I think your house looks charming! From photo bricks look fine. I seem to recall there is a way to paint bricks...think you mix paint with something to stick to the brick. Not very helpful!

In my previous home, I had brick that I didn't care for the tone. I used the paint we had used on our siding, and with a somewhat dry brush just brushed over the bricks in a random way,like you would do if you were cleaning excess paint out of your brush so that it just lightened the bricks, but would not require the maintenance of totally painted brick. Experiment in a small inconspicuous area and see if you like the tone it changes your brick to, and be careful to be consistent. It's quick,and inexpensive, and if you don't like the results you can still do the other things you were considering. I also think that changing your shutters to a different style would give a more modern look. It is a lovely home. Enjoy!

I'm waiting for Dytecture to chime in, but I would start with removing the shutters on the left side. They seem to confuse the style a bit. I don't really mind the bricks, I think they look fine. I think what is really distracting me is the garage doors. Consider a different style without the windows. Hope that helps, others will weigh in with some great ideas.
Charmean Neithart

I think your shutters are too large for the wall they are on-they look heavy to me as does the shrubbery that runs the length of the front.
My suggestions:
Remove shutters-lightly brush paint on brickwork as ksundar suggested
Remove shrubbery under window, have window flower box made if the window length will support one (I can't really tell the length of the window) and if not, dig a bedding plant area for a couple of roses or a small tree like those in your entrance area and lower plantings in front of window.
I think you might want to break the long look that the shrubs gives the area.

I love the idea of dry brushing the brick in the house color since you don't care for it. The shutter issue is also a valid point. What glares out at me, however is the deep recess of the entry and the darkness of that whole area. I'd use some ambiant lighting for sure and a highly contrasting door color. Narrow the beds from the street side to the door, gradually widening with color. Also think you can do better with those bushes. need some dimension to the beds under the window. A window box would work, but also think about a wide bed, with curves and depth for perennials there.Curve and widen it all the way to the driveway.. Also, need an organic or manmade screen for the garbage cans. Not workin'.

Great Dytecture, love the idea of color on the front door. What do you think about the garage door?

I actually don't mind the simple lines of the garage door, at least it doesn't look like the suburban vinyl ones with raised beveled panels.

Guess I am the only one, but I still like those shutters! They aren't the ones you see everywhere. What do y'all think of incorporating their style elsewhere, such as in a low fence? Or in a screen to the right of the garage to hide the garbage cans?

I think that low fence set back from the sidewalk a couple of feet, with some low flowering plants on the street side would be very pretty. Besides that, a different surface for the driveway, maybe lined with brick. Right now that drive looks really harsh.

I'm curious to see if you've made any changes to your home - do you have any updated photos? It is a great house!