Hi Christine, if you have a link or photo of the front door it would be helpful. In the meantime, consider a classic black / grey shutters with crisp white siding.

I'd go with a full 8'door justified to one side or the other and a 8' multi pane sidelight for the remainder. Black/green for the door color with brushed nickle kick plate and door hardware.

It's a lovely house that just needs some tweeks to give it a little more personality.

I would caution against changing the door. It perfectly mirrors the squares in the windows, garage door, etc.

As I see it, a problem with the house is that the front door isn't emphasized enough. Perhaps a reconfiguration of the walk and landscaping would help. I'd sweep the planting area to be wider at the driveway and swoop in to the left of the door. A beautiful tree (Japanese maple?) or bush to the left of the door would also bring attention to it. Some bright red or orange flowers in the garden bed would also help, as would flowers in the planters on the front steps. Is there room for a chair or bench on the steps? It could be brightly colored.

I always look for the "path of least resistance" when I have a dilemma, and so in your case I would paint the front door a soft but noticeable yellow, and plant only yellow and white flowers in your front planter bed. Probably the easiest and least expensive way to go with maximum impact.

I agree with Bobbi. Painting the door and the planters to match will give it the definition it needs. I think the current style of the door fits the house perfectly. You could also stain the brick so it offers a deeper brick tone which will make any lighter color you use on the rest of the area "pop".

I say it needs a porch roof to help it stand out....

I would suggest figuring out what plants you are installing and then for example if you are having a plant installed that has red flowers then you can match the door color to that. I would also match that color on the shutters.

Don't just do the door and shutters, do the fascia boards too! Add a third complimenting color around the front door trim and the trim at the windows.
I'd do something in the greys and blacks. Trims being grey and the shutters and door being black. IF you used the grey/black thing, you could do red on the door. Use a tall planter on the left of the door to balance, and then landscape next Spring with clusters of red geraniums leading up to the front door.
(This plays down the garage door and leads your eye to the entrance).
GOOD LUCK!

I would do trim in a warm gray and the doors and shutters in a deep red or cobalt blue.... would be lovely!

How about a deep red wine color burgandy shutters and door .. those big planters too paint them to match and some bushes with some flowers would give some coloring ....

I'm with the yellow... If it were mine to do, I'd paint the door a brightish but not too bright yellow, butter yellow wood work around the windows, garage door frame, and the round vent at top, and then an aqua or blue coordinating color for the shutters.

Beautiful landscaping, I agree you need black shutters and door, however I would go with a door with a big decorative window. Adds sparkling light to the interior too!

Hot coral. And then put out some geraniums to match

Thanks all for your input, I agree with Yvonne I really need some color in my flower beds, thats a next year project, it was way too hot this year to replant. Normally I have a few more planters with bright colored flowers on my steps. Our town was in a watering ban, BOO! but next year I will rock it. Also my walkway opens up into a larger area so that a bistro table and 2 chairs sit there. We like to sit outside in the front and read the paper in the am since I get a lot of sun from the west in the morning. There is a large tree to the left of the front door. I must of cut it off when I took the picture.

Question how do I brighten up my tumbled stone walkway, it seemed to fade?? is there a product on the market i.e. Home Depot or Menards that has something like that? As for the Door if you go to www.pella.com on their front page is the style of sidelight I was thinking of. It's the one with the black crosses, the front door has glass, but we're not doing the glass in the door. So a black front door would look the best. I will be changing out my shutters and outside lights next spring. Don't want it to look odd until then.

I would LOVE LOVE to put a chair on my porch but the wind seems to take everything I put on it and blow it over. don't want to bolt it down, we live in the midwest with a lot of snow in winter. Of course we remove all planters in the wintertime to avoid having the planters crack.

Again thanks so much for all your ideas, I will keep you all posted on what the outcome will be. :)

Black shutters and a red door. Very traditional.

Do you actually USE the bistro table? If you look at some landscape design, I'd think you'd want a tree in that area - One that would balance the house. All the visual weight is on the right (thus not painting your garage door a dark color, ever!). If you had a tree over on the left, had your bushes curve around towards the front door, then had both of your planters at different heights on the left (and YES I love the idea of painting them too) then I think you'd feel great about it all!

Bright Lime Green would pop and seem to bring more life or brighten the shutters!

will HOA let you just remove the shutters and accent the window trim? Otherwise I agree with a wine/burgundy or blue teal. does the HOA have a list of approved colors - friend of mine in indiana in HOA and all paint (even the mail box and post) were a standard color for the entire HOA division....

I don't know if this color would be a no-no in your HOA, but I love the softness of this color and think it has a clean and fresh look:

http://pinterest.com/pin/213217363579214459/

Black shutters and inner trim around garage door. Red front door.

heres an idea of what i was talking about ..... on the colors and shrubs ....

Did this show up .. ?

If it were mine, I would go for a deep terra cotta red (like the red mulch you can buy) and paint the door, shutters and garage door this colour. Painting out all the architectural trim around the doors and windows and the facia a deep charcoal would add tie in with the roof and act as the third colour. Then add the same red mulch in the flower beds and up the colour of the plants with some lime green. Also, planters with lime green potatoe vine and deep burgendy coleous with look nice with orangy red flowers. You know - the WOW factor!

paint the frame around the front door . this will make the door pop out more. chose two colors , one for the frame and another for the door. offset the planters to the right of the door. then plant with more colorful flowers.

