The stone facade, walkways and setting are beautiful. Where is the front door?

Beautiful stone! I assume that the front door is hidden by the big bush? I would remove that to get a better view of the house. How about charcoal grey for the shutters to complement the stone? A curved bed in front of the sidewalk would break up the straight lines. Add some colorful, flowering trees/bushes along with some perennials. Consult a landscape architect for some suggestions in your area.

cookingistherapy, it is not a bad looking house. It is just a bit outdated and confusing looking as one cannot locate the entrance from the street.
The first thing I would do is move, trim or remove that giant shrub because the house looks like it has no entrance. Then paint that front door to a great bright color, anything but red unless you choose a red that is in the same family as the roof, or change it to a wood door. Add a beautiful colorful bench by your front door.
next step: line that driveway with a row of hosts,ferns, low evergreen (2' or less) or any other low plant that grows there. your hosts look good so that would be a good choice.
third: just remove the shutters. It is a modern house, shutters look stupid, especially nonfunctioning shutters. Let the beautiful stonework shine.
lastly, could you take down the pine to the left f your house?
and removing some of the lawn and do a wildflower meadow to soften the street look, or at least a planting bed with different evergreens?

Thank you for the compliments on the stone. It really is the best feature of the exterior. Indeed, the front door is behind the big azalea who's days are limited. I think that bush is as old as the house - 50yrs - and it does not offer a whole lot during the 50 weeks a year that it isn't blooming.

Oh, it's an azalea. I was going to suggest them in the front. Can you see if it can be moved and saved (trimmed back- again, consult a landscaper)? It would be a shame to lose it.

Your home is lovely esp. the stone. It would look fantastic if you could tear out all the vinyl siding and replace it with stained wood or cedar shakes.

You could get a professional landscape architect to redesign your planting around the house. Probably including getting rid of large shrub at front and replanting something more decorative.

Replace the concrete sidewalk with large natural stones to minic the stone on your home.

Large uneven beds of hostas or impatiens would be beautiful. Both are shade plants.

Ah, an azalea, very large, very healthy. Do see if it can be transplanted.

For new landscaping on the north of the house, walk around your neighborhood and see what other landscape plants are successful. You may need to plant farther out from your house on the north side, not right up against the walls, to get enough light and warmth. Focussing the sweep of new landscaping so it leads to the front door would be an option.

Don't cry. It's really a lovely house.

The siding doesn't look very yellow on my screen but I accept that my dusty pink shutters are probably a flight of fancy that won't fly.

I like the charcoal shutter suggestion, and I'd definitely keep the shutters. Agree the front door area needs to be cleared, but mostly I want to suggest a long row of pink and white hydrangeas along that bed in the area beneath the siding, and then resume with evergreens (berried plants for winter colour?) to the left of that.

Do you have a photo of the front door close up? A new color there, too, perhaps?

I agree that replacing the vinyl siding with cedar siding would be outstanding, but I stand by my comment of removing shutters.
shutters are great in a classic colonial or in a cape. functioning shutter are even better.but just to slap shutters on any window and any house is not a good idea. you have not a single feature of a colonial or a cape. your house is contemporary split level. shutters do not belong there.
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I'm experiencing the same thing. Our houses are very similar.

Southeast as in Montco, Delco, or Bucks? :)

Saca (abbr.), I do get your point. Possibly because I come from a different country, this house does not strike me as modern, but as a blend of modern and traditional. (In fact where I live, it would be regarded is very country traditional. But it's a different world.) Hence my approval of the shutters. But, just so that our OP can see the effect, an illustration sans shutters. Cookingetc, if you like this better, rip off those shutters! If not, don't. Obviously. :-)

Charcoal shutters and tone down the white siding to a taupe.

Specifically, for me the shutters are 'of a piece' with the bay window. They talk to it.

Love the house with the ochre shakes, LeeLee. That color would look soooo good with the stone. It's bright and a good match for the stone which also has ocher in it. Another option is to go with blue-gray which is predominant in the stone. I would definitely paint the siding if that is an option but if it could be replaced with shakes, that would be a winner.

When we originally were looking for a house, my dear husband said no splits because he grew up in a two story. When we looked at the house we fell in love with the interior. There is a sunroom on the back that was done so well - in the summer it is shaded by the large trees you see in the back but in the winter, the trees lose their leaves and the sunroom is so bright. That room sold us on the house.

As far as our style, I was heavily influenced by my mother and her traditional taste (think wedgewood, waterford and brass in a formal dining room). Now I am realizing that I have much more transitional preferences. Our neighborhood is a mix of splits and 2 stories but I considered a knockdown for huge traditional McMansions. While I covet those more formal exteriors, I am confident that changing the exterior dramatically is out of the budget (3 kids and 1 is going to college in 4yrs). I am going to have to run with the general design of the house since my husband says it is his last and I cannot afford to move to Maine without him!

