This is a 5 bed/3 bath house, open and inviting inside. I am replacing the door, putting in new white vinyl windows, but it still is BROWN bricks all around.

Your home is a blank canvas! Perhaps you can lighten up the feel of the house by adding a bit of color in a neutral. The peaked area over the garage doors, as well as the garage door, and the trim along the roofline could all be painted.

And of course, some landscaping would really bring your home to life. Have you looked through the Houzz idea books and saved pics of things you like?

could you paint the brick grey? I've seen some brick houses painted grey and they look so fresh and modern. I would search for grey brick and see what you find. Try grey brick, black shutters and white trim.

Grey with a sharp green accent looks fresh and modern as well

I just didn't think about saving pictures, Houzz is my life line in trying to figure out what and how :) Just bought the house 4 weeks back, the interior has been a breeze - thanks to everyone here. So painting the bricks is not a sacrilage??

I think the paint will breathe new life into it while preserving some of the original character.

A bit of a sacrilige, but worth it in this case, I think.

You could go mod:

Or more classical:

But I think that for sure you want to get some plantings in along the front on the left side there where the windows are high, and maybe something to accent a nice curved walk from the driveway to the front door. Consider an inviting color for the front door too.

Do not paint the bricks. Paint all of the siding and trim a tan color. Get a new all glass storm door. Paint the front door and the storm door a light sage green. Get a landscape plan and slowly work on it. New plantings and walkway will bring life to this house! Look for examples of little porticos over an area such as yours.

Change out your garage door to one of those that are all glass grid - that will make a huge impact on making this look modern.

No white windows- go with brown or black. Full lite storm door; red front door and wood garage door, both modern style. Paint the trim the lightest color in your brick. Consider adding color when it's time to change your roof.

On the interior, switch to metal railings and flat panel cabinet doors.

I wouldn't paint the brick either. I think you should look at landscaping. Maybe add a brightly painted picket fence a few feet back from the entry sidewalk and add lots of shrubs, maybe a small tree and lots of flowers.

Also, how about a courtyard? You could still use a picket fence to keep it open. River rock or gravel, chairs and a small table. Plus the landscaping.

@tatts I love bricks that is why I bougth the house. :)

It's the whole combination of everything brown combine that with Michigan winters, it will make my smile disappear when I come back home from work :) I am an avid gardner so there will be a lot of fall planting for next spring.

So what I am hearing is not paint the bricks but paint the roof trim, garage doors, the peak etc. Will shutters make the windows look bigger - painted to match the trim color. What does everyone think if I added a full length door shutter same as the windows on one side of the door to make the door look bigger, I want to avoid masionary work. The board and batten type of shutters.

I am a little color challenged - so the options I should explore with the brown bricks are: Grey or tan, or green (this has me confused, what kind of green). My interior colors are warm grey (bluish tinge) and black appliances and bamboo floors.

Gosh I am so excited!

@kater - a courtyard - that sounds interesting. What is your vision? Build a deck in the front from the door to the garage wall?

I wouldn't paint the brick either. That is the beauty of brick: low maintenance!

Agreed. Absolutely no to painting brick. If it were me I wouldn't consider anything other than black window frames. They are like the LBD for a brick house. Classic, neutral and gorgeous. And whatever color scheme you veer towards it will look great.

Also, the front door begs a makeover. It needs to draw you in. Splurge on killer light fixtures both here and also at the garage door. Black wrought iron in a style you like, and not to small as it will look underwhelming.

A new garage door will help as well. Paint it hi gloss (dark tone) to make it command the space better.

looking forward to seeing some landscaping suggestions here

Best of luck

I would not paint bricks...paint is maintenance your don't want.

Here's is what needs changing...front profile of garage (door colour and close front peak)....Garage roof line on garage is wrong as needs to be 'filled in' from R/S & L/S roof lines to roof peak - instead of reroofing as pricey, can be affordably changed by filling in the front peak with decorative wordwork.....roof colour is wrong (update when the time comes to replace roof)...landscape 'forward' on front property line to extend look of property...make your front door impressive (remove screen door, paint and create a really large impressive stone/rock curved semi circle around front door...make it pop).

The black window frames looks visually appealing. What are my color options for the garage door and the peak - black garage door to go with windows and the front door sage green? Love repurposed wood, so I can go hunt for those .

