Thank you roj leather and Simon for your recommendations. I like the hanging chair and the almanda creeper on the wall. This will certainly liven up the patio.

Right now there does not seem to be any symmetry on the path to your door. I would either eliminate the small trees that are there now, and replace them with bushes or shrubs that are equal in height and width, or cut these back and shape them dramatically, so that you have a clear vision to the door. Second, if you could change out the door, eliminating the side window, that's another idea. Sometimes just replacing your front door with one that is bold in color or style is enough to breathe some life into the front of the house. You could also either replace the concrete with pavers or paint the concrete with stain of a color that blends well with with nature.. like a lighter gray or a brown.

@magspag Thanx for the advice. We wanted to save some cost by not replacing the floor tiles, as well as save by retaining the upper cabinet in its current grey shade. Guess we will go for all-black for the cabinets: both below and above the counter; and put in a new counter-top that contrasts--maybe, a light coloured granite or slate. Examples for this color-scheme are in the ideabook

your staircase block is nice. use natural store cladding, if cost permits, else some nice stone designed tiles should also do the trick. as per the tile/stone, you can either go with the similar family for the rest of the wall painting. ensure the moldings/projections are painted in lighter tone than the walls, so that they do subtly stand out.