Sadly we need the concrete in front for parking since there is only the one parking spot in the carport. I will check into staining the concrete once I power wash it again. My only issue with that is it wears off unevenly and then is not pretty looking. We have a courtyard in the back where where it has happened....Love the corbel idea on each side of the overhang!

I will try to find a few grasses for left of front door they most likely do well since we are just 2 houses from the beach in Florida.

Yes, a soft blue sounds pretty for the outside of our cottage. I have also thought of a white 'cottage' screen door! That's definitely going to happen!

There a many ways to stain concrete now. You could have fun with that. Blue would look great especially if you add the corbels. You could give it a real arts and crafts or craftsman vibe without much work. Sounds like a great location too.

Some additional blue greens you might like to test for your shutters and front door (white is going to clash with your dark iron windows unless you paint the main body of the house white white - but you can do a creamy white screen door to match the body of the house. bm boca raton blue http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/bocaratonblue

that is a great front door color, and here is the tonal deeper blue green for shutters bm fort pierce

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/fortpiercegreen

Good luck - if you ever have extra $, pull the concrete out and put golden pavers (toned to the terracotta stoop or your roof) in across the front .. and enjoy the coming beach season!

Try out a bold roof! This looks like tile, but it is actually a metal roof!

Not only will it look good, but will also last against the storms that normally take a toll on your home.

omgosh - if you have to replace roof, and can afford the delta / upgrade to a standing seam metal roof - that would be darling and very coastal . . but for design purposes most people can't afford to reroof . . and the roof you have is very beach cottage - where you are headed . . hope you'll come back as you make changes . . whatever direction you head . .

In the planters, use a fluffy beach grass, or even an asparagus fern as a base planting and some taller extremely narrow small "trees" like Ficus Benjamani or Draceana to add height. Look in the house plant section, not the landscape tree section, because they stay smaller.

I would leave house color as is and paint the shutters and door something gaudy, like a hot pink or raspberry.

To fix up the fence, just wire bamboo or reed fencing over the top of the slats in the chain link.

tsudh - some carex / grasses sound like a wonderful choice for the planters . .

Terra cotta would be great for concrete, change shutters and color to a aquamarine, large pots on both sides of the door and along the house plants with color

Hi! What a fun project! I, too, love the idea of a light blue house exterior. I'd love to see the cute brackets and all of the trim, including the shutters, a crisp white. And I LOVE that bright turquoise color decoenthusiaste included in her picture. In the planters out front, how about some moderately tall beach grass that you don't have to worry about, and then just put some planters with flowers on either side of the door - maybe also some baskets hanging from the new brackets!

babzie has it spot on it would definitely give you that beach feel you're looking for. I like the hanging baskets. They're easy to switch out when the mood hits you.

Do you want it to be more contemporary, Spanish colonial or cute cottage-y? If it's cute cottage-y, new shutters in a bright color, windowboxes and a great colorful screen door. Add a more prominent light, maybe a gooseneck barn light or onion lantern and more prominent house numbers. Trellis the side/back of the carport. I don't know what your setback rules are, but that overhang has the potential to have more of a presence as a small entry porch. This house has tons of potential however you decide to go!

So many great suggestions - I hope you post pictures of the finished product. I recently visited Madeira Beach Florida and saw this beach bungalow that I thought was completely adorable,

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/14/6a/96/146a96002fd1d6af11e0627ae2be4313.jpg

If you want to keep your parking spaces and add greenery, do a photo search on houzz for "grass driveway" and pick your favorite if it fits your budget. I love the idea of a fun paint color on the full house or just door and shutters. Also, I think bamboo or other fun fence covering is a must. No matter what you end up doing, make sure you're also able to enjoy the beach and not stress too much about any projects you take on. Keep it fun!

Bermuda shutters would look great but from the picture, it seems like the house does not get a lot of sun. The Bermuda shutters might not let enough light inside of the house.

