If you consider changing the brick color I would definitely suggest stain; color variations are available, it is longer lasting, etc.

I agree with the light cream from the bricks, wider (approriate sized) shutters, perhaps a shingle--have you looked into the fun patterned ones you see in Carmel, CA?--and if there's money, I would add an additional small peak over the front door. If that green color in your bricks isn't your favorite color in that mix, don't paint anything else green. As for me, after I painted all of the cream accents, I'd pick a color I love for the front door! Get the rest painted and save the door for last. Paint is cheap and you can always play with various colors--just LOVE the color. Please don't feel that you have to "settle" for that yellow/green! Have Fun! Please post your after pics!

I would recommend painting the vinyl the light gold color in the brick and the front door the green moss color in the brick. I would leave the shutters and the trim brown to complement the roof.

don't like the pinkish brown color on the siding. i'd go with a creamier color... a yellower tone. and i think i'd step a two-tone buttercream from the same swatch for a more deep/3d look to the paint.

in looking at the OP photo again, i see that the sidewalk has that same pink tone as the current siding. my eye sees the bricks as yellow and the siding, brown shingles, and sidewalk all being pink toned. somehow that all needs to be tied together. or like homeowner suggests, a radical change.

personally, i like yellow over pink. so i'd go with complimentary colors to the brick and change siding, porch, sidewalk and when i could, the shingles.

I would seriously consider whitewashing the brick. Looks soft and lovely and isn't too difficult. Then, if you hate the result, paint the brick. I've lived in several houses with painted brick and they are actually less trouble than painted wood if the first coat is carefully applied.

I agree that you need bigger shutters. I would think about replacing the vinyl with board and batten or wide board siding, installed horizontally and painted to match whatever trim you ultimately decide on. That area should be lighter, or as light as, the house so as not to appear top-heavy.

as can be seen I am not an expert on using photoshop but I have tried very hard -:-) here is an alternative suggestion

I am not sure the problem is the house. I think the problem is the landscape. You may need to thin out some trees, or branches so that you get more light. It seems dark. Then add some hardscape and landscape to enhance the architecture and draw the eye towards the street.

I really love the brick and dark trim. As for the siding color, MarleneM's photoshop is the only one that appeals to me. The other siding colors seem to clash. Her window boxes and flowers are almost a necessity.

The entrance definitely needs a roof. That alone would dress up the house. And it's practical too. I agree with everyone else that the shutters need to be wider.

A neighborhood with mature trees is priceless.

Hello, If at all possible, I would replace the vinyl with cedar shakes and go with a French Provence Blue and keep the red door,

Both the front door color and window/trim color look Good - don't change them. The vinyl has to go, as do the wrong-size shutters. What is underneath the vinyl? If there is brick underneath, expose the brick and you're good to go. Do NoT paint the brick; the more I look at your picture, the better the door and trim colors look! You will be hard pressed to find colors that look better.

Yes, if you've extra money, a roof over porch is a big plus. But for the minimum required, just initially get rid of the vinyl. Take down the shutters at least just to look at the house without them; possibly another type of handcrafted panel shutter [not louvers] would look much better [if mounted properly as your existing ones are not and if the correct size].

Your house is basically quite cute. You don't need to change much to make it a whole lot cuter. As one already suggested, foundations plantings will help greatly, especially along the front of the house where the dog stands in your first picture.

This is another good example of ..."to each his own". I think your little house is very cute and finding a color to paint it is a very easy thing to do. Get several samples, visualize and get to it. Now if you had my house to contend with....you'd really have a problem! LOL

Marlene M's version appeals to me the most. The paint color on the vinyl siding looks just right & the red door & red flowers brightens & warms things up. The wider shutters & window box visually balance the too-small window. A bigger light fixture in a dark finish would look great.

For me it's Ellen's version but then I don't like brown on houses at all so I obviously have a bias. I just think it looks so much more inviting and happy with the lighter trim.

