I would paint the brick to match the trim. What a cute house!

I agree that the siding and bricks don't quite work together, but I would be relunctant to paint the brick--it looks like it is in excellent condition. You picked a cool brown (blue overtones) for the siding and the bricks are a warm orangey color, so they don't qutie go together. I'm glad you kept the beltline for this bungalow. Perhaps painting the trim on top of the porch openings would help ground it--dark brown or earthy green color perhaps? Can you paint the window frames, or are they sided too? If you can paint the window trim, I would consider painting the casing on the second floor to match.

Bungalows were typically darker on top and lighter on the bottom, and typically had a different color on the window frame and mullions than the casing, and these could difffer according to floor. Sometimes even the soffits were a different color, and I wonder if your house once had decorative brackets along the eaves. Going for a monochromatic color scheme looks tidy, but makes the building look a bit flat.

If you are prtty much stuck with the trim as it is, I would really consider doing something to the front door. Perhaps a lighter sage or olive green or a red or perhaps a blue color with a nice storm would help bring it out, along with some nice wicker or other porch furniture, or a swing.. Some color on the porch ceiling might be nice as well. The porch floor and steps could be painted or stained, or even stenciled. A lighter and more colorful wreath could help as well.

I would also consider a very nice old-fashioned storm door with some detailing to it. Custom wood ones with glass inserts are not as expensive as you might think, especially if you get the more simple Craftsman or Cottage styles. You could even add a simple grill on a commercial storm for a similar effect, and paint the storm if you wish for a custom effect.

Nice shutters with whimsical cutouts could help on the second floor too, and since it is only one window, you could look into getting something nicer than the aluminum ones. Shutters look best if they are sized to fit the actual window (measure inside the frame inside) and operable, but if you can't do that, consider mounting them on the framing rather than on the siding to give more dimension and the appearance that they can be operable. I hesitate to suggest this because fake shutters typically just don't look right, but real shutters can be great if they are done right. Of course doing it right is much more expensive. Expect to pay about $300 or more for simple custom shutters and hardware (hinges and shutter dogs).

Another period detail you might consider is shott shades along the arches of the porch in a striped or solid sun resistant awning/canvas material, perhaps even with fringe, or outdoor curtains, except by the front door. I think teal/hunter green or forest green and white with a bit of red would look perfect.

I would considert having more cottagy planting in the front. What you have is nice, but something bigger and looser in feeling, and somewhat asymetrical would be more appropiate for the style of house. In the spring, consider relocating some of the shrubs and planting more variety, or extend the beds to in front of and along the walkway. Hydrangeas were very popular, come in all kinds of varieties, and look nice in the winter if the flowers are left on them. Something with a bit of height to it to contrast would be nice too, and sturdy tall perrienals, such as daylillies and hollyhocks can be nice.. Be sure to buy varieties that won't overgrow the space

The urns are a nice touch--perhaps you can plant some evergreens or ivy in them. Planter boxes on the porch and perhaps under the second floor window filled with draping flowers, such as geraniums, could look wonderful in the summertime. The one on the second floor could be supported with period-appropiate brackets and be filled with twigs, seedpods, and evergreens in the wintertime, with matching arrangements in the urns, and perhaps even the planter boxes. Add lights for Christmas!

There is a wonderful book called "Bungalow Colors" that could give you lots of ideas. My drawing software is primative, but here is a picture to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

Paint the brick off white: [houzz=]

Yup, if possible I'd consider painting the brick as well (by a professional)!

PAINT THE BRICK ~

As mentioned several times earlier, Paint the brick!

Thanks for suggestions. Definitely painting the bricks! I have been waiting seven years to do so! Prior to last week, the siding was white and the siding is much different than the sample, so it has been a major change. I was thinking a white porch, but open for color suggestions. The thought crossed my mind to cut out some of the bricks and leave brick columns or add vinyl railing. But, I do love bungalows and don't want to stray too far from original look.

