Great minds think alike! I forgot to say I was painting the fascia black, installing new black garage door and man door, getting rid of the flowers and plants, and changing out the light. I'm worried the house will look too plain with all of the cedar stained grey, that's why I wanted to integrate the natural cedar since it has that west coast style. I'll be installing an oak veneered front door so hopefully that will be a focal point.

i do not think i would want my garage to stand out as much. and I am not sure about lighter on the body and not the window extensions. To be clear, the edging on the roof will match? have you thought of maybe a slate blue type color or even a combo with those?

If you go gray, maybe teal on the front door? Or like a harvest orange - gold color? Also where is the house located? What is ok in NY, not ok in FL.

Here are some things I notice on the pics. May not be issues in person, but you did ask. It is a lovely place by the way. My problem is size ratio and old new mix.

hanging pots of flowers old and too small. Same with flower urn. More like this I think

Large definitive pots

I love this one, but is it becoming passe? It would be perfect for your home in a different color
this would be more unusual more unexpected

I love these, ditch the bed along the wall and put these instead, if the flowers are not really showy then lets do taller ones.

this is a wall hanger. fill this with impatients, there will be no missing that.

#s are too small

i would have the door next to the garage door fade into the back ground too. Beef up the front door. I can not see if you have them but maybe some stair lights?
why is that last little bit of the base not painted?

I am thinking that maybe it would be better if you ditched the bushes, including the climber directly in front of the house. Put a showy bench there in a strong color, teal,red, gold. You want the back to really show next to the house, like art work. I would not be afraid to paint. these are super expensive so if you are a little house poor, beef up the paint, or find a suitable substitute. Or actually hang metal art, or similar, see under benches.

Oops ran out of room

Thanks for the comments, the house is in northern British Columbia. I haven't thought of slate blue stain on the cedar but I'll speak to my painter about that since he used to paint houses in Whistler.

This is the style of door, but will be a single.

I was thinking of using these colours and the same style of numbers.

I will definitely do some landscaping, it needs LOTS of work.

Honestly, I don't know if there are stair lights but I'll definitely check, and the base is concrete, will have to paint too.

Back to cool(?) things to hang behind a bench.

this is actually a pvc product, like 3 by 5 and $39, i am going to use one similar on my mcm house for an awning. it is a privacy panel. you can paint it. etc. there is a place called Arcurio.com
has some amazing pieces!
lighting-these are also expensive, but I am sure there are less expensive ones, that would do the deed. I just do not think you can get large enough to be effective so, maybe we should have very effective light and eliminate seeing them, paint same color as house.

a down spotlight

this one can be hung up pointing, down pointing, and sideways.

Maybe for outside front door?

Since i have been very happy with both price, design and size of outdoor fixtures, I am using pressed metal, similar to this(like for radiator covers) with florescent light cover plastic to make my light fixtures you can make them tube like or square and any size you want.

Ok, last notes I think, carriage lights in front, are too old timey, i do not know modern, but I do not believe that is it. Lastly I would trim up the front tree a little so you can that beautiful work you did on your front door.

Please remember I do not wish to offend, only to help. Your home will be big and beautiful if you do nothing, your updates, will just push it over the top. and Have fun!

Ok, I am not even talking the whole yard, just the bit that leads to the front door. making it more substantial.

Definitely not offended, it's our house but not OUR house yet. :) These are some great ideas, love the lighting suggestions! And yes, the tree will definitely be trimmed, but waiting for my landscape designer to look at it first.

We can help with long distance design help. Email us at design@planartistic.com

This is the garage door and cedar stain I was thinking of using.

I like this very much, with a brighter door. I think that garage door is like glass though. so I don't know that yours will look the same. i note that have the same problem though. Can not see entrance.

you know how i was talking some decorative panels on the house? How about running it up the wall between the two banks of windows and then running lights under there? That would be very cool and modern looking. Kinda like

they can do up and down too.

with lights like these very reasonable run up and down the sides.

Do you have two front entrances? One up the stairs, one by the garage door? Do you want to emphasize one?

Yes, two entrances. I think the main entrance should be the focal point but the man door next to the garage should match the garage.

yes, that should be made to fade into the background. you know, I don't like to chop things up, but I see that door as being a problem. So i think if you could give it its own little like a portico, just like wood running up that matches the house with a flat, non showing roof. It would allow the home owners to use easily in winter - you could even put a heated mat there, and it would remove it as the main doorway, so everyone would not be going there.

If you just paint it grey I have a feeling it will look cold like this photo. I know you are wanted to add some other features. I think they will really spruce it up.

These photos show lots of contrasting materials that actually work very nice together. Really there are so many options. The hard part is figuring out what you like best.

There are a couple here showing the garage you are thinking of. I am drawn to the wood doors in the first photo but I know they will be pricey. Third photo intrigues me. I like the white contrast to break up the abstract lines of the house. I don't see the man door on the garage being an issue but others mentioned it may be confusing as to which door to use. You could possibly add a little half brick wall like seen in photo number 4, in front of the garage man door. It would be L shaped. This would make it clear that the front door is at the front of the home. A landscaped walkway and lights highlighting the way to the front door would really make the front entrance pop and then you could tie in the material used on the half wall with some material used on the house. I suggest this so the half wall actually looks like an extension of the house.

These photos just show more contrasting materials. I really like the pop of white or a lighter grey with the wood.

Oh and lastly I meant to mention. If you are going to replace windows...,the windows in photo three in the above post are fabulous. They reflect or shall I say mirror what's on the exterior rather than displaying what's going on inside the house. This would be beautiful and also add privacy without having to cover all the beautiful windows with curtains.

I like the white too, and adding the natural cedar and a dark grey would look great.

The above photos show that there are various grays that look good. If you'd like to go to the additional expense of adding wood to the facade, of course that's always an option.

My first impression when I saw your new house was to cover front bump outs with natural cedar and the rest in a charcoal color. "Having fun" had some great ideas. Love all the suggestions so far and I'm a blue person so a teal shade is my vote for door.

Love the idea of the bump outs being done in natural cedar.

That was my first impression too but I thought that the house would look like it had stripes with the contrasting colours. That's why I wanted to put the cedar on the garage and peak with everything else charcoal. I wish I could see it before I move forward with the work.

Plead for advice for someone to photoshop it for you. Beverley DeFlazier is very good at it. Maybe she will read your post. I love cedar with dark grays and shades of blue. Especially in a contemporary design. Have fun with it.

aha! thinking of you in my meanderings, think i might have a couple things

See how they have sort of a fence on the right as you look? I also like those tall lighted things on the porch and a planting right in front of the fence. Maybe a potted palm?

Or the panels over the windows, but in front of the door.
This the coloration you were thinking of?