So here is a picture of our entrance. I think Shirley, the original owner, went with the safe choices of white flashing, white vinyl windows and the dusty blue shutters on the pale yellow siding because it matched her nightgown that day.

dither - we are actually on the delco/montco border. Are you local?

Mandi Kriewaldt-Koss - how are you addressing your exterior?

I am not sure how I feel about the shutters. I am open to leaving them off but feel like the front is so bare without them and it makes the siding scream even louder.

I agree about the bare, but it's not my feeling that matters, it's yours. I think a dark charcoal front door (take the colour from the stone) would be more decisive than the pale-ish grey. Not all front doors have to scream "look at me", but they should, I think, be definite. Again, your house is beautiful. Know that and enjoy it.

This is a gorgeous house, I agree with those who say the siding is the problem. The proverbial sore thumb. I would bite the bullet and redo it, either with shakes, or even just darker siding in a color chosen from the stone.

Since replacing the siding is too expensive then think about painting. Yes, there are new paints just for vinyl (according to SW and Behr). Pick a gray/beige paint like the Exterior 1 or 2 picture above.

If you decide to get rid of your shutters maybe they could be replaced with wider boards around the windows that would give them more weight.

Or just get better shutters the right size and in real wood. Look into painting your vinyl.

I am majorly stressing about how I plan on addressing my exterior. My contractor would like to start today and I cannot pick out a siding color. I would like dark siding but was told by a designer to not contrast with my brick. I've been given the advice to go with a tan or putty color, but I want a little more color than that. I was also given the advice to go with a wood called ipe, and I think that would look very good on your house. And I do like the advice that your house does not need shutters. I think if you took a color from the stone (I like the rust) and did a darker siding, that would look great. But, don't listen to me, I cannot seem to figure out my own house :)

http://st.houzz.com/simgs/333123010ec2c3ca_7-1674/traditional-exterior.jpg
Love this look for your house, but it would be a lot of work.

I'm no expert, but I think fiddling with the shutters is a later consideration ("lipstick"). I concur with sacapuntaslapioz - take a look at vertical siding vs the yellow horizontal siding. Hardie make some lovely "board & batten" looking vertical siding that would improve the overall look. Not cheap, but if you're there for a while and hate what you've got....

Cooking etc, you haven't indicated what your budget might be, but I've been assuming it's not without limit... simply because most of ours aren't. So thinking along the lines of economy, I suspect replacing the siding might not be your first choice?

Removing or not removing the shutters is not really lipstick, Summery, because it is part of a decision about the direction the style will go in -- bow to the modern, or bow to the traditional. For instance, if the shutters were to be removed, I wouldn't recommend a bed of hydrangeas as I did above. I'd look for a more severe, less cottagey, row of evergreens with a bit of low colour interplanted with them Something that can be kept disciplined and clean. A row of holly? I really mean that question mark because holly is not something we're used to where I live. I don't even know if they grow in shade.

Ah well, bedtime for me. Good night all.

What is your budget? If you can make the window openings larger, then you can really change the look of the house and probably the feel inside as well. Another option is to capitalize on the overhang and add a small trellis or porch to the front door.

I agree with removing the shrub and keeping the stone -- it really is lovely.

Mandi Keiwalt-koss why don't you post that question on Houzz. I'm sure you'll get a lot of input.

Like many of the comments -- have to run, but had to see in a quick scribble...
(White pergola would better complement in wood or even black if windows/trim were same.)

Gray siding, and shakes:

needs some natural wood to complement the stone. cedar is nice , if you stain or seal it to prevent it from fading.oh, and lose the white trim. it also detracts from the natural stone. again, wood trim. Personally I don't like flag poles close to the house. Put it in the yard where it looks like you mean it.

Consider adding a water fountain in your design as this will bring more curb appeal. See more at https://www.soothingcompany.com/water-fountains/outdoor-fountains.html

The stone is a good feature so work from that. Imagine vertical siding, a board and baton look.

just saw your msg, grew up in Delco, husband from Montco, live in Bucks past 28 yrs :) I did hear lately that there is special paint you can paint vinyl siding should you want to change the color. Our cream color vinyl has faded and can't afford to replace just because it faded, so thinking to use the paint to freshen it up, or even change the color slightly. My husband grew up in a split, me in a 2 story and now in a 2 story colonial

Personally? I would paint the vinyl groveraxle's grey, then add Barnhart's white pergola. The house below is a different style, but along the lines of what I'm imagining. Gorgeous stonework btw!