I vote for EVERYTHING cream (door, shutters, siding, etc.) IF you don't paint the brick.

I understand the reluctance to paint brick, but pictures like this always make me want to paint brick. :-)

Consider new foundation plantings.

I love your home! Lots of warm, cottage appeal. Have you given any thought to perhaps replacing the vinyl with cedar shakes? I think I might leave the brown sofit/fascia and just paint the window trim and door a deep, earthy burgundy/red. I would replace the shutters with something a bit bigger and paint them the same color as well. Best of luck with your project!!

Get rid of the maroon door. It should be a hunter green, and the brick could stay the same color if you don't want to paint it. If you paint, an English cottage white would be great. Use the white on the vinyl or change it out for a shingle pattern. Just change that siding!! Wider shutters in the same green, and keep the dark brown trim and window frames. Landscape the front add some large pots near the steps. Power wash the risers and if necessary paint them a cement grey so it looks original. If the steps are okay, just power wash.

I am an artist. If it were my house--by the way, I think it is adorable--I would get rid of the vinyl siding altogether and replace it with something more natural to complement the brick. Regardless, get yourself an artist's color wheel--very inexpensive, maybe $2.99--and find a color closest to your brick. The openings on the color wheel will then show you the best colors to complement the brick color. You will see the direct complement, a triadic/split complement etc. When you do this, you will be SURE of choosing harmonious colors that will complement each other. I would also uproot all that grass and plant edible/medicinal/annuals and perennials, paint or do something else interesting with the walkway and put an arbor over it. Make it a true cottage garden to go with your adorable cottage. Hope this helps. But do use the color wheel.

I love your 1940's cottage, and the brick is lovely. It just needs to be worked with. I did a quick search of 1940s cottages and came up with a few similar houses.

I did a complete overhaul on my brick that I did't like. Added new shutters. A whole new look. I vote paint the brick and replace the vinyl siding.

Your house has GREAT potential. For starters, I would change the paint color around the windows and soffits to a much lighter color~~~~~not white, white but a light off white. I would leave the shutters brown to match the roof. If money allows, change the siding to a lighter shade. Then landscape.

Before you choose colors and paint have the brickwork cleaned. You'd have to do that anyway to prepare for painting, but you may be surprised at the REAL color of the clean brick, and it might change your color choice if you still decide to paint.

Your house, with whitewashed brick and white siding. It's a subjective, personal choice--some will like it, some won't. What matters is whether you like it!

A new roof in a different color will make a big difference. Very attractive house. Don't tough the brick. Paint the siding, door and the shutters.

Paint the brick in this case, one of the greeny/grays many here have shown to blend in with nature, or the creme or taupe colors some here have shown. Then with the shutters, you could do well with either creme or charcoal/black.

Good yellow door and shutters - window boxes. White trim. Use best idea for stairs. DO NOT use greens.

I agree. Paint the brick and make it all the color you want. It will be an amazing change and you will love it. It will go from a cottage look to a more formal look. Also the suggestion of a much larger lantern on the stoop would add so much character! A round vent on the vinyl portion would add some character. I would add window boxes of some kind also. Good luck.

I agree with the commenters who think the vinyl siding is the biggest problem. If the only option is painting it, just be aware that vinyl siding can go lighter but not darker if you don't want to end up with problems caused by over-expansion and contraction that will cause the paint film to fail. Heat-gain from a significantly darker colour as suggested by the "more brown, please" people could be a big problem. Something pulled from the brick colour itself would get my vote, although I'd opt to go with one of the darker brick colours and treat the trim differently. Take a look at colours like Benjamin Moore's Sag Harbour gray(HC-95) as a
colour that will look like it came out of your brick if you need to
paint rather than replace the siding.

Cream trim as suggested by several commenters would work well with this colour.

Before you paint the brick, try everything else first, because you will be committing yourself to repainting forever.

The house below is not brick, but the potential of the right colours to transform the look of a house is illustrated here.

