If you are traditional style I would have the siding the lighter of the warm gray in brick. White trim for sure. Porch railing would be a criss cross X pattern, over scaled and repeated 3 times across front , It will open porch up to view a white bench with toss pillows in a outdoor fabric stripe( color could be Red and white or Black and White both are timeless). Repeat the X pattern in Carriage like garage door painted white. New lantern style light fixers in black and keep the shutters for sure painted white! Hope this helps!!

Thanks for your ideas! I really want to try to give the house a bit more of a contemporary look. I know I'm limited by the style of home to begin with. Would a glass railing with white trim work? We live in a waterfront community and I see a few homes doing grey siding with shingle accents and glass rails. Love the look! I'll try to post a pic of something that inspires me.

These are pics from Houzz - homes that I really like and hope to come a little closer to with our exterior update. Am I way off or could it work?