I take the water from my tap, run it through a whole-house, activated carbon filter. If you're on a well you don't need to worry about this. I use the filter to remove free chlorine and chloramines (yes, it will remove chloramines - I've measure 60-70% reduction with a filter that had been in use for one year). The water is fed/trickled into the skimmer at the approximate rate of 0.5 gallons/min. and is then pumped through the biofilter. In this fashion the nitrifiers take out any residual chloramines plus I dilute the water with remaining pond water. No problems with adding several inches a day. Temperature variation is also eliminated since it is gradually mixed with the pond water. ---David P.S. My pond is about 3000 gallons.

My old house has an insulated steel door (painted) with sidelights with glasswork. People couldn't really see in, but I could get up close and look through one section that was totally clear. The door also had decorative glass on the top portion. For the house I am building now, I'm going to skip the side lights, but the steel door and a nice big peephole sounds about right to me.

The first thought that came to mind when you said "more contemporary" was black or deep green. Here are some inspirational photos. You didn't ask, but I would also remove the old schrubs and put in new landscaping. It would really move the home's look to the next level. Paint or replaced the front porch handrails your trim color and if you could replace them, select straight line ironwork. Add a new stainless mailbox and house numbers and change out your lighting. All these details will help you achieve the look you are aiming for. However, you can't totally change an "English bungalow" to a modern building without more structural changes, which I wouldn't do at this stage.

Dollars to donuts you can't paint any of the "window" frame that dark. You need to check the warranty for color specifications - usually states no colors with an LRV less than 55. So, that might help you decide what to do rather quickly. Same with the door. Going from white to the color you're considering is dramatic. It's usually based on price. Cheaper doors have a smaller range of color options, more expensive usually can be painted a broader light to dark range.