I believe, if you are going for a beachy theme, these colours will brighten up your exterior. Try California Breeze 767 on the stucco, a High Gloss Bright Yellow 2022.-30 door, and a High Gloss Ultra White CC-10 on the trim and shutters (all Benjamin Moore). For the blank canvas (cement out front) here are two options: artificial grass or rubber mulch (used on playgrounds, walk ways, around pools). www.sustainablesurfacing.ca Adding two potted toparies on eitherside of the door, with some beach grass and rambling sweetpeas, in the garden. Instead of having the dirt showing use white/cream round pebbles.

If you are looking to let more light in, maybe some matchstick roller blinds and track lighting and for walls use Beach Grass CC-640 and Linen White 912.

Happy decorating!

Window boxes with flowers, bright shutters and a bright front door. To add color to the existing landscaping on a tiny budget, try 4 o'clock seeds (less than $2.00 a pack a Walmart). 4 o'clocks are "annuals" but drop seeds and will come back each year.

This does not look like any cottage; Beach or otherwise. I would have decorative wrought iron walls made for each end of the overhang by the front door. then get rid of the flower bed in same location and put colored pavers including the front door stoop. on this new area put colored pots with proper plants, depending on the elevation. change the drab brown roof and shutters to pop with the new paint on the exterior walls. I'd go for a soft blue, aqua or sage. use a dimensional single in blues. greens, and grays. even a silver metal roof would look new and last forever. put some flowering shrubs in front under the other windows. finish with the same product used by the front door for walkway. color the shutters and door in navy. there you have a beach house that belongs near water! Candy V. Interior Designer

How about butter yellow stucco to reflect the sun? For the shutters, a French blue or Aqua. Bougonvilia in planter left of left window trained to arch across roof to over door.

Congratulations! CUTE HOUSE!

just add one pink flamingo
or one bright wind sock
make a mojito
and call it a day!
- HRS

P.S. If you have a little energy left after erecting the flamingo or dangling the wind sock, perhaps you could add supports to overhang that can support a Mayan hammock. Besides a cozy place to rest a butt a bit, the hammock can be a temporarily holding spot for sandy beach paraphernalia that you don't want to bring in just yet. Maybe cram in a cluster of banana trees and maybe a papaya, fig, or olive, into the planters. Smell the roses and live a little! ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ ;)

Could we have more exterior pictures please?

Love it! Some colour (door, shutters, planters etc) in a beachy colour would look fab! Great place.

Paint the doors and the shutters a bright cheery color that screams beach! Like turquoise, pink, lime green or orange. Or mix it up, like orange shutters and stoop, and a pink door - that combined with the white walls gives you a 3-color exterior which I think looks fabulous! That would be a cheap and low commitment first step. Then step back and see if it needs anything else - that might be enough.

Then you just need some colorful plants upfront. Get rid of the ever-greens. Add hydrangea, coleus, sunflowers, cannas, zinnias etc. Not sure what state you're in so what would work best for there - talk to someone in a local garden center to find your best options for color all season (if you're in Florida, hydrangeas may not work... not sure...) Have fun with it - it's a very cute house!

If you want to change out the windows as well.

I would get rid of the chain links, and add solid white fences instead on each side (same heights). Then you would really have the beach look going.

I love this little cottage,and would do little to improve the curb appeal. First, I would add a cobblestone walkway to the front door, second, I would change the front door and give it a cheery yellow paint job. Third I would turn the entire front yard space (both sides of the walkway) into flower gardens with cheerful colours.

Debra Kadabra gosh you nailed it! Must be a fabulous decorator.

The very first thing I would do would be to power wash that sidewalk!! Do you own any of it beyond the entry step? If so I would either extend that planting area or put in decorative block or interesting stone as far out as allowed. Those wooden braces sound good to me. The Bahama shutters would be good for privacy, but only if that's the sunny side of the house. How about large Mexican type pottery planters along the front? Maybe with the beach grass or large leaf philodendrons in them? Wish we could see to the left of the house as well. Show us what you decide to do!

brighten the home up with crisp white paint.. extend the front patio to give Aime outside seating.. contrasting dark wood for the front door and matching shutters to frame the windows.. and pops of color with landscaping.. which can be added with potted plants by the front door, hanging planters, or framing the extended patio w flowers and greenery

Please stay away from metal or iron. I had beach house in ormond beach fl. For 7 yrs. Any metal turned to rust very quickly. I wouldn't trust a metal roof. The neighbor was roofer & said never going to see that here. Looks terrible after couple yrs. Had iron trellises, just fell apart after year.

