Hi reneeg12. Can you post some pictures with the new garage doors? Also can you provide a closeup of your stonework in order to see the colors. Thanks.

Be sure to paint the storm door the same color as the door.

I agree that a close-up photo of the brick and the garage doors would be helpful for finalizing a new color scheme. Since the brick area is the darkest part of your home and appears even darker because of the shade created by the roof overhang, yet it would be nice to have an entry that's more visible/welcoming and see the contrast of the shutters against the brick, a color scheme that involves painting the 2 front doors and the brick window shutters a lighter color may be good. I think you should remove the hanging plants since they interrupt the arch. interest of the brick window. Also, the two side panels of the window look dark for some reason but ideally should not.

Here are a couple of close ups. Hope this helps!

Thanks for the two new photos. In order to balance out the colors, can you take a photo of the entire front of the house? Are the garage doors staying white?

I'm going to suggest that you wash the brick area in the front of the house with a dark white paint - like bm maritime white watered down .. the light areas will lighten, the dark areas will come up to mid tones . . this will unify the front and give you more color options. Consider wider, maybe board and batten / more rustic cottagey profile shutters.

Color wise, with a brown roof and the white / pink brick facade, the most traditional thing is to do a brown/black. Black comes in all shades and you can do a warm black despite the roof if you select the tone wisely - bm black bean soup is one like this. Your front door is a very victorian style so this is where the traditional view comes in.

I'm not so traditional . .would probably head more cottage here, due to the brick and some of your planters, wash it and put color on the shutters and front door. If you paint the french doors, paint the the maritime white so they don't signal - enter here. I think board and batten shutters in stained cedar to echo the roof tones, and a pretty cottage color on the front door . . maybe a softer sky blue .. like bm saratoga springs .. http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/saratogasprings

Cozy house!

My idea:

Paint your house neutral gray, with black door and shutters.

Take the hanging baskets and birdfeeders down from front view.

Relocate the two pointy shrubs to large patio-friendly pots. Can move them around till you find spot which looks best.

Add pops of red, white and lavendar flowers, along with light green ground cover to your bed with dark woodchip chip mulch.

Put a pair of light colored rocking chairs (if you are going for a country charm type of look) with pillows that contain mustard yellow and black pattern as well, to keep it fresh

Paint the brick! Painted brick if done properly will last well over 15 years without needing even a touch up. I painted the brick on my entire home (my husband was very resistant) it looks as good as the day it was painted and that was 12 years ago. We are so happy we painted.

White washed brick sounds like a fantastic option. We're not talking thick goopy slick paint on brick, just a more uniform colour. Unless you want to paint all the siding, that is your best option. Any colour you choose for the front door, etc will then look intentional. Good Luck

I don't see the color of the brick as a problem and would leave it alone. It is difficult to discern, but it looks like the home is painted in a butterish-yellow beige, while the brick looks more peachy with mochas.

Neutral gray, NO WAY!

Try to tie into the beige tones in the existing brick. You are going to need to repaint the wood siding-hopefully it's not aluminum-as it just does not compliment the brick or roof colors at all.

I would not leave the garage doors white. In the same palette as the brick, select a mid tone and use that on the garage doors. White as a trim color is too harsh for this exterior, but you can use mid to light beiges in the palette.

The black doors will be fine and polish off the look. It is too fragmented right now.

I hope it turns out beautifully!

What a cute home, I love it! You want to make sure whatever you do, make the look gel together. I'm not a fan of black doors or shutters, but with all that white, it might not be so bad. Just keep in mind, painting over black is a beeatch! Personally, I'd pick up the darker color in the brick, nothing worse than an oddball color that doesn't include the brick.

Avoid WHITE or any boring related shade... Take inspiration from the historical, charming, homes...I would suggest that you paint the house a bright light turquoise... slightly green... to go with the darker brick... This will add historical charm while the brick will give it a contemporary spin. Paint the trim, & front door a nice burnt orange. detail your garage door with a beautiful bright cobalt blue folky floral design. Posting some inspiration photos for you! ~PRO

thank you all for the inspiration! I think I'm going definitely take the green out of my house! I'm tired of green! I do plan to white wash the brick! that sounds like an excellent Dea and I never would have thought about it. Moving the table off the porch and getting some rockers! love the idea of the cedar stained shutters but I'm still contimplating on the color! I will take a picture with the garage doors down tomorrow when the other one is installed. Any more idea are welcome! I just feel a little overwhelmed and don't know where to start! btw...I'm not a big fan of black! Thanks again for all the ideas!

Normally there are tons of flowers that line the sidewalk and down the driveway (all colors from light blue to red) but...we are getting a new sidewalk and having concrete poured for the driveway so that is why the landscaping looks a little bare. Everyone on our street either has green, brown or black shutters so I definitely want something different!

