I think you should get rid of the shutters. You may also want to consider painting the house a heart-warming color... Light yellow? As you suggested, I would replace the garage doors with something unique. Try doing something creative and keep looking at photos... Something will come to mind soon

Thanks @mick50. I've seen that one before. An amazing makeover, but I'm not sure I have that kind of cash to spend!

You might want to take a look at this plan book for remodeling split level and split entry homes put out by a number of Minnesota communities: http://www.ci.coon-rapids.mn.us/planning/pdf/PlanningSplit_VisionsPlanbook.pdf

You can take elements from the Houzz example above. Paint your siding olive with brown trim. Roof with brown shingles. Paint the garage doors brown with a faux wood treatment. Add a natural timber porch cover. Remove shutters. Replace door with natural stained wood.

Your house looks neat and tidy and well cared for. A few changes could have a big impact. Remove shutters from bay window. Paint the others black or dark navy. Paint the garage doors and side door the same tan as the siding, leaving their frames white. Paint the front door red. Add some colorful landscaping along the walk and driveway.

To work with the traditional style of what you have, as the bay window and divided lights add good character, consider a couple of steps. If you can take the shutters off the windows on the left but leave the ones on the right and add window boxes under those windows over the garage . . paint them a darker tone . . color palette ideas at the end.

Consider adding some white trim painted large wood brackets under the bay window bump out (pro wood market) as if they were holding it up - it will balance the overhang and add character - not corbels, curved wood brackets at the angle turn points facing forward. Paint the window frame and the secondary door and frame in the siding color - you could do the top half of the door with the window in white only as if it were a window in the house. You want to distract the eye from the two doors.

Add a thick cornice trim over the door - something rather colonial . . . i'll find an image for you here and paint it white. [houzz=] Change the hanging lantern - it needs to be a bit larger and a bit more colonial or even nautical - but black is great.

With the putty siding, a quick fix for the color palette is to paint the shutters in a dark navy, and do the front door in a sort of brighter royal navy. Sw needlepoint navy for the shutters and sw regatta for the front door . .

@mick50, I've definitely thought about painting the garage doors and side door same color as siding. I'm thinking it would look odd to remove the shutters from bay window but keep all others? I like the idea of painting them navy. I've seen the shutters removed from houses that are the same style as mine and don't feel like it works. I think the shutters go with the classic look I am wanting, although I don't know if there is a way to make this house look more "classic"!

@libradesigneye, I love your ideas and you brought up things that I've never even thought of before! Do you have any images of the large wood brackets you are talking about for under the bay window? I'm not sure I know what you mean. When you say "Paint the window frame" do you mean all the white frames of all of the windows? Definitely agree about the hanging lantern needing to be larger. I've been thinking that for a while, glad you agree!

I know what you mean about the shutters...they add a bit of trim to dress up the house. Here's the "rule" about them, though. Shutters should be each half the width of the window because technically they are meant to close and cover the glass during storms. We've made them stationary and decorative, but design wise, they should still be nearly half the window. And bay windows do not normally have shutters. So remove those and add wider ones to the other windows, if possible. Paint them navy, it would look great with the tan.

Great info @mick50! I'm definitely going to consider that and I'm loving the idea of navy!

How about a pediment over the door to add some interest. New outdoor lamps would be a good choice too. A large lantern over the door or beside as well as carriage lights by the garage.

@Dar Eckert, love the idea of the pediment! New lantern over the door is a must!

Dar has the right term - I said cornice, but what you want is a pediment! Here's an image for the wood bracket and a link to more - http://www.prowoodmarket.com/wood-bracket-02t25/

Dar also mentions the light over the garage - you have the classic cape cod corners on the garage header - great for this style. You could go further with trim on the doors carriage house style, or replace the garage doors with the carriage version.

I'm in the process of having my inland raised ranch being lifted due to hurricane Sandy. Trying to get different ideas for the exterior part of the house... stucco, stone , panels shingles.. so overwhelming

Remove the shutters from the left side. Install a window from the top of the door to the soffit. Fill in the space between the left windows with white clapboard.

I'm in the process of having my inland raised ranch being lifted due to hurricane Sandy. Trying to get different ideas for the exterior part of the house... stucco, stone , panels shingles.. so overwhelming

I applied some updates to the photo of your home...thought you might get some ideas from it (^:

Old post from 2014 but I hope the shutters are gone.

I realize, but I was bored...hope those shutters are gone too, LOL