I've painted the stone steps in a mixture of grey and black acrylic paints to take down the shine of the original pavers and painted the purchased pillars to match.  I also cut toppers for the side walls out of balsa wood.

I grouted the steps in the same manner as the brick foundation though I didn't seal the grey paint before grouting.  I wanted to make sure I didn't have any shine on the steps.  I used a sewing pin to define the grout lines since a toothpick would have been too thick to get between the pavers.

The pillars needed another coat of paint to match seamlessly.

I glued the sides to the steps but the whole assembly won't be attached permanently to the foundation until after the house is mounted to its baseboard.  I painted the balsa toppers to match as well, but it took a lot of layers to remove the wood grain.  I even used some grouting material to add some texture to the paint, though most of it was sanded down in the process.

I gave the steps, sides and pedestals a quick wash of black-brown paint diluted in water to take down the brightness of the grouting.  It also gives the illusion of leftover mud from a recent rain.  :D

There will be some plant matter and moss added during the landscaping phase, too.  I really like the visual weight of them.  :D