It looks like you live in a parking lot. Is there no possibility of landscaping? The shutters are wrong and should go.

We can better help you if you provide more information.

Love these windows!

Yes, you will need to redo the landscaping - if that is a sea of asphalt, you'll want to tear it up and the top 4" of soil / gravel / base that was under it. You may want to bring in some topsoil from the back of the property and spread some inches around so you can lay sod and plant flowering evergreen shrubs in a zig zag pattern so they fill faster and put flowering groundcover in front. With the creamy walls and the rust toned roof, consider all orange and orange red flowers. Landscape is one of the least expensive ways to make this better.

With the creamy brick on the cottage, and the red brown roof, consider a historic neutral for trim [fascia, brick sills, wood trim around the doors, braces or posts for the entry porch roof . . . [even the window sashes themselves] -

Look at bm sag harbor gray http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/sagharborgray

Here's a great red for the front door . .one bricktone red http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/bricktonered

One a bit more sunset orange in tone

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

May I suggest that you take the exterior paint to all the galvanized pipe leading to the electric meter on the left front to camoflauge that in plain sight.

Take off the metal security door - add a full light storm door in a bronze finish. You need to route the path to the front door straight out from this door if you use the braces as they will sort of block off the sides of the porch . . you might add white flowering groundcover in rows on each side of the path all the way forward. If you pour new concrete for the path, use a earthy integral concrete color like san diego buff .. buy some additional liquid stain in the same color and stain the front porch stoop . . don't worry that it isn't even . . the less even, the more it looks like stone.

Replace the light fixture with a sort of classic cottage style in bronze / oil rubbed bronze. Like http://www.lightingdirect.com/trans-globe-lighting-5129-1-light-12-75-outdoor-wall-sconce-with-clear-seeded-glass/p2233328

If you want to make a wow statement, and you live here and have the time, take a little brush with the red and paint the front window sashes in the same red as the door . .you can mask all the panes and perimeter and use a rustoleum red to get your first coat (Sherry petersik has a great spray painting primer - lay down a fine mist where it takes about 8-10 applications about 20 - 40 minutes apart before you see coverage - search it at younghouselove.com) . . then, you can do one thin coat of the actual front door paint applied with a thin brush and it will match your front door exactly. The red muntins will be so charming with the red door and red orange flowers . . the simple house will feel like a french country cottage in its soft painted brick. Eventually, you might add a plank style front door - the hardware rivets are called calavos . . you don't need a speakeasy though they are charming.

Rustic · More Info

Thank you all for the suggestions.