That is quite charmless, isn't it. What city?

My first thought is that the porch is very dark ... paint the trim and sills a medium tone color that looks good with that brick. Paint the door a brighter, more intense shade of that color or a nice contrast that also looks good with the brick.

And paint the ceiling of the porch a very clean white to reflect as much light as possible.

OP and Lazy, funny I was going to say how much I liked the utter simplicity and functionality of it! Less can indeed be more!

Changing the unappealing door and color of trim is about all you can do, really - but that can be a lot. Stark white looks good with gray, but with yellow or red brick looks kinda blah. I cant see what's the story with that 1st floor window next to the door- its very dark - is trim a different color, are there shutters?

As for the door whats the inner door like, is it original and interesting? If not, replace - needs to be something original and charming, and of course fitting with the simplicity of the house. Storm door could instead be one of those full glass deals that show off the door, in a color same as the door.

Whose fences are those to the sides of your house - swap those out for more attractive wood structures (custom designed).

MAYBE.... some type lattice structure for the porch opening to add architectural interest and slightly (VERY SLIGHTLY) add a bit more sense of enclosure .... and by that I mean very open lattice with openings a foot or more wide with perhaps the center of it being entirely open with the lattice only forming a border around the porch opening (does that make sense? Ill try to find samples later on when Im not headed out the door on my way to work -LOL)

I am NOT talking ugly cheap panels that close off your light and view - no!! Not that at all, something custom designed and beautiful. You want to still be able to see out easily and for people to see you, and for plenty of light to still get in to the window ... but just have slightly more of a visual barrier. somewhere I read that people are happiest on porches that they can see out and be seen by passersby but there is some sense of enclosure instead of feeling like their on stage or on display

Since you can only do so much and since each improved detail can have asignificant impact - would be worth paying a little extra for custom design.

Thanks lazy_gardens.

A few ideas we are kicking around:

1. Adding some sort of wood details to the corners and faces of the eaves to cover up the bold white line running through the middle of the presentation.

2. Changing the appearance of the upper window lintels.

3. This face of the house has red mortar, would the classic light grey with sand allow for more versatility? (We have to have some pointing anyway)

4. Changing the shape of the porch roof.

5. Changing the posts.

Thanks kashka_kat.

Yes, please provide a sample of the lattice! Intriguing!

The front window is an old out-swinging thing with a transom.

The front door is a blue-greyish basic metal door with a fan shaped window.

You have limited choices. I would prefer if it had a cornice at the top of the wall to give a nice crown to cap the wall. The half-tile coping looks like it could be original.
I think that the window color should match up/down. The dark color below seems to have been chosen to match the "stone" caps, but If you wanted to paint them too (I mean paint the "stone" parts brighter to match the window and porch cornice) I'd be OK with it.
Casey

Sombreuil/Casey:

For some context for the corbelling at the top of the face, our semi-detached house and the similar house to the right and the rowhomes to the left have the same corbelling styles while the rest of the street is all of a younger red brick with crown facades.

I like that house! Paint the door and all the trim a color you like but not white...maybe bright hunter green or turquoise or even a dark red brick. Can you put shutters on the uppers, if so then do and paint them the same as the trim? Are there restrictions? And for sure put some flowers on that porch wall.

Is your front yard a concrete pad? If so, how about removing it and returning to grass or a garden.

I agree that window color should be the same on all windows.

Flower boxes!

Paint the white board a color that matches the cap on the porch.

Your house is simple....don't over-complicate it.

To me the very top of the house is a problem. It looks like it is missing trim like what is present on the first floor. Is it possible to add that? The additions that lalala made are nice and as Casey said, the trim on all windows needs to be the same.

Diane

So I know this is a pub but you will get the idea - they have transformed what was an ugly red brick box into a beauty by painting all the brick in a soft cream with accents of dark wood and grey.

Thank you, everyone, so much for your responses! I recently stumbled upon these interesting properties for sale in Wheeling. I was looking at some places in Astoria for some ideas as well. I imagine our sooty yellow brick facade will look a bit different after the pointing is done and they are cleaned. Some houses in the area have arched wood lintels over new rectangular windows, so that is another thing floating around in the "options bucket".

My "grandiose fantasy" would be a balcony over the porch, with windows turned into doors for access, and an arbor or pergolas for shade.

Hmmm.... nakes me think the right greeny-blue-gray might be nice with your yellow brick? The right trim color will bring out the beauty and richness of color of the yellow brick

How about window awnings on the upper windows? This adjustable design looks practical and attractive. I think green and white striped awnings would look great with your yellow brick and dark green trim.
http://www.valleywideawnings.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/mirave2.217132315_large.jpg

That screen door has got to go. If you need some extra light in the house but want a door, a full glass door might look better. Also, i don't know about the things on the wall next to the door. Paint all the trim white I also painted the brick just above the top windows to mix it up a bit. Add some house numbers, paint the top of the columns white, all the trim white (including the window on the porch), add some shutters, a hanging light over the door, some hanging baskets and window boxes on the porch and top windows. Please don't add awnings, this isn't the 70's. If you're feeling crazy, maybe a fan over the sitting area and lights on the front of the posts. A nice vintage mailbox might be nice too. Oh and pressure washing. LOTS of pressure washing.