Sarah is right - 100% true in FL! Iron and salt water don't mix. As for metal roofs, I have no experience. Our roofer doesn't like them, either. The theory is they are supposed to hold up better during a hurricane but if they do get loose, they often do more damage to a roof than a shingle roof. You can get colored metal roofs that look like tile but they are very expensive.

It looks like your beach house is pretty close to the street, but maybe you could add a partial pergola to the left of your roof overhang, and maybe some wood posts to support it? You could hang some pretty potted plants from the pergola as well. I'd paint your house a watery-blue-green, and paint your shutters and pergola a crisp white. Then add some pretty pots under the pergola with some bright blooms. Maybe replace your front door with either a white one or something a bit more interesting for color. I can't tell what your front step is made of, but if it's just concrete, how about facing/covering it with some tile or brick facing? It also appears that your concrete out front is dingy and stained. You could try acid-washing it, and put a sealer on it once it's cleaned up. I've attached some images for color, pergola ideas, etc.

the existing roof line is crowding the larger window giving the appearance the front facade is "ducking down". The expensive soloution is to raise the overhang
or ...gasp....raise the entire roof...or extend the window downward to improve vertical balance. I prefer to do as little as possible to control investment outlay. I would tile over front flower bed, remove shutters which are further drawing the eyes to the crouching appearance. Then add a narrow covered front porch with delicate pillars across entire facade. It appears that your auto is extending out of carport, so I would include the pirch, tile extension to include it, making it appear to belong to the rest of the house. To further unite the carport to the structure and to provide some individualism from Neighbors , I would chose a structural barrier to side of carport, such as a trellis WTH your choice of climbers. I suggest color since I also suggest a neutral palate for updating house front. Something calming and soft on the eyes, since I see a road very close to cottage and I assume it has traffic. I suggest a soft dove gray or a creme with more blue than yellow or red . I would paint inside of carport a color lighter on the same palate. Placing flower boxes under Windows will also
add color, a bit for drama and further draw the eyes downward away from the encroaching roofline, adding the perception of improved visual balance. Consider painting front door same as indie of carport.

An aqua colored tin roof, shutters to match. Paint exterior crusty white, make it look slightly old. Window boxes filled with blooming flowers and greenery. Put In a stone step area where front door is.

Aqua colored roofs look nice but after a few years, they fade really bad and look terrible. Great idea but probably not practical for FL.

iron on the sides of the overhang probably would not work with the salt air. however, lattice would with bougainvillea. as far as metal roofs, most are treated to guard against the elements. some look like metal, but are resins. a good choice anywhere. I stick with the rest of my solutions.

Is this a vacation or getaway cottage or do you live full time? lawn or flowers two blocks from the beach is asking for a LOT of maintenance and frequent replacements. As far as the odious comment from candybee1547 it doesn't look like any cottage you aren't familiar with the Gulf Coast/Pan Handle area. Although they are disappearing due to the McMansions hogging up beach area. Evelynclark I can't wait to see what you decided on; I'm sure it'll wonderful! Helen Silantien has the best advice! ENJOY the Beach you lucky lady!

We are three houses from the beach and are snowbirds. The lawn and flower ideas sound great but in reality we need low maintenance and the parking spaces. I will powerwash again and see if I can coat it with a sealer of some sort so that the mold is kept at bay. I haven't seen a tin roof in our area at all, so this may not be the best idea for us. The cottage was just painted stark white two years ago (not my color choice) but I will keep it that way until it needs repainting. Love the Bahama shutter idea on the small window and the corbels at the overhang possibly in a blue gray! I also hope to change out the windows to a vinyl white and door to a 12 light (pane) door with blinds inside. Haven't decided on the color of the front door yet. I do plan on vinyl fencing in the future. I will also be on the look out for new house numbers and a nautical light for the small porch. Thanks for the great ideas! Keep them coming!

