I don't like that shrubs are hiding the veranda. Cut them back to below the rail.

is the veranda the floor of the porch? I think cutting them is a good call though. The property is a foreclosure, so there's a lot of overgrown vegetation.

Anyone else with ideas? Suggestions?

I was referring to your porch. It is not a veranda. I was being hyperbolic because it is wide. Don't paint the cedar shingles. Here is a color scheme for the rest from BM paints. Learn to use the visualizer tool.

Nice colors!

Please take a look at Crisp Romaine-Benjamin Moore and trim features with a brown or dark gray. It's the most beautiful color in the world.

Yes, Crisp Romaine is a favorite of mine. Here it is as trim.

Note on the second photo with Crisp Romaine as the trim, the skirting is painted that color as well. I think this would look good behind evergreen plantings as it would make the skirting both connect to the rest of the house and disappear behind the plants.

Thanks everyone, but we really hate the green that's up there currently and are trying to go in a totally different direction. As mentioned, we've settled on grey white and black, possibly a indigo blue or grey blue in place of the grey. Front door will be a deep stained wood with red undertones. My bigger question is what of those colors to put where. should we paint the house white with grey trim? or grey with white trim? which parts of the porch should match the house and which would be considered trim?

does that make sense? and then of course, any landscaping suggestions such as the suggestion to hide the skirting with bushes...

I should mention that the green portion of skirting in the picture is actually a door of sorts that leads under the porch for access into the basement. So we can't put a bush in front of that...

also, we don't want to do much if anything to the porch posts, as this is an old farmhouse from 1900 and we want to maintain some of the really neat detailing from that era...

Emma, why shouldnt we paint the cedar shingles? We hate them, and will likely remove them at some point in the future and replace with siding, as they are in terrible shape. Apparently, according to the contractor, theyre actually not real cedar, which may be why they aren't holding up well to moisture at all....

Kudos for keeping the original gingerbread posts and brackets. You need better handrails and spindles, what you have now doesn't appear to meet code or be attractive.

I would do all the trim white with your grey on all your siding. I would stain the shingles the same grey. I know you don't love them but they are a classic material on farmhouses, and you can replace just the damaged ones. I would paint (after repairing) the lattice either white or dark. Black shutters and an accent color on the door.