Very nice ideas! Thank you!

Great idea Janihill, also keep shutters.

Garage doors should not stand out .. Really like the suggestion to paint a color that is closer to the siding color. Check out houzz site for front doors and you will get awesome ideas.

I like the idea of an arbor over the garage doors but I can see there is no place to plant a climber to grow on the arbor. You can remove some of the concrete to create a place for a climber but it would probably involve adding irrigation and draining so check with a builder. It is always nice to have a walkway from the street rather that having your guests walk up the driveway to your front door. The walkway can then be lined with flowering perennials and annuals. It is also nice to have stepping stones or a path along the street side of the garden so that when people step out of their car they do not step out onto wet grass. A flower bed around the mailbox can also be very charming. Pick at least four flowering or fruiting trees or shrubs to add to the landscape that will be blooming each season. For example an early spring flowering shrub, then a summer flowering shrub, then a late season bloomer and then a shrub with winter berries. In my opinion no cottage garden is complete without some roses!

Actually the climbers can be in planters.

An EarthBOX can serve as the planter. They have 6 gallons of water storage so you only need to add 1-2 times a week. They can also be set-up for automatic watering. Plenty of dirt volume for any plant. The terracotta color would work well.

Wonderful ideas! Input on a new house color would also be appreciated.

I really like darker grey with your white for a crisp combo. Also, soft sages, with cream trim, can be a nice cottage look. Your planting will be an important part of that also. Easy Knockout roses in back, drought tolerant and easy begonias in front of the roses to line the beds and some very nice fountain grasses interspersed with rosemary, and daisies for spring bloom will be a great start. Good luck
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Please post a close up of the stone. It looks as though the predominant cooor is beige, but I would like to see subtle colors.
I like the idea of the deep gray, but, again, would prefer to see the stone up close.

Looking for input on a new house color, including trim. The brick across the front will stay.

I think adding wood garage roors and some added details would really hit it home.

This color would work nicely: http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/bearcreek

and would be perfect on vertical boards with white trim and shutters. I can imagine it with the arbor, flower beds, etc.

Hope you will post updates!

Add architectural brackets -three at each gable. Exposed rafter tails would look great. We did "faux " ones on our craftsman style home. They were made of treated lumber and painted. Also lose the storm door and get a true craftsman style with dentil shelf. Change windows to a mission style. Definitely paint the garage doors a dark taupe color that would blends with the same shade in your stone.

Here is an update of my house after new siding, shutters & garage doors. I wish the gable decoration in the peak was bigger, but I'm pretty happy with the look overall. Since the hail damage was on the front of the house only, we chose to leave the original siding on the sides & back of the house because it was only 7 yrs. old and still in great shape. The color of the shake siding matches it perfectly.

That is SOOOO cute! I love it!! How about painting the front door either teal to match the shutters or the same color as the garage doors? just the door itself...not the trim...leave that white. Congratulations on your hail damage! lol

Thank you Nicole! I've been thinking about painting the door. I have a storm door, which we need here in Minnesota. I wasn't sure what part to paint and so...haven't done anything.