"It's the whole combination of everything brown combine that with Michigan winters, it will make my smile disappear when I come back home from work :)"

Pfft. When you get home from work in the winter it will be pitch dark. Problem solved. ;-)

I'd get some shrubs planted this fall to give them time to settle in before winter.

Now that we've prevented the potential catastrophe of painting the bricks (I like that color mix), it occurs to me that the front stoop is pretty minimalist. A nice porch with a hefty railing would be swell (although the roof is too low to extend over it). Maybe a pergola running from the garage to just past the front door, over the porch?

I would not paint the doors black...you need color. You also need a storm door in Michigan. I would not put shutters on the door. A cute front portico is what you need...no deck.

Google " portico on ranch house" . You will see adorable examples!

LOL @ tatts, I better go to confession for thinking about painting bricks. I will try the sage green and black against the brick to see what looks better for the garage door and the trims.

Don't be afraid, don't go light for color-I love doing a "blackish", or almost-black color, they work so well in situations such as yours. Check out the Farrow and Ball color: Studio Green-I use it w/brick buildings, and it looks great! Also FB Railings, it is a charcoal that reflects a blueish tint-SW has Greenblack..whatever intrigues you-do samples on the trims before you decide, color match at what ever paint company is the best quaility you can buy. Leave the bricks alone-paint everything else the one color you choose-will look modern and cool!

Those are some amazing colors, Colorsmith, appropriate name now that I see, what you see in colors :)

Totally agree with rusty empire and color smith. New garage door is a must. Let your desired pop of occur in your landscaping. But be careful in your landscaping choices that you go with a modern aesthetic or your house will instantly go the way of a traditional look. Think about medium sized trees ( maybe something with a deep purple leaf) and large swaths of single species plantings. This will make it look cohesive and extend the modern look through the landscaping.

Paint the brick! People get so worked up over painting brick. This isn't even pretty brick ( no offense ). Just paint it a lovely color like some others on here have suggested. Then the white windows will look perfect.

and don't foget, you can always go wild w/a strong color on the front door-if your feeling color deprived : ) Again go for a strong deep color-to work with the bricks...(can you change screen door, or remove?) Once you decide on your trim color-then go looking at door colors-also use google images to help.

Oh the door and the screen is coming off, I have been searching for some unique doors that will fit in. Maybe I will be knocking on some old farm house asking if he has a door that he doesn't want anymore :) Already ordered colour samples from Chicago - FB does not have any prescence here in MI.

For an entryway that has no overhead or side protection from from freezing wind and snow, you might want a storm door. Also, do you truly need new windows or do the old aluminum (looks like) ones just need to be painted to freshen the look?

Double, important front doors would help the outside and great cypress tree flanking the entry plus seasonal plantings that will bring bold colors.

Covering the garage door with re-purposed wood might look cool. Think of the brown as tree bark- it's going to make a wonderful backdrop for your plantings.

Hi Bassledm,
Although there are many great decor ideas listed, I would suggest you do two things before making a single change. First, research what Modern really looks like and second, are you committed to the Modern look. Modern design is not achieved by an excess of porches, pergolas, shutters, etc.

Modern design is achieved by simplicity and a few well chosen design elements. You will never find shutters on a well designed Modern home.

Here are a few ideas to consider after you have looked at many "modern Home" or "Mid Century Modern" here on Houzz.

Keep the brick if you like it or paint it a Charcoal gray and the trim in a slightly lighter color than the body. Color is a design tool used to either bring attention to or minimize attention to certain design elements. Anything that is a different color than the body of the home will stand out as a detail.

For example, if you paint the brick, paint the gutters at the facia the color of the trim and the down spouts the color of the body. In this way you would not bring attention to the gutters. Gutters are rarely a detail to highlight. Or if there is say an addition or a wall of siding in the rear of the home paint it to match the color of the body of the house so that it does not become a detail by painting it a different color. Same for the existing garage door paint them either the same color as the body or as the trim, if it's a darker trim. You do not need to bring attention to this door.

For your home this is what I would suggest. Treat the Body and trim as mentioned above. Add a a new contemporary or modern garage door with horizontal glass panels. These can get pricey by they are a good investment if you truly want a modern look.

