The end of the walkway is weird. It seems like it is unfinished. The brick ends at a different spot than the pavers. I would probably rework that.

It seems that the three colors of brick (walkway and planter) are the cause of your dilemma. Is it possible to stain them all the same color?

I agree the end of the walkway needs to be finished off. Tall planters with varying heights of plants would be very inviting. I'm having trouble finding a picture of what I'm thinking, but here are a few ideas.

Love this planter from Crate and Barrel.

A hanging plant like this one draping over the side

Then a tall plant a middle height flowering plant, probably red flowers to tie in with the door. Or you could plant a gardenia in it. White flowers, smell amazing. Grows as a bush. Here are a couple more pictures. I'm not in love with any of these.

I would redo the pavers and the landscaping. Plant beautiful colorful flowers in the planter and remove the stones and plant ground coverings and bushes to warm it up!

There are two pretty big eyesores here...the white brick planter and the old brick section of the brick path...the old bricks could be removed and replaced with wood decking ...or new matching bricks... planter may be better removed, leaving just the right amount of space for some in ground plantings that won't interfere with the view and light from the Windows..to finish it all off and really feature the entrance ...a pergola over the whole walkway area will add substance without losing light...unless you use it I always think seating or furniture looks superficial in these cases...plants in this area need to be dramatic or uniform ...and carefully chosen for reliability as this is the first view of your home...don't want something that is bleak in winter...or drops tons of leaves in the fall...planted either in-ground or pots...with a drip system that is easily adjustable as seasons change...

An afterthought if you love the brick planter or can't face tearing it out...try painting it to match the house...

I think staining the brick planter to match the house would be a good solution.

I think another real problem is the lack of actual plants. The white stones need to be removed completely because you already have enough hardscaping. Close off the end of the grayish pavers with more of the red pavers running across the edge. The grayish middle pavers look like they could be freshened up with a power washing.

But then, it is really time to come up with a garden plan beyond just planters.

Could you possible show us the rest of the part with the white pebbles? Is there a parking space there? Or is that a reflection from road of a car in the window?

I think painting the side panels of your door the same color as the door would make the door seem so much larger thus making it even more welcoming.

Here is a picture of the house before we moved in! I can take a better one tomorrow. We cleared out all the shrubs and plants in the flower bed area and added stone. We have not done much else with this area yet.

Those vinyl "Hello" or "welcome" letters to put on the door between panels are so cute too!

I think the biggest turn off for me is the house color. That shade of grey just makes me feel like it's a prison. I'm really sorry to say that, especially since you obviously just painted in a color you like, but I am concerned that anything you do will just look like window dressing on a correctional institution. I am so sorry if I offend you with this...

Another thing is, grey is such a modern color especially when all the trim is painted out, and your very traditional shutters are fighting that.

Ya I know :(

What color would you suggest

The inside of this house is absolutely beautiful but the exterior is another story. I'm having a hard time!

Oh man. I'm trying to choose exterior colors, I keep waffling between grey-blue and yellow.

Blue is always friendly:

Or a warmer grey:

Or lighter:

In any case maybe painting the trim and mullions white or cream would be happier.

And as another poster mentioned, paint the side panels to match the door.

And a pergola as Mark showed. That will give you a place for spring/summer hanging baskets.

For now, some pots with mums or pansies will brighten the door.

Thank you so much!!!

I am not an expert on exteriors by any stretch of the imagination --you might get lots of better ideas :)

I think the two windows above the planter look better without shutters. Any thought to removing all shutters? I'd definitely paint the planters to match the house and add some grasses as in Mark's rendering. Paint the sidelights to match the door. I think the house color is fine and does not look institutional to me. What does the landscaping in front of the house look like? An updated photo would be helpful. Good luck.

First remove the last few white bricks and finish the end with at least 5 rows of red bricks and have them taper down to the level of the drive way. You or the next owner will appreciate the slope which is a plus for ADA.

