I'd suggest painting the wall of the porch and the peak a different color--not to contrasty, but a little different. Perhaps just a lighter grey. Then make the door yet a different color--yellow? turquoise?

However, the biggest change would be to widen the current garden and to add plants along the front of the house. The width should be at least as wide as the porch. A nice bush that would get up to the side window when mature would be interesting. You could also add a trellis next to the downspout and plant a climbing plant such as a clematis on it.

Hi rozaida, even a coat of paint would make the basic white more interesting.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions! Repainting the exterior is the avenue I've decided to take and having the peak and possibly the front porch be a different shade is likely going to work out the best. This is why I love Houzz :)

I suggest painting the exterior Benjamine Moore's Manchaster Tan. Paint the trim a darker earth tone color like the color of putty. Place an oversized iron window box under the window to the right. After that, landscape in stages. Landscaping will change the house.

I don't have anything terribly inspired but I'd put black shutters on the other window too. On the wall between the downpipe and the front door I'd put a framed lattice panel and plant a flowering creeper like night scented jasmine if it's suitable for your climate. Train it up the lattice. Buy 2 long low rectangular planters, one longer than the other, and put them under those 2 windows. Terracotta is a nice earthy colour that would suit. Then plant the boxes with something like lavender. Oh and paint the lattice panel a mid grey to match the roof.

Give your house a little pop with color, and PLANTS - a burford holly hedge for instance - across the front to enhance the curb appeal. If your family does not use the front yard for recreation, you could extend your planting area out to include attractive flowering plants (ie. encore azaleas which can bloom 4 to 5 times a year in certain zones and acidic soil.) You have a nice house, it just looks a little naked.

How about some railing? Paint the house a fun color, put shutters up and window pots then put up a front porch railing with new posts...I would us square pillars not round.

Hi Rozaida, I love the idea of a tan or even a cream color exterior. I agree with above suggestion - my first thought was to put a small hedge or tight row of plants at the foot of your raised porch / entryway to conceal the different 'level' of the porch or whatever that linear piece of siding is. My eye keeps going back to that different level and it's distracing. Line up a few flowers in front of that hedge more depth and pops of color. Small accents of color will work wonders. Also, a cute pair of chairs and a table (even from garage sales) on the porch would make it look more welcoming. I love the idea of wicker to add texture. I can't tell from the pic if you have space for that. Down the road, I would love to see the small window on the right replaced with a bigger one (possible a bay window) as the scale of that window is off. I know that's a big expense, so just work with some plants around that window for now to keep the eye away from the small scale of it. One more idea - a tall, narrow panel of lattice or decorative wrought iron panels between the posts in front of your porch with some ivy plants growing up it would add some visual interest as well, perhaps even privacy if you want a bit of that. As far as the overall landscaping goes, I would agree that you need to address that, but keep it simple and balanced for now. You can continue to build on that over the years.

Give it a style by adding a wood railing with the cross ( xxxxx ) add a vintage lantern,
add black shutters to the other window with a black window box of wood with drippy plants, paint the body of the house a dark olivey brown, paint the door a deep glossy red, repaint the grey walkway a darker grey to make it fade away more. Remove the grass and do and English/French peristyle garden with lavender plants, irises,boxwood
add a small fountain and set in an evergreen tree near the right facing side of your yard so that eventually it will provide shade and a sweet place to put a seat. Repeat the 3' high fencing along the front. Grow fig vine or Boston ivy on the house front. Paint the trim and very dark brown. It will have so much charm and character . Acanthas plants against the house would be beautiful . When they bloom, and their flowers last for months, they are tall and striking. The garden below is also lovely.

For an immediate pop. Add two hanging boston ferns to front porch and a window box full of trailing color the the window on the right. Depending on where you live the cost should be about 80.00

I also agree with the paint the house tan and white. Then add color seasonally with plants. You only need a few colored plants strategically placed to add color.

Maybe look at BM Chelsea Grey (the colour of the house below) for the exterior with a creamy white trim (like BM Mascarpone) and add black shutters to the other window. I'd paint the white support poles the same colour as the house and the door a bright punchy orange (like the chairs in this picture) or whatever colour you love.

I love the previous ideas of painting the porch and gable a tan and adding a black wrought iron window box under the window on the right. Also love the hanging ferns on the porch. I would add that I would beef up the columns on the porch and add a "C" shaped planting beds from the sidewalk to front of the porch and then curve out and round out the bed deeper on the right side of the home without the porch. It will soften all the rectangular lines of the home. Not sure where you are located, but plants I love are day lillies and hostas to add textures to the planting beds that are low maintenance. Also would paint the front door a nice red and also add adirondak chairs in red.(You can find them reasonable in vinyl .) In the future on the right side of the home without the porch, I would re-side in a cedar shake siding (vinyl or hardi siding) for more texture. Good Luck...hope it turns out beautiful for you!

I would put a pergola in front of the side of the house with that window that doesn't have shutters - match the width of the peaked roof, paint it white and grow jasmine or anything that suits your weather and is climbing. that side of the house will have more texture and color.

Simple and fairly inexpensive...

1. Add Craftsman-style brackets and shed awning above right window. This window already has a small amount of depth, and the brackets would enhance that depth. The roof/awning tops it off and adds one more layer to the depth of the whole house.

2. Beef up the porch columns. These might be slightly tapered or straight square columns.

3. Paint the house a contrasting color to the white trim. A medium to dark gray would be rich.

I recommend adding plants on the ground, along the front room that has the pointed/tapered roof. You could use different heights of plants with taller ones in the back. Also choosing plants that flower at specific times or have specific leaf colors in fall will do a lot to make sure it looks good year round. It will take some planning, though.

My first thought would be to change the way you approach the house. If I had the labor available, I'd widen and curve that approach and move the steps over by the front door.I can't tell if that cement or bricks or ? running in front of the house, but if it's a portable product (like brick) you could simply dig them up and move them over to make your wide curve to the front door.This may be more than you're willing to tackle, but coupled with.the trellis and wonderful plant ideas, this could be gorgeous! I'd chose to do the walkway and the trellis first if it were my house. Also, can't tell if the existing steps are cement. If so, you could leave them as well as adding new steps at the end of the curve. Less work. Same effect.Another approach (pun)

The above comments are good but I would remove the shutters on the porch window and add a wide trim like the other window. It would also be good to paint the door as right now it kind of dissappears and it should be emphasized

I forgot to mention to get some lights for the porch one on each side of the porch windows

HI -- I like your house - so I think all you need is one bucket of paint , just for the trim. Find a color you like ( maybe Ben Moore " Willow R-9988 ). Then paint the shutters and the other window trim , then the facia trim and around the gable and the front porch trim and the posts. Then maybe some long planters along the right side or some hedging of some kind or what I'm really liking right now are daylillies . That's really all the house needs I think. I like the overall color of the house. Not every house needs to be a dark color. Everyone else has good color ideas too, but if your budget does not include a full paint job, then I don't think you need to do it. Your yard is so neat and tidy and looks real nice. If you do want to paint the whole house , get a contractor's 5 gallon pail - saves $$ and have the house sprayed -- easy !