Change out the window for ones with a darker frame to blend in with the body of the home. Replace the largest window with one "picture" window. The more simple, the better. These windows are not huge and do not need to have multiple panes.

Remove the storm door and if the existing entry door is traditional then change it to a modern style door and paint it a modern orange, green, or other modern color. Add modern style door pulls and not just a round knob. This is one of the well chosen design elements I mentioned. Modern tends to lean to secondary colors over primary. Add modern wall sconces to the entry, that work with your door hardware, and at the garage.

Add a slab that runs from the corner of the garage to the corner of the house for a porch or from the corner of the garage to just left of the entry, allowing space for a walkway and landscape border, and then extend the slab out from the face of the house making it a spacious square patio/porch combination. Add a low seating wall along the perimeter of the patio or porch slab. Add a stone or concrete topper on the seating wall. This is what makes it suitable for sitting on and provides a place for colorful pots on the corners. Bring color to you home with landscape, but remember in modern design less is more. You will not find an English garden in Modern design. Modern landscapes are about form, texture, and placement with subtle pops of color.

Study every detail of your home's exterior. Research, create an idea book on Houzz for all the modern pictures you find. Look for elements in the pictures that you like and that you can apply to your home, such as the entry door, the garage door, exterior lighting, and landscaping.

Wishing you awesome success in your decorating.

Sometimes, modern just means not old or outdated looking to people too. The OP needs to decide what they mean by the term modern.

Clarice - you are awesome! Thank you. You hit it on the head, I am less is precious then more kind of a person @ work and life. Classic and timeless according to me (thanks handyman). I am pulling a slab out from the garage wall to the entry door, did not think about building the concrete sitting bench. Scones and/or big wrought iron light fixtures outside is on my list (thanks Rusty Empire). The guys at Homedepot know me by name... sigh.

The entry door and the garage is going to make all the difference. I have ordered the paint that Colorsmith suggested and will paint a 2 x 2 wiht all 3 and see which one compliments the brick best. Then we will pick the entry door color.

Clarice how did you know I have about 20 plus english roses growing in my current home?? I guess it was grandma Bassie who wanted the shutters :) I am really going to miss those guys.

Feeling happy - really really tank you so much everyone, and we are not done yet - right!

If you're painting 2 x 2 color swatches to experiment, do it on poster board, not on the actual doors. It will make the final paint job much easier.

Hi Bassiedm,
You are so welcome. I am in the process of redesigning our recently purchased modern home. I secretly have a few roses too. I tucked them in a sunny planting bed in my back yard so I can keep the front true to my modern aesthetics.
I am pleased to have helped in any way. Let me know if I can offer any further suggestion.
Blessings,

: ) I volunteer at the Huntington rose garden...meanwhile, back at your ranch-I would paint the color samples right on the surfaces to be painted, it is really so much easier to visualize (do a 3ft length of each color). And in keeping with the modern concept (simple is key); keep the trims (rooflines, gutters, window and door frames) the same color..

But another place that might need to be a different color is the garage door and the clapboard above it, painting those two creatures the same color might help a lot, and I would go for a shade deeper than the darkest hue in the bricks. Or if you love the colors that you are looking at already, doing the garage door in the deep brick hued color-will add to the horizontal/moden effect, and keep the trim color on the upper clapboard. Once the samples are up you will know which way to go.

When you change your garage door, keeping lights (windows) is helpful-so go simple. It seemed that your front door was already modern, and that would be a nice place to take design cues from.

Totally agree w/Clarice above-the lights by the front door, that you choose, will also be a great contributor to the design. Look beyond Home Depot-google images for modern exterior light fixtures and see what is out there.

As for landscaping-a traditional/modern feeling includes continuity w/surprises-use shrubs as your mainstays-and add colors (roses) for fun. No one said modern (or traditional) could not be fun too! Whites, and burgundys, in the plants...and reds and pinks, against your deep colored bricks will be nice in the summer.

we might just start a rosarian club right here on Houzz!!! You , Clarice and I.... ha ha . My dad tought me how to graft roses, he had black prince, Churchill and a yellow one (forget the name) all in one rose plant.

Hydregenias grow great here, white and pink. Peoneys - yummm, shurbs with purple leaves - now that will be a challenge. Thanks again

WOW re your dad!! Hydrangeas (sp??)...Peony's all wonderful and impossible here in LA...I'm jealous : )