Yes, I think a timber insert would look good.

You could also surround the upright posts with the same timber.

Using steel elements similar to the photo below. This will compliment your home, and add a bit of warmth that you mentioned.

I saw a architectural program that said to make beams disappear paint it black.
But I like the timber idea too.
Just something I heard that stuck in my head.

i like the original steel posts and/or the timber but i'm wondering why the porch roof doesn't extend all the way up to the beam??

Okay , I'll point out the obvious . Your house is grey , The pole and beam are grey . The garage door is grey . The entrance door is grey . The little roof above the upstairs window is grey . The guttering and downpipe is grey .

And then -- the next wall is charcoal ! Wow ! Finally , something different -- a dark grey !

Maybe you like all of that . But I'd do the pole and beam , and around that upstairs little roof , and probably the gutters and downpipes , in orange . Mid orange , bright orange . Or red . Or Yellow , A metallic green . Even the 50's inspired mint greens or apricots . A co-ordinated few small pieces in a highlight colour .

Maybe the garage door surround , maybe the entrance door surround . Maybe some big numbers on the front fence . Maybe get a couple of big pots in your chosen colour .

Add some colour , add some vibrancy . And yes , use that as an excuse to do that pole and beam . Don't do them black , and with no other visible wood , its still going to look greyish unless you really look . Have some fun -- life isn't meant to be grey !

Personally I would either grow a climber over it, or install a decorative screen from the top to the ground for a private entrance.

Pottsy99 thanks for your feedback but it’s actually Colorbond Dune and Surfmist and the next wall is Jasper - so no grey in sight. The garage door and front door are Surfmist as well and the surrounds are Jasper. And no black was never going to be an option. The deck in front of the door is timber as are the fences and letter box - all sleepers so there is wood to offset a wood treatment of some sort. On the front verandah I have a large pot in Teal/Aqua but it’s hidden at present. I agree life isn’t meant to be grey and you are right it does need a colour not not sure which way to go. Hence my dilemma.

Pheww -- lucky it isn't grey , cause that wouldn't have looked very interesting .

Haha Pottsy99 but then I suppose you could say it’s all a bit beige!!! But it does provide a nice backdrop for our trees. I’ll probably go down the timber route cause that’s about as orange as I could go (on the outside at least). And just use pots for some extra colour. Thanks for all your colourful suggestions. They always make me smile and think how wonderful the world would be if we were all brave enough to follow your suggestions.

I’d start by painting the fascia above the door in the darker wall colour so it doesn’t stand out as much. Then reassess once landscaping is done

Hey, I don’t think I would wrap the beams. Given your council situation I wonder if you could get away with a timber batten awning/roof between your H beam and the house porch roof (attached photo which sort of represents what I’m trying to explain). At the house end it would have to be higher ie. small upright supports in dare I say it black. Given it is battens and let’s through light it might be alright. Otw once you have added a bit more landscaping I think it would be fine. Maybe consider concrete resurfacing the driveway in a dark charcoal :). Just an idea. Good luck.

Thanks Mandy - love this idea. We actually do have approval to do some sort of “pergola” in this area and had thought of doing something like this but not sure if it would suit.

That looks fabulous, Would lift the whole area beautifully.

love it!!

I think it would be awesome. Keep us posted.

Another option - run a horizontal beam between H beam and porch roof, then run trellis wire from ground up (need something in ground) to the beam across to house to train plants up and over.

Thanks everyone - will post photos when we’re done.

pergola idea , love it too.

Consider doing something with the wee gap between the post and the downpipe/ That's gonna be spider heaven!!!!

Kirsty the down pipe is only in a temporary position while we decide what to do. Hopefully it will be hidden when we finish.

I thought I would post a picture of our updated beam. It now ties in with the new letterbox and garden edging.

Just for your interest Pottsy99 I have posted a picture of the back wall of a house that is being built behind us. Thought you would like all the colour.

I love how it adds interest , wouldn't be my exact taste but I like what they did .

I also like your fence etc -- the timber is warm and adds interest . You can probably guess my views on the walls haha .

On a similar note , I went to my parents for Christmas , and at the end of their street a well known very successful businessman and art collector has built a new $12 million house ( apparently that was the build cost ) . It looks amazing , but he's done some imaginative stuff too -- one wall which is 2 or 3 shades of grey and probably 10 metres tall , has several windows of different heights and sizes for interest , but he has put 3 bright green frogs climbing randomly up the wall ( they are probably 60-80cm each ! )

Then you go around the corner , and he has a 3 metre tall Buddha , but in orange fibreglass not brass , sitting in a large garden !

Pottsy99 it’s not my taste either but considering we see it everyday we are gradually getting used to it. But what it has done has made me bring some of the orange into my own home decor with some orange candles, a cushion with orange in the pattern and some oranges in a bowl on the bench. And seeing as I already have teal/aqua it all kind of works together. It’s like having a big piece of art work or as my husband said a giant rubric cube. But now that we have this I am starting to see orange/bright yellow elsewhere on buildings. Strange how colours come and go in different contexts.

Haha -- I've got you thinking !

Look at the pic you posted today , and the first thing you see is the timber . Its got a golden honey tone , its natural , it looks nice . You've enclosed the beam and thats noticable too . The white door is a couple of steps up from plain , and you notice that too . The house itself is still a grey box IMO . The only good thing you did ( again , just my opinion ) was that darker grey .

But imagine if you ( or your builder ) got up and did 3 pieces of 150 wide timber ( varnished / stained ) around that upstairs veranda-y thing that pokes out above the upstairs window .

And we've never seen the other side of the front of your place , but see if there is something there that would get a wooden surround -- balance the place a bit , add interest . It isn't even really colour , but it is a pleasant colour , its natural , it adds interest .

Thanks Pottsy99. We do have lots of timber at the back - beams, barn door to the laundry, timber screens , retaining walls and the timber pergola. And there is also a retaining wall fence on the other side of our yard at the front. So yes now that we have have clad that beam it is a lot more balanced and adds warmth to the dune cladding.

Just gorgeous ❤️

I like the steel beams before and satin black paint for me would have been sufficient however the timber looks equally as good now that it has other connections such as the letter box, etc.

It pays to step back and look at the big picture rather than just focussing on one element.

Well done!