Have you considered staining the brick vs painting it? I came across idea on following website: www.brickstain.net

I am in the minority here, but as a specialist in historic preservation, I would caution you about painting the brick. In general, most exterior brick should not be painted because it can cause long-term maintenance issues. Plus it is a completely different issue to paint or stain brick that was built with the intention to be painted, and to do so for brick that was never intended to be painted.

Also, It is getting too late in the year to paint without risking paint failure, so you have the winter to research your options. Please look before you do anything that can't be undone!

I suspect your brick is in the second catagory--not well suited for painting. It looks like you have high quality, high-fire glazed brick, which is very smooth and won't accept paint or stain well. Any kind of surface coating will not stick and can bubble and peel very quickly. Even if it is the rougher variety, and you properly chisel out the joints (never use an angle-grinder) repoint with a soft mortar (not a portland cement (grey) type one) and caulk and prime well before painting, eventually moisture will get behind the paint layer and start to peel. Or it will trap moisture and cause cracking and spralling (breaking of the hard surface of the brick to expose the soft inside) and or mold.

Once that happens, you have a mess to deal with to scrape and paint frequently, and stripping paint is very, very difficult and likely to damage the brick (steam is best--never sandblast). How long this takes depends on the brick underneath, materials used, surface preparation and where you live. Here's a link that authoritatively explains the issues that can arrise from painted masonry:

http://www.oldlouisville.com/circa1900/brick-structures.htm

If you must do it, here is some technical advice, but please investigate well before proceeding, and prepare the surface very well: Manuafacturers may claim their products are maintenance free or will last 30 years or more, but past experience shows that is seldom the case and can cause problems down the road, especially in old houses.

http://www.gobrick.com/portals/25/docs/technical%20notes/tn6.pdf
http://www.gobrick.com/portals/25/docs/technical%20notes/tn46.pdf
Index: http://www.gobrick.com/Portals/25/docs/Technical%20Notes/tnindexJuly12.pdf

An older method, such as limewashing, mortarwashing, stucco/render, might be more appropiate. Actually all of these methods are similar, but if your bricks are smooth, it will not work as well as it would on porous bricks. If the first layer does not stick well, then the entire job will fail.

Limewashing/stucco:
http://ushg.macusa.net/tech_sheet.php?Current_Name=Old-World%20European%20Limewash%20Economy%20Packagehttp://www.paintpro.net/Articles/PP501/PP501_Limewash.cfm and http://www.lime.org/BLG/Mold.pdf
A great step-by-step guide with pictures (don't let the title put you off--this is the real deal technique)
http://ufdc.ufl.edu/IR00000409/00001/1j

Here is a thread that discusses some of the options for a new house:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg011458019889.html?50

OTHER OPTIONS:

Adding vinyl over the brick would damage it and would trap moisture, and look clunky. Removing the brick completely except for the pillars (please at least keep the piers or they won't look supported) is expensive and putting vinyl there would look odd--replacing with porch spindels and lattice is a possiblity, but would wreck havoc with your concrete porch. Plus modern railings are too thin to look right with the Craftsman aethetic. Reducing the pillars to slightly above the level of the rails, adding a concrete cap and short elephant pillars (square and tapered) would be more period appriopiate.

In summary,to do a major change like these "right" can be very costly, and it is important to get the proportions right, or it will just look wrong.

When colors don't harmonize, the answer can be to add color, not reduce it. That is why I suggested a green with blue undertones, or you can go the other way and bring some of the yellow/peach undertones up.. Plus it is best to go with something that can be easily changed (ie door color) before you plunge into something that cannot. Here are some links that explore Bungalow colors and styling:

http://www.arts-crafts.com/archive/achomes/color-schemes.shtml

As you mentioned, it is best to not stray too far from the original look, and it is always appropiate to just conserve what is there, especially if it is in excellent condition, even if it isn't what you love.