I would go with a beautiful glass door or a wooden door that you can chose the stain

My HOA is VERY picky and want us to stay with traditional colors, primary green, cream, black, red or a wood door. Approval to even change the color of the siding and roof. They are not big fans of the glass doors but many have put them in anyway. My husband is a freak about a glass front door. I guess he doesn't want anyone to see the color of his undies if he has to run down the stairs. LOL ha ha ha. Karen if I had my way I would love that aqua color, but the butter yellow door that sounds interesting!! maybe can paint it yellow and ask for forgiveness later?? Hmmm...

Ran the Red door idea across my mother, and let me know if you all have heard this, That a red door means the house is paid off. She insists i wait until I do. Must be a weird superstition thing in her family.

Sorry, I meant something more like a "hot" salmon, not RED, and with grey or taupe shutters.

That's sounds interesting, salmon door, grey shutters. I will ponder that. We are ordering our door next week and need to pick the color, of course I can always order it in white and paint it myself.

Christine, I actually chuckled when I heard the "Must be paid for " story of the red door. I don't know where that originated, but I'll be willing to bet it was an "active" rumor when women wore garter belts, stockings with a line up the back, petticoats, gloves and hats. The "polished silver for tea and bridge "era, maybe, but not anymore!
Red doors were first popular in the Colonial times of Williamsburg, VA. They again were brought to the forefront with Elizabeth Arden retail stores in the 60's. People have had red doors forever (and I'll bet not everyone's house was paid for ...). Google "RED FRONT DOORS" and just see the millions of them out there now!
Where is your house located? I'm in TX - we've got strict deed restrictions here too - and anyone can paint a door red! :D

Black shutters; Crimson Red door with kickplate to match. Mainly the red door because the door is almost hidden; It is a colonial...of course you could always do something totally out of its "expected" color and go with bright bright yellow for the door! Just kidding! I did not read the above comments first. I wrote Crimson door because it is my favorite and those red doors are not as prevelent around here. :>)

You just can't argue with good design/color... this is hot. (and borderline timeless)
(image at http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5151/5913482684_4a4a8ed49d_o.jpg)
Damn the man! ;)

I like the combination of charcoal grey trim & shutters with a "deep deep" burgandy on your front door. If you still want to switch out your front door consider one of the top 1/2 leaded glass, bottom 1/2 solid doors with matching glass transom & side lights. Have fun with it.

Black shutters and black door and leave the rest alone.

I think you should keep the front door. The only problem I see is that every bit of your lovely trim detail disappears because it's all painted in the same white as your siding. Easy fix! Paint all the trim detail around the doors & the windows in the same colour with a lighter shade of the same colour on the door and the shutters. I think either a warm russet or a fresh green palette would look wonderful. Replace the lighting with something more sustantial in a weathered metal finish. Pick up the same finish or colour in some larger planters on each side of your steps. Your front garden should be re-planted with more colourful & textural shrubs to add more interest. These are the most simple & budget friendly changes that will provide the biggest impact. Go for it & have fun!

The house is bear, maybe some window flower pots. the porch needs something done to it, cover, blue door and shutters will be differnt. the yard needs work like flowes to brighten it up.

I would go with Black or Yellow..

Gun metal gray

Thanks all for your ideas,I'll get to work on the flowers next spring. :) we are in desperate need to replace the whole front door unit. we cannot open our front door now, it swells in the summer, we have to have guests use the garage to come in and in the winter it leaks cold air. Got to love builder grade, after 13 years it's time to deal with this beast. So that is why the change in color, New Door New Look. Might as well get what I want now, then regret it later. But color can be changed not the style. So i will keep the current style but the sidelights will be a decorative glass with iron trim and the transom will be a clear glass. So next year adding colorful flowers, new shutters and different color door will make it all pop. You all are so great with your ideas, I could hug you all.

Probably just adding some red flowers displayed to bright up the house and decorative glass with iron trim( please look at the spanish style) and paint the door in a aqua green colour perhaps it would be a good solution..

can't wait to see what you will choose my house is white with Bavarian Forest green # 6163-83 and Oat Bran 6113-74 for the door or Mossy Spring 6143-53 very delicate green you will find these colors in Sico paint. here are some pictures of the Colours I used on our house..... good luck

I think your front door and surrounding woodwork should definitely stay; if I were to change anything, it would be the garage door, replacing it with a carriage style look. I think the boring feeling that you blame on the front doorway is actually coming from the bland garage door.

I hate HOA'S. How about Black shutters and really pretty turquoise blue for the door?

To answer your original question, the fiberglass door you mentioned would be a very good choice, low maintenance, and very attractive. Looks like your door gets full sun, I'm not surprised you get pretty intense sun damage and swelling in the summer. A fiberglass door will be far more stable and it can take the heat better than any other door.

Black shutters are the classic, correct choice, but personally I find them very boring. I'd be looking at the navy blue ones. Shutters are actually very inexpensive and can be changed out easily.