Lovely. It just seems so "happy" now!

Wow, that really did make a big difference! I want a cottage red door so bad, but it won't go with my brick. What are those beautiful red bushes around your house?

Laurie

Love the changes...the red door really makes your sidelights show now. The whole house has a warmer, richer feel to it. Congrats!

Very nice! It looks really pulled together and warm.

Very sharp! Funny how those small changes make the rest of your house seem pulled together and focused.

Nicely done. Now the black roof seems less prominent, and the area of taupe siding on the left makes sense with the garage doors the same color. Before it kind of floated up there all alone.

You have a lovely home.

What a wonderful difference! I love the way the new red door plays off your now-Autumn-hued shrubs. Very nice!

Wow, that looks great! It does look more pulled together, and very warm and inviting. It has it's own unique personality now! -- instead of builder neutral :) The ironwork will look nice and also tie to the black of the roof. Beautiful with brick too :)

Great job!

You're welcome :) and have a great holiday season!

Thanks again everyone. It is amazing the impact a few low cost changes can make. I am just thrilled with the changes.

Kats - I laughed when I read your comment about the house looking "happy." I guess it didn't help that the first picture was taken on an overcast day and the second on a bright sunny day. You are right, it sure looks more happy.

mrose - I think the bushes are called burning bushes, although that is probably not their official name. My husband really dislikes the front landscaping. He would like to replace it with more low hugging perennials. Squirrelheaven did a picture that looked beautiful. But boy, I agree with you, they sure are stunning in the fall. When you compare all the landscaping between the summer and fall picture, it sure looks better in the fall picture.

It looks beautiful!

It really is lovely and now, also welcoming. The door makes it seem like 'coming home.'

Again, a fantastic color transformation! What a difference! We also painted our front door Cottage Red, upon the advice of the folks here and love, love, love it. Thanks for sharing!

Are your autumn-red shrubs burning bushes? They're so beautiful.

I have come back to this thread several times, reading what has been posted, and looking at the pix again.

I keep wondering if you would consider painting the sidelights of the door the taupe color, rather than the white? Leave the outer trim white, as it is everywhere on the house. I think warming up the sidelights would create even more cohesion throughout the front elevation, and would actually enrich the red of the door.

IMO, I wouldn't do the iron railing on the upper window. I don't think it fits the style of the house, nor does it make sense for that window, and I am not sure you would like the look of it from the inside. I think that can be charming on the right windows on the right house, I am just not seeing it on your lovely home.

I would think about adding railings on the outside of the stairs on both sides - I think it will beef up the entry area even more and reinforce it as the focal point.

Those threads get deleted so quickly! Here are the grill and landscaping images we were working on. To my mind, your house has a French Provincial influence, with regard to the iron grills. (The only thing that worries me with those things is the potential for rust on facade, so I'd check into how they are made and the required maintenance if you do that down the road.)

French Provincial Styling

Click the images to enlarge. You can also r-Click on them to save to file.

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Your changes look wonderful and those bushes are spectacular, whatever they are -- they highlight your pretty red door. Don't you just love it when you win? :D

Here's the door surround in the beige. I'm a little confused with the trim. Not sure why the windows look like they have beige trim also. ??? But the one over the front door looks to be a bright white. The second virtual shows the window over the door with the white toned down with beige trim like the other windows:

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Les: Thanks for the thoughful feedback. It is funny you mention painting the sidelights taupe, because as the painter was here, I debated about that. I see your point, about the beige being more soft, but I think I will probably have to live with the white for a while. We have so many other projects going on. I will also ponder your comments about the iron balconette. The window is in a two-story foyer, so it is not a window we really look out from the inside, although it does provide great natural light. I mentioned the iron hand railings to my husband, but he said he does not think the area is big enough and it would make it feel closed off, I am not sure. Thanks again for taking the time to help me tweak the look further.

Squirel: Thanks for posting the original photos. I saved all of them. Also, thanks for showing Les's suggestions on the taupe trim. Just as an FYI, the trim around all the windows is bright white. It must just be the light that is making them look beige.

As I mentioned before, we are finishing our basement. The drywallers have been here since 7:00 a.m., which really surprised me on a holiday weekend!