After . . .

I also liked the blue direction suggested earlier for the front door. Your current door is too red and bright to settle with your brick. Something even darker like BM Van deusen blue (HC-156) would be a nice balance for that darker brown on your shingles.

Finally, I also agree that landscaping will be another HUGE component in making this already cute house to the next level.

Wearing some old clothes that you don't care if you ruin, try using a really stiff brush and some chlorine bleach on some of the brick's in back and mostly out of sight -- see if the brick just needs to be cleaned to look better. If so, pressure washing them is a good idea.

In the pic at least, the brick is not ugly. Trying to paint brick that is not smooth will not likely end well; instead, I'd suggest de-emphasizing the brick by emphasizing something else.

Changing the color of that siding in the gable may require changing the siding itself or at least making sure you use paint intended for siding. Less expensive would be to change the color of all the trim to either an off white or black -- or, instead, some color more appealing to you that doesn't clash with the roof and existing siding and brick, using a darker or lighter shade of that same color for the front door. Adding a brass kick plate to the bottom of the door and/or some trim beside the window could make the door more the visual focal point of the front of the house. If you're going to change the door, consider keeping a wood finish, perhaps with a brass kick plate.

You could add a raised planter and/or a row of shrubs under the window (the window above where the dog is standing); however, adding a porch or at least an arbor that extends out from the front door and wraps around in front of that gable end would give you more opportunity to put the colors you want front and center -- and you'd likely enjoy the porch.

I like the idea of wider shutters rather than narrow shutters or no shutters.

Seriously consider widening and updating your front walk with that one color of brick from the house you find least ugly -- the one color brick from among them that you prefer to emphasize.

This house has the look of a fairytale cottage to me. I would work to enhance the look of a house that "just growed" where it is--tap into some sandy greys for paint colors or (and this is my latest kink when it comes to exteriors) strip down the wood surfaces and seal them so you have that natural wood look; replace the vinyl siding with cedar shakes or shingles to bring in that texture. For a whimsical update to the door without replacing it, you could paint it with highlights and shadows so it looks like an eight-panel door (with the window being the guide for the size of the other seven panels.) Maybe pop the color on the door with a marigold or teal shade--something that has a brightness to it.

Consider replacing the vinyl with cedar shakes and stain them the dark brown of the trim. I agree, landscaping and larger shutters would take care of the rest.

I love brick with wrought iron, wooden door (maybe a speakeasy door) and any colors on the windows to make it look like steel windows.

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I think before you spend any money on anything else you should replace the vinyl siding with wood shakes. You can purchase inexpensive versions that come in panels. Once it is installed, then decide what color to paint it.

Is all the trim paint-able? Are the windows wood?

Your house is adorable and any number of color / brick alternatives will look great.

coach, pls start your own post to get help.

I love the style of your house! If I were you, I would remove the shutters and paint all the brick and trim SW Dover White, maybe with a navy door like this:

@crathgeb75
Wow!! That home has so much potential to be BEAUTIFUL! and it's by the beach too? How wonderful! The columns are so huge, almost making it look like a bit of "greek revival" style. I think only painting the columns and rails probably won't give you much bang for your buck.
I think your only option is to paint the brick, fascia and soffit a light color.

If the columns and rails were same color as house exterior, they wouldn't appear so dominant. Like this:

crathgeb75, if you start your own dilemma, you're likely to get lots of input. This is an old dilemma and it's not likely folks will come here to comment.

No worries. If you post a link here to your new thread, people can follow you over there!

The brown trim is perfect with the brick- it's very English cottage despite the naysayers. There's a post near the beginning of this thread that has 38 likes that is right on. The only thing they didn't mention is the shutters appear to be a bit undersized for the window. They should be able to cover the window if they actually closed (to be accurate). All else it needs is replacing the vinyl, some minimal landscaping a punch of a historic lighter color on the front door. I'd look to Farrow and Ball color chart for inspiration there. It's a great house.