Thanks so much! What color garage and entry doors do you think I should go with?

Or something like these doors?

It depends upon if you want your front door to pop or to recede. First, remove the shutters and change out the garage doors. If it were me, I would have the white garage doors and either glossy black front doors or a wood front door. If you want the front door to pop in color you could go with something brighter...let me see

This is an inspiration pic with a wood front door which is an elegant look


Here is one with a bright color front door for a different look! :)


Here is one with a glossy black door, one of my favorites

First of all congratulations with your new home.

Your house doesn't look dated too me, it's a timeless classic with a quirky garage. Is it stone on the sides? If so, consider replacing it for siding that complements the brick better. This also goes for the garage door color. Pick either wood or a color from the brick (as was done in first picture, but they have siding). And not just the sides, but the entire garage. Offwhite, tan/greige and sage are safe colors (picture 2)

A centered front door with sidelights would look lovely, pick a traditional look that blends in with the windows, but in a strong color, so it stands out more.

If you'd like a bit more contrast, go for charcoal, cement grey and/or dark tan. Or navy.

And normally I won't tell sometone to remove any trees, but the one in front of your entry (not the one on the side!) is blocking your front door. A nice shrub or flowerbed would probably look better.

Rinqreation thank you for such detailed suggestions. Also I totally agree with you about the tree, we are actually planning to have it removed along with several in the back.

Oops I forgot, yes those are stones on the side.

And last but not least, check out the insulation value of the house (before you have it painted); double glazed windows, roof and such. A little investment on that part will pay itself back over time and give a comfy home. And find out what condition your plumbing and wiring is in, a safe home is the best start you can have.

Paint the entry door, possibly red or burgundy. A new garage door which is a 4 x 4 panel type, with relites in the top row would be nice. Charcoal shutters. Consider a lamp post with a classic 3 light top at the street by the drive, and perhaps a smaller one to the right (per pic) of the entry porch. Happy Houzzing.

Thanks DMH. Everything you described sounds so nice. I really wish I could see what you described on the house. Is there anyway you could draw this over my picture or do some type of overlay to help me get a better visual?

You're welcome. i hope this helps you visualize better.

Hi Shemspebb: Are you replacing the garage door or just trying to do something with this one (for now, anyway)? If you are replacing I agree with DMH Design with the style of a new garage door. I would paint the garage door, whether new or old, to match the stone - it is overwhelmingly the first thing you notice. Pick a mid-tone color from the stone. You want the front door to be the focal point. I would use a turquoise-y color, rather light, to brighten up the entry. That would be a nice color with your brick. I would remove the shutters, as others have mentioned and the lamp post would be lovely!

Maybe this is a stupid question. Do you use the garage for parking? It looks like the snow is cleared for walking, but not driving. Maybe something completely different needs to be considered if you're not pulling into the garage.

I agree with others on removing the shutters. I'm not a fan of fake shutters to begin with, but they make the house look squatty.

I LOVE DMF Design's drawing! Definitely updated but still in keeping with the style of the house.

I was trying to color over the existing pattern on the doors. Agree with Peltier that a light shad of body color would work for the garage door. I disagree with removing the shutters. They will look great if painted charcoal, and without them the brick will overwhelm this facade, and it will want for detail. Experiment. Try it on the Living Rm. window and see what you think before going full bore. Happy Houzzing.

The house is lovely. The garage doors are very odd looking. Why would someone think it was a good idea to make a garage door a focal point with such distracting architecture and color? I would go with something quite plain, either solid or with a window towards the top. I would use a color from the stone so that it recedes - either in the gray or tan tones.
As for the front door, you can have fun with that. I actually like that cinnamon color for the front door. I, personally, don't find a black front door very welcoming at all- too somber.

First I would like to say everyone has great points. DMH the picture you did looks amazing and does give me the visual I needed. I know everyone keeps saying to remove the shutters, but I have to agree with DMH, I like the shutters and without them I do think it will take away from the overall look of the house. Thanks again DMH, amazing job! Also thanks to everyone else. Any other ideas or opinions are still welcomed.

Shemspebb, happy to contribute along with the rest. Happy Houzzing!

shemspebb: Congratulations on your new home! So much to do to make it yours, right? The garage door would be first on my list. One with windows along the top, in the same configuration as the house (rectangular) if you go for one with panes. Since you like the shutters on your home, I would study the different types and recommendations for size as recommended on many sites/blogs. I've suggested them before, but regular Houzzer Timberlane Shutters has a website I think is helpful for types/overviews.