I have some similar issues with my house, which suffers from some well-intentioned past remodeling. What looks old fashioned or dated today can look vintage or charming tomorrow. And what looks updated today can look dated tomorrow (take a look at some stuff from the 80's and 90s--bet they looked just fine at the time.)

I know after 7 years, you are chomping at the bit to get rid of the old brick, but it could be more of a headache than it is worth.

I think you should paint the trim and windows a color that combines with both the new siding and brick. I think a warm red ocher or medium green would look nice. Too bad you didn't take he brick into consideration before you re-sided. Don't paint the brick if you can help it.

Playing around with my limited software to see what I can do fairly quickly Just changing the door color would have a major impact (III), and what it would look like if the pillar style was changed.

The colors are approximate, but I would recommend going quite bright--brighter than what is typical of a bungalow-- because the door is deeply shaded. Note how the whites look gray in this picture. Try some swatches on posterstock first to get an idea what it would look like before finalizing the color.

If you are thinking of shades/awnings, do that first and then pick a color to harmonize. It is easier to harmonize paint with fabric than vice-versa, and because the door is recessed and in completely different light, don't be afraid to go with something quite different.

The shutters and awnings detract from the curved trim and really don't help. I do like the white angled posts with the yellow orange door. They seem to unify the entire exterior. Such a small detail makes a huge difference.

victorianbungalowranch is correct on the technicalities of painting brick and maintenance issues. Being a Master Mason I can appreciate that point of view. I have a winter home in South Georgia that was built in 1960 with used brick veneer. I am painting them puppies. They are ugly and soon to be beautiful. There are hundreds of homes in my zip code with painted brick and no issues. I just completed 2 remodeling projects where we painted the brick. If the brick are glazed, that is a great concern and you should see a local expert such as a District manager of a large paint supplier. A clerk has little experience. If you could tell us the brand and color of paint, we could better assist you. I do like your idea of painting the porch siding as different color.

Dar, Love that color!.....Bobbi

Paint the brick for sure! It will make a huge difference and update the look completely. Same color as siding.

I agree with the orange door. A small detail make such a big difference. The door ties the natural color brick to the house wonderfully! With this change you don't have to paint the brick!

But inder no circimstances should you remove the brick for railings. The brick detailing is so much a part of the facade. Please!

I would stucco over the brick in an off-white stucco.

Iamchickaddd...funny you say that. Our siding is LP smart side and we had the area rep come answer some questions. He had a man with him who created LP smartside stucco and tried to convince my husband to do that.

Just paint the door yellow-orange and then take some time to see if it grows on you before you make any decisions on painting the brick.

Be careful painting brick, as it sometime tends to flake off and look horrible. One you paint, you need to paint again and again.

I thought I would post some awning type fabrics. You don't have to have a real awning, just a narrow strip of fabric, perhaps finished with a shaped edge like an awning, or just simply hemmed yourself, hung on a pole or with hooks behind the arches to the top of the pillars--no ruffles.

The remaining fabric could be used as cushions for any porch furniture plus some nice coordinating solid accent pillows. You could even back the shades upstairs with the same fabric facing outside to add a bit of color to unify the facade, combined with a new door color.

These fabrics are available on Ebay for about $6 - $12 a yard, and it would take roughly 8 yards to make a simple 18" valance aound the porch, plus another two or so for a few pillows and whatnot, maybe a bit less if you only do the front. Measure and make allowances for matching and seams to make sure.Even just having some porch furniture with these type of fabrics would help.

Make sure you use outdoor fabrics, and the lighter and cheaper stuff would be OK. For the valance/awning, you could back it with cheap canvas dropcloth fabric to make it hang right..

I would recommend Sunbrella fabric for any outdoor fabric projects. There are lots of "outdoor fabrics" but over the years Sunbrella has proven itself to last much longer and no fading from the sun. Here's a site with porch valances like victorianbungalowranch described above.

http://www.pycawnings.com/awnings/canvas-porch-valances