I would make the house and brick colors more consistent, less contrast. Either whitewash the brick or make the house a little darker. It will be a more cohesive overall look. Make the door pop with a fun, vibrant color. Trade the hanging baskets for window boxes under all the windows or just the pair of windows. You will want to emphasize and draw people in to your front door; not the side door to the garage. I might even consider adding a simple wood post under the cantilevered corner of the porch. Then the downspout can be routed less conspicuously down the post. Have fun!

So much advice. I'd be overwhelmed too! Your house is great. 1. I think your decision to white wash the brick is a really good one. 2. Definitely yes on changing out the furniture. 3. Remove the hanging plants. 4. If you can ever widen the shutters it would help the overall appearance of the house. 5. An indoor/outdoor carpet under your porch furniture or a runner from the door across the porch and down the stair would make a more inviting entrance. 6. Window boxes under the two windows on the right would add some interest and color there. 7. I like the blue you have on the shutters but would also consider a charcoal gray.

The newer better quality (and more expensive - such as Rust Oleum 2X) spray paints that tout they'll even cling to plastic will paint a metal storm door with good results but you'll likely need to remove the screen first unless you want to paint that as well and I don't know how painting screen will work -- it may fill in some spaces.

If part of your home is vinyl siding, you should know that doesn't always paint well so ask about a paint designed for that purpose if you opt to paint any.

Although some people prefer larger wider shutters, yours look fine from the pictures. Unless the shutters are in bad shape, consider repainting rather, preferably black as is or another dark color, than replacing them.

Unless someone had two or more distinctly different kinds of brick in two different parts of the house and were adamant they wanted them the same, I'd not ever even consider painting brick. do they have a smooth finish -- as in could you try bleaching some of them on the back of the house at more hidden place to see if that would lighten the darker ones (put bleach in a shallow dish and apply with soft bristled brush or broom)?

A 4' arbor all across the front of the part of the house with the lower roof -- garage and French doors -- would provide an excellent place to hang a few hanging baskets and provide what some call "curb appeal". Where your hanging baskets are now seem just a bit out of place and difficult to water.

If you ever need to replace your roofing, consider putting a gable facing forward and/or otherwise creating a front porch.

Your original post, you mentioned you like " French" country. Some of the ideas posted sound a little more cottage or country. Spend some research on the French country farmhouse look. Stained cedar shutters, cream, beige and brown tones on the house. You can get a local carpenter to build you the shutters and the window boxes. Perhaps paint the fascia a darker gray brown to give the roof a little weight. Definitely paint out the doors and the garage door with warm tone to lighten up. I might consider painting the brick, but I would do all your other color selections and painting first. You may find you like it after that. Agree about removing the hanging baskets and adding window boxes. Very French. Front porch- find a beautiful old bench seat with a back and distress it up, whitewash it, put some bright reds, blues or yellow toile design pillows to bring in more French country. A small fountain in the little front landscape area to draw attention towards the front door so everyone knows where to enter? It is overwhelming to get so many suggestions, but isn't that why we love our Houzz friends. They help open our mind to things we may not have thought of. Have fun and remember you get to have whatever your heart and pocketbook decides-lol!

Some ideas, along with color choices.

I like the brick, even though I'm not a huge fan of brick. White-wash or not, is what I'm saying. I wouldn't, however, WHITE wash it. If you go that route, do a soft taupe or cream.

Many of the choices for the french country look have a faded quality, which means not a lot of contrast. However, if you go with a softer color for the siding, whether you keep the brick or not, and are not afraid of a pop of color, which I don't think you are...people who love flowers love color...then look to the first photo with the chartreuse. I love the idea of chartreuse. I was also thinking of the maroon color to go with the bricks before I ever saw it here (2nd from right). Even consider that very pale aqua if you want it to blend. It isn't shown here but I've always been a big fan of periwinkle-a nice compromise between the pale and the bright!

Columbia 93, I am recruiting you as my new best friend! What a great post!!

I think the light should be a little larger as well.

If you like french palettes then I would go with two tones of french grey. French grey is a grey with a lilac/lavendar hint to it. It usually comes in a paler shade and a deep shade and the two contract prefectly with white. I would paint the shutters and brick in the dark french grey, the wood in the light shade, and probably go with either a white or black front door to sharpen it all up. Keep the window frames themselves in the white. This can then push out into the garden into plants with blue/ lilac /lavendar/ black and white colours. The roof will work with this as this terracotta/brown is so common in France and looks fine.

As for the darker side windows, if washing the screens doesn't help, you could have them re-screened with a lighter material. If you never open those windows, put the screens in the garage. I agree with adobeabode, who said pretty much what I would: make less of a contrast between the house and brick colors....making the house a little darker will give you a more coordinated overall look. (Be sure to get paint that will work on siding or check out Rhino Sheild - it's $$$) Make the front door pop with a fun vibrant color that doesn't have to match anything! This will show visitors which is the entry and which is the side door to the garage. Move the hanging baskets to the blank areas in front of the garages or plop them into some tall pots. I also agree with the idea of adding a wooden post on the corner of the porch and move the downspout so it's less obvious. Your porch furniture is cute, but I'd either paint is or get some bright pillows to make it look more inviting.