Thanks for additional photos. I think starting with a couple of large foamcore sheets that you can paint with sample colors would work for you because the siding is way out of casual "let's paint a sample splotch here" reach. Because there are so many colors in your stonework that you could choose to coordinate with, I suggest that you spring for the$40 fandeck from your favorite paint company. Saves trips to stores.

The front door with its custom screen does look great in white already. You could try one of the more emphatic stone colors. Or add a brighter door mat that enhances but does not compete with the stone walkway.

Good story about the sunroom.

Side note: These are all fairly cheap fixes: Paint, shutters, and plants. I forgot to mention that I also removed the flagpole in the picture. If I had one at this house, I'd put the pole out in the yard, centered on your bow window with a ring of hostas or annuals around the bottom. I love flagpoles, but they scream 1950s-1960s, so if you're going to keep it, I'd put that baby out in the yard and make a statement with it. :)

If you painted the white siding a coordinating color...for example, a dark gray. I think it would change the look drastically. Then remove the bush in front of the door. Do some flowers in the front like mums, with a few taller bushes in the back.

Nice house ... "garrison colonial"?

Fast and low budget:
Get rid of the bush that is hiding the door. It's a stylish area and you can't see it.
Paint upper shutters a medium grey to go with stone.
Add same-size shutters to the lower windows in a color to match the siding and paint the door area the same color. It will eliminate the "grafted-on" look of the upper story.

Longer term, still low budget:
Widen the plantings at the front to use more of the front area - your house is sitting on a moat of grass when it could have some interesting landscaping.

Add a small ornamental tree or two - pick something with strong seasonal interest and plant a carpet of perennials, low shrubs, and bulbs under it selected to have a long blooming season and good fall color.

Use natives where possible.

Not so low budget:
Emphasize the door by widening the entry area into a small courtyard, and adding a bench in front of the retaining wall.

Add some "important" looking lighting to the walkway

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Badly photoedited image for you.

If you don't like the shutters, what about enhancing the framing around all of the front windows?

It definitely needs the shutters, I think it looks 'bald' without them. In fact I'd go as far as to say beef the shutters up! Instead of the light wishy washy color, go darker with a bold black, and use two panel shutters (instead of louvred) with nice iron shutter dogs and hinges to make them more traditional. I would also splurge for a front entry canopy, a roof pediment on columns to announce your front entry. I think the pediment roof would break up the large expanse of siding under the windows too. I dont know how far you want to take this, but ideally I'd change the vinyl siding to a medium grey tone to complement the stone. The stone is actually very lovely. And then do some nice beefy corner boards and a skirt board along the bottom of the overhang to define it more.....I know the attached photo stylistically is not your house...but here you see the grey, the black and an entry canopy (though in yours Id do a peaked entry canopy as you have more room under your windows than we did here in this photo. ;)

The problem is not the shutters, it's the fact that the vinyl-sided part of the house is in competition with the stone. Since you are situated on a nice piece of land, perhaps a dusky sage green for the yellow would be appropriate, connecting the color with the rest of the house and the land itself, thus making that part less intrusive. Also, that bush needs to be removed from current position. It gives the impression of the occupants hiding something or being unfriendly. A curving pathway from the front door to the street would be a nice option.

I agree with chrismaggiehall. The vinyl portions are too contrasting from the dark stone, and makes the front of your house look like the back of a house. You can integrate it better by painting it to match the stone. To further emphasize the front aspect, you should (in addition to removing the blocking bushes) paint the door a light color to highlight it.

Thread is over a year old.

Where are you located? i can see that this house could use some modern/traditional solutions to create curbside appeal. It largely depends on your tastes, and your neighbourhood. Let me know and i might suggest some transformative measures you can take to make it a house you will love to come home to!

Beautiful stone. pick up a corner from that for your shudders, gray or tan. cut back the shrub hiding front door. paint front door a warm red or get a rich wood. add some airy plants to soften entrance that are shade loving.

I love the stone! Many good suggestions here! Being that you like traditional, I would definitely go with a "Classic Woodland " look. A coordinating siding color, cedar or charcoal colored siding. The windows are a little small and if you remove the shutters i think they would look lost. I would replace the windows, going a little bigger, with a nice heavy trim around them in a coordination color to the siding, i.e. Black window with charcoal siding or brown windows with cedar siding. Maybe a pretty door color like a blue/green/ teal? I had only shade for a long time, so if you research shade loving plants you will find many beautiful choices! astilbe, bleeding hearts, black eyed susans, caladiums, coleus, impatients, ferns, hostas, hydrangea, vinca are just a few!