Evelyn, I think the bahama shutters will be darling. If you change windows, consider getting sash / single or double hung windows with muntins on top. They will add a lot of cottage character here. Once you decide on your shutter and trim colors, you can go one shade lighter and a tad brighter for the entry door ( brighter aqua for instance - like bm Jamestown blue on the door if you like templeton on trim and shutter)

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/jamestownblue)

Or, you can head more blue sky toned .. less blue green / aqua and do something like franklin lakes on the front door and use the deeper thousand oceans on the trim and shutter ..

The picture makes the stucco color look creamy off white - better with blue green. If it is really bright white - that will look good with aqua but also can work well with a straight blue like franklin and thousand . .

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/thousandoceans

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/franklinlakes

Color is fun to play with - if you go to the second / sky blues . . then do a very nautical light fixture and consider hanging a painted blue paddle over the larger window . . . mix some of the thousand oceans into the lighter blue for a shade all its own that is still in the color family for that ..

Add a front deck and gingerbread trim

lovely cottage...personally I would add gravel to the area in front of the covered chain fencing...and add a sweet pea vine Just in front of that to grow on...then I would either paint the cottage white &use a soft golden butternut shade (almost looks like sand )to highlight the front door ..and shutters. Next I would fill the now next to house planting beds with smooth river rock & accent that with solar powered 3 lights -and groups of terracotta pots ..with bright flowers -like crocosmia (a lovely bright red blossom) & leafy grasses///add2 hanging planters 1 on each side of your gate arbour..

My Florida house is basic beige, it has faded black shutters. I painted the shutter a bright blue and I love it.

If the powerwasher doesn't do the trick I used Rust Aid and a brush on my cement to clean the areas where the well water from the irrigation system stained the cement brownish. I found that it super cleaned every stain from the driveway and walkway. They might sell other products especially for mold. Check your power washer instructions though as some say the connections will be affected by the chemicals. I am also a snowbird, but have a large yard that I have to hire someone to maintain all year :-( If I were 3 houses from the beach I might fill that space with sand! Who will water plants in pots or even in the ground when you aren't there? Suppose you could try cactus.

Where do you park extra vehicles... street parking? Too hilly for FL. Is it CA?

Lots of potential for adorable with a little paint! Start out by painting the shutters a pretty, fresh sky blue, change out the door to a wooden one and paint that the same color. How about hanging a surfboard to the left of the window?

The roof shingles are very visible. Make sure your shutter paint works well with it. Looks like the previous owner was trying to tie the color in with the roof which is fine. I have a bronze screen door and painted my inside door a brighter color for contrast. Had been a boring beige like my house color.

That looks like a lot of 'oppressive' roof. How about a few skylights with built in 'blinds' ?

Skylights? Wow, you folks must spend an awful lot on your newly purchased getaway houses! Nice idea... if you can afford it. If people asking for advice would include a budget it would be very helpful.

Since you are planning on keeping the house color, just paint the windows, shutters and door a fun color (lots have been mentioned. Replace the fence as soon as you can too. Adding trim to the porch and changing out the concrete for pavers down the road would add charm.

The exterior needs a lift. A planter, Orange, Dk Grey to or Royal blue would do the trick - don't go too small make a modern statement a planter with some height.- either or the colours would lift the exterior. The beds look dull as the plantings are unbalanced. Equalizing the beds by balancing with either ROUND bushes or plants . Not too crowded but with sufficient space for them to spread will extend your view Good luck!!.

Happy Planting-

Just a couple of blocks from the beach? Wow. Bright colored dutch door with pull down screen when top half is open would be my dream!

Your house can look very cute with very few changes. Since you are snowbirds, all you really need to do is paint the shutters and front door a better, brighter color and spring for a nicer screen door, preferably an old fashioned wooden screen door. Then, put some plants in the planter that will be ok all year round on their own. A garden center can advise you on that. Maybe some miniature azaleas or carpet roses. I have mini azaleas in my front yard and they take no care at all and they bloom several times a year in California. When you are in residence, you could bring out some bright-colored pots and put bright annuals in them. I would absolutely not stain the front concrete. Just power wash it. You may need to power wash it every year when you arrive, but that is ok. Just hire someone to do it. It won't cost much. Enjoy your cute little cottage!