I actually like the double doors on the front. I can't tell if they are clear, or covered, or have some kind of finish. You might consider painting the frames before replacing in their entirety. ($$$). I'd some do beautiful double wood doors if you choose replacements. Lovely lights, standout hardware, and there's no need to paint in a color....it's classic.

Nwduck, I like your idea about doing the wood doors for the entry doors. I was initially leaning towards that. I even looked at a wood garage door but wasn't sure what stain to go with. Thanks so much for your ideas.

@shemspebb: what direction does your house face? Unless it is northerly, I would caution you to avoid a wood garage door. You will have problems maintaining the finish in this climate.

It's a beautiful home, aside from the very, umm, "interesting" garage doors. Don't think about anything as drastic as staining or painting the brick until you have replaced those! That will change the entire look of the house, and then you can keep tweaking from there.

Nice darker brown wood (or wood-look) garage doors with divided lights, as everyone has posted pictures, would be perfect. Front doors? Depends on your taste - would you go for the matching brown doors, or would you go for a pop of color?

@Denia - cracked up over your shudder article! @shemspebb - congrats on your new home! Yes, garage doors should be changed out, perhaps as in DMH Design's drawing, but whatever you do, lower the focus on them. Wouldn't paint brick. Could go either way on shutters, but I lean towards removing and painting outside window trim black, leaving inside white - that would give you the depth and interest the shutters now somewhat provide. Painting front doors a bright color would bring them forward and help soften the effect of such large garage doors, no matter how nice they get to be, because in the end, that garage is a defining feature of the house.

Closet Experts - I agree with you about the wood door, I should have clarified if I went in that direction it would be a faux wood door. Like the steel ones that look wood. This would be better for the climate here. Thanks!

Hi Jesker, liked your ideas as well. I wouldn't be opposed to choosing a color for the door. As long as it complimented the overall house. Like I explained to DMH, visuals help a little more because it's hard sometimes to visual something's with out a picture. But I'm definitely taking notes from everyone. Thank you :-)

Don't forget to consider the color of your roof. Right now it looks amazingly clean and white! (the only great thing about snow, right?)

@kmkane that is a great point. I personally am not usually a fan of the really bright front door colors, I think they can look forced. But in this case, that brightness would help bring the door out a bit and draw eye over to it.

If you go to masterlift.com You can take a current picture and upload it to the site, you can paste what the door would like on your home. see if this helps

I tried that site and it was forklifts?!

I know I'm weighing in late too this conversation so apologies if I repeat what's already been said. The simple, easy solution is to swap out those hideous garage doors (sorry, hard to describe them any other way). I see some carriage door suggestions but try looking at a more contemporary door as well. No matter what style you run with, a good starting point is Clopay:


http://www.clopaydoor.com/residential-garage-doors.aspx

Good luck and have fun.

Sorry for not posting earlier. We do have a great deal of information about picking the right shutters for your home and while the shutters you have now offer a certain visual appeal, they were not sized or installed properly by the previous owners. In order to have proper shutters on the windows you would need bi-folds. A rule of thumb is that the shutters should be sized so that when they are closed, they cover the entire window. When you have double, or even triple windows as you do here, it does not necessarily mean that you have to skip the shutters, it just means you need to get creative in the installation.

Bi-fold shutters would mean that there are essentially two shutters on each side which are hinged to each other and "fold" over each other when hung on the sides of the windows. This allows for the proper coverage size when closing.

While many people do not close their shutters, even when they have proper functional shutters, the appearance of the proportions is critical to the design -- they have to at least LOOK like they would fit the opening. (Denita's article is great!) At first glance bi-folds may appear that they wouldn't, seeing the additional shutters in the bi-fold quickly adjusts the perception to suit the functional and the aesthetic of the home.

Here's a link to a homeowners story on our site which shows the bifold shutters, both open and closed.

http://www.timberlane.com/profiles/homeowners/west-covina-ca

Your house is adorable. I too had less than lovely garage doors. The door was in good shape but I wanted a different look Here is what I did - its a low cost option with a lot of bang for your buck! The windows are black paint! :-) Hope it helps! http://generalsplendour.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-65-carriage-garage-doors.html

Hello,

You might try replacing the garage door with some Real Carriage Doors: http://www.realcarriagedoors.com/gallery.php They would tie in really well with the rest of the exterior.

