Landscaping,replace the porch...

What colors do you have for the interior? Sometimes it is nice to bring those colors outside.

I think that you should paint the house a nice rich blue and paint the door either a red or a yellow. Leave the trim a warm white. I also think adding a little metal detail above the porch to accent the roof would be great. Honestly I think it does need a porch, but if thats not in the budget I would at least wrap a bit of trim around the house at about the height of the porch roof. To balance the height of the porch I would plant a large tree with plant grouping to the left side of the house... consider removing the box hedges below the windows and do a curved plant bed from the porch clear across the front to the new plant grouping.

This inspiration pic is a grand example, but a dream wish list might include dormers and a wrap around porch along the front and on the driveway side as there looks to be a door there. For colour, if you paint something different. Would it fit in the neighbourhood? For right now, I think you can get wider shutters and improve landscaping.

Thank you for all the comments so far! I think this is an American Four Square, but with out the porch and dormers that so many others have. I wish we could put a wrap around porch and at least one dormer window on the house right now, but that will be a project for a much later date. It definitely would fit in the neighborhood to make these additions. The neighborhood is historic and has an variety of beautiful old homes from 1900-present, from small bungalows to large estates. My house needs to play catch up :)

The majority of our budget is going to extensive interior renovations and we have only planned for paint, picket fence, window boxes and landscaping for the exterior.

Since the house will have to do without a porch and dormers, it will remain looking like it has no face (in my mind) unless I do something clever.

I suggested to my husband that we put up a pergola on the left front of the house, but he thinks it will look strange on the front of a house and would be a waste of money since it doesn't really substitute as a porch.

The idea of the trim halfway up is a good start at adding some character. Do you think at the mid-point will look okay without a difference of exterior materials? Normally this is done as a transition between two types of siding, like planks and cedar shingles.

If the trim would be fine despite the same siding above as below, would it be crazy to paint the upper section a different color that the bottom portion?

I have included some images. What do you all think?

(FYI: so far interior paint colors are a light grey for the walls, milky white for the moldings, subtle blue on the ceiling, robin's egg on the bottom kitchen cabinets...with plans to add more color as we move in, but there are just too many decisions to make for my brain at this time as we are redoing EVERYTHING. I do love it though!)

Better check with the historic commission about the colors that are allowed to be used. They'll control any changes to the facade as well.

try to find out what colors the house was originally painted. it could inspire a great palette! also look around the neighborhood....you don't want to paint your house the same color as your neighbors, or it won't stand out. you don't want to give directions to a new visitor and say "my house 5th gray house on the left". lol. you might also consider a soft and creamy, not citrusy shade of pale, buttery yellow with white trim, and the shutters and door painted in a rich forest green or navy blue...a historically friendly combo that could look great here!

I agree about the neighbors' houses. Many of the houses on my block are either brick, grey, white and beige, so I am trying to do something different. I would like to be able to say my house is the "blue/green/(whatever distinguishing color) house".

There aren't any regulations at this time regarding paint colors of homes. Most houses are very reserved, but there are a some with bright colors. This is a small Southern town. White houses abound, but near the coast there seems to be more liberty with color in older homes and I would like to play on that. 1947 is not historic, but there were fun colors used in this time period.

Can I get away with the two-tone house if I do not have a change in materials or natural break like a porch?