Thank you so much for your comment after all this time. The colour you have suggested brightens the front door area beautifully and if the two red pots were painted in a tone to match, we think it would look great. Not sure if you can get Crestview doors in New Zealand but there must be something similar. We like the idea of going away from another cedar door - mainly because it would stand out too much while it was weathering. I don't know whether we would have been that brave but the tangerine works so well with the jade green of the joinery. I have re-laid all the stones and put a new wider front step in. The timber colour will soften down in time. I put a big pot in the garden to draw visitors to the front door and have added some colourful bromeliads to the garden alongside the house to make the area a bit more cheerful. We can't make a decision about what to do with a larger 'overhang' to protect the front porch yet - it is a project in progress. Thanks again for your post.

@kmkane... The "old thread" comments, at least from ME... aren't for any other reason than letting some contributors know, that the advice they might believe they are giving, may be moot. I know that when I 1st became involved on Houzz, I was glad when someone indicated that I may be addressing a question which had probably been answered months (if not years) ago. Helped me "learn" to check the original posting date before blathering on about an issue someone was no longer interested in.

Wow! What a beautiful home :-) It's got lovely clean lines, but these can also look a bit stark, can't they? Have you considered Espalier or something similar against the walls between the garage doors, etc.? That would add some softness and colour (as well as fresh fruit!). For the front garden, you've really got a lot of choice for such a lovely aspect. If you were after a more 'finished' look, then perhaps consider a front (picket) fence with smaller natives and a bigger grevillea or similar as a feature. For privacy, perhaps a hedge of lillypilly. Or for a more formal look, landscape with sandstone to create tiered beds and plant out with smaller natives, lavender a herb garden or a mixture of all three. Enjoy!

Thanks Susan. I would love to get feedback here from the Houzz community on butterfly roof construction. I know that flashing the valley will be critical to say the least. Whoever does the roof has to have 1. Skill 3. Architectural specs to follow 2. Guaranteed work. How do they hold up in a climate such as yours which is sub-tropical? It's a big project so you will need to be confident in the outcome. [https://www.houzz.com/discussions/can-you-please-tell-me-how-the-water-drains-from-the-valley-of-this-butterfly-roof-dsvw-vd~423763?n=2[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/can-you-please-tell-me-how-the-water-drains-from-the-valley-of-this-butterfly-roof-dsvw-vd~423763?n=2) And here is a box gutter diagram to check out. I would research the heck out of construction techniques so as to be as informed as possible so that you are able to have a better dialog with the roofer when the time comes http://www.builderbill-diy-help.com/box-gutter.html