New garage door would be a instant fix, and some updated\ new lighting.

I would cover the brick with new siding. It will completely change the look of your home, modernize it and increase your market value. I would change out the garage door and replace the double entry doors with a fiberglass 9 light entry door that will truly enhance your curb appeal. Attached are some pictures from our vendor that we use, Provia and you can check them out www.proviaproducts.com

The context of the neighborhood is important when making design selections. The home appears to be in the North Shore - typical of a 1950's style home. To simply add Carriage Doors does not necessarily match the character of the home. We would look to find solutions which will soften the impact of the garage door, address the '50's style brick, and detailing to emphasize the entry way.

@tennischik: that was brilliant!

This is about where you want to place the emphasis on your front facade. Personally I really dislike when garage doors are more important than your front door. Paint is cheap and I would paint them a color from your brick and leave the barest outline of the white frame just so you can judge the value of their mass and live with it awhile. Is this actually a functioning garage? If this has been re-purposed, maybe you need to think about a change to windows...

Your front door is recessed and not inviting. I agree with either the "pop of color" approach or whatever your lightest trim will be. You can paint your door trim the existing trim color, it will start to give you a sense of what a brighter entrance would be like. I have seen some interesting reframing of recessed doors that add wood to the whole recessed area for a larger paintable area and reflects more light in the door alcove.

As far as the shutters go, they increase the horizontal emphasis. The house is already very horizontal with the rooflines and upstairs windows. While darkening them would de-emphasize them, painting shutters is a major pain and their vertical dimension doesn't match the windows. I would remove them and see how you like the look for awhile. The downstairs front windows look so clean without them!

I do think it could be a clean look to go with a mid-tone neutral that works with the brick for all the trim and two steps darker for the garage doors. It could also be elegant to go very dark on the trim, not necessarily black but something that works with the brick. The entrance needs emphasis so even if you like a dark trim everywhere else, that area needs to be lighter. Both of these would bring out the mid-century modern in a classy way.

So paint would be a cheap way to re-assess the balance of facade elements before you spend a bunch on new garage doors. (I agree with whoever mentioned that the roof color is an unknown due to the snow.) Just remove the shutters and paint elements on the front of the house… a small commitment of time and money which will really inform your decisions. Think of it as painting swatches on an interior wall…much cheaper than making whole house mistakes.

People underestimate the difference that new garage doors can make. My husband fought me on the new garage doors I had installed, but since then we have had so many compliments on them that he is totally won over.
Light fixtures are not visible in your photo, but often they need updating. Older homes sometimes have fixtures which are much too small for the proportions of the house.
The shutters are compatible with the style of your house, but in white, they are sending your eye right back to the garage door right now. You have a dark chocolate or brown-black brick in the mix of bricks on the facade of your home. If you can pick up that color when you repaint the shutters, you may find that they complement the house nicely.
Having a brighter front door, a different color from the shutters, is also an update which still will be very compatible with the home's architecture.
Then you can continue to increase the curb appeal with landscaping.
Enjoy the journey!

Wow, so many great comments and ideas. I am really looking at things I never would have chose on my own. I really appreciate everyone's input. There are so many options. This site is a God send! Thanks!!!!

I came back this morning to see how the conversation has been going. Houzz is my Sunday morning luxury. I have one more really radical thought to toss out. If after you make your first round of updates with the doors, etc, if the front entry way is still too much in the shadows, would you consider taking down that really large tree that is front and center? You could replace it with a smaller decorative/flowering type of tree, and use the landscaping to draw attention to the entry way. That's all a big undertaking, and kind of a shame to lose what appears to be a large healthy shade tree.
In any event, I hope you are enjoying your new home!

Jesker I absolutely agree with you about removing the tree. My husband and I have been getting estimates for it. Although trees are beautiful and provide shade, this one is really close to the house and when fully covered with leaves the neighbors say it completely blocks part of the house. We decided to have it removed based on a recommendation by our home inspector who said he saw signs that it might cause potential problems. So yes, will are going to remove it.

Embrace the large shade trees you have on your property to create a stunning effect after dark with a landscape lighting technique called moon-lighting. High-quality, professionally installed LED fixtures will last for years with little or no maintenance, and they are energy-efficient. Here are some examples of this.

nice info !