?) house - maybe use the blue trim alongside the doorway to add visual width. The second aspect would be creating a pathway leading to the front door. I wouldn't take it in from the street but rather curve across from the driveway. Maybe large pavers spaced for walking, set into a gravel pathway, with some small outdoor lights alongside, and create a garden with small shrubs on the LHS of the door out to the edge of the path to define the pathway to the door. Or if you were going to concrete the driveway at some point, you could make some matching concrete pavers, with a rougher aggregate surface, with some extra concrete. And finally, the door... the door itself doesn't show in the picture, but after you've created the doorway, you could either get a new door (with some glass in it - more welcoming), or just repaint your current door to match your doorway - possibly in the same blue as your trim - lovely! Good luck

Hi there We recently built a house and for various reasons, we had to have the front door on the side of the property, rather than at the front. Now that it's built, we have ended up with a lot less space on the side for planting than expected and it's just a driveway. The door that's at the front is actually the laundry and so we have fenced it off (we also have a small dog who needs lawn). We have planted a couple of climbers to go up the trellis to cover the laundry door, and have planted a specimen tree (Michaelia Gracipes) which will have lovely flowers, plus the hedging at the front and we had planned to put reeds in containers up the driveway against the house, but I'm at a loss what to do with; a) the front garden as it just looks too empty and b) how to improve the street appeal and encourage visitors to come up the side, to the front door. The front house owns the drive, so we can do anything we like, but must allow vehicle access to the rear. Any suggestions (except renovating the house!) are welcome. TIA

i changed my setting to OZ as i was told there are not a lot of kiwis here on the forum to give advice:) hopefully some wonderful aussies can help me:)