Here is an updated picture of my house. We just move in so we haven't done a whole lot.

I wonder if just painting the shutters could cheer it up.

Seen from a distance, I'd say def paint the door panels. And as Emily Jowers mentioned, a new shutter color might look nice.

One easy thing to do would be to weave some gold or bronze ribbon into your wreath, to give it some glitz and help it stand out against your door.

I do like grey houses with black shutters, it's just that particular shade of grey that does me in.

Don't be afraid to sit on any big decision for a while. Some fall flowers will help for now, and painting the door and planter if you so choose, but come spring and gardening time you can acheive a whole different look. Maybe once you have your landscaping in place, you won't feel that your home is unwelcoming.

What color shutters?

What were you planning when you pulled out all those bushes? Because from a distance, the left side of the house just looks sort of like a desert, and I'd say you need some mixed plantings in that gravel bed and along the fence.

Then, looking at the close-up of the walkway, I think you need to have the pavers stained some grayer shade, and somehow fill in the gap between pavers and driveway material, I guess by adding more tar (or by digging the pavers deeper) -- really strange that it was ever finished like that; looks like a trip hazard!

Mark was on the right track with large planters near the steps and some interesting foliage in the rectangular planter. Looking from farther back, the benches might not be quite right, but something ... I think this is getting us back to the imbalance created by the Pebble Desert again, sorry.

For what it's worth, I like the gray. Could use some lanterns with a little more presence by the door though...

Well, I started to play with your landscaping, and before I knew it, I'd messed with your shutters, windows, and so forth... :)

My husband had all these plans with the front flower bed but life happened and his dad passed so now he's feeling kind of crummy and doesn't know what he wants to do anymore. That's why I'm here :)

Someone suggested painting the Mullins like a white or off white to lighten it up? Shutter-wise I have no idea. They are very heavy and make the house look dreary

I was thinking the same as acm. I thought what made the house look blah was windows and siding are same colour, went looking for photo of home with vertical siding and dark trimmed windows, and then voila, acm did a rendering already. Here is the photo I found. More of a modern clean-lined look like this would be great on your home, remove shutters.

So sorry for your loss.

Me too.

I agree with no shutters and moving to a cleaner more contemporary design...but at this point the biggest eyesore is the driveway..this will no doubt be a big investment...there are 2 things I would suggest...first visit Houzz pics...contemporary homes perhaps...and educate,yourself about the possibilities in that direction...it is also easier when you can identify the looks you like...second...a consult with a good architect about the driveway and house.....for ideas and costs of the changes that will bring you to a result you can love...just having a overall plan is enough to maximize your cost/result...my guess is any changes will be hard to see ...before being negatively affected by the state of the driveway...

I knew this would be a huge undertaking. I'm not crazy about modern looks but looks like it's my only option. Thank you for all the advice! I really take each comment to heart.

MarleneM has it!! The lighter color will pop in your wooded lot.The house feels like a contemporary trying to be a colonial. Loose the shutters, strengthen the entry with accenting the planter along with some lighting. The mixed pavers need to be squared off (rentable saw), then stained in a gray so all will look continuous. I liked the trellis but that can be down the road.

So remove the shutters and paint the houses lighter color?

Marlene's example photo above is spot on for your house.

How do I find out what color that is?

If you just went to the expense of painting your house then I think you should stick with the color you have. The shutters are wrong so they need to go. I don't like to see part of an entrance blocked. To me, when you block the sidelights you are blocking the entrance. So keep any planters you use off to the side. I would also not encumber the path with any furniture or decor. To me that just looks cluttered. I lightened the path to indicate a new path of concrete of pavers that at least match. Leave soil and mulch in front of the planter. You can plant Liriope or annuals there.

Again, reference to the sidelights. Paint them off white or the color of the door or the new trim color you choose. They are not appealing as they are now.

Paint the brick planter the color of the house.

Without shutters. entrance seems larger.

The shutters definitely have to go and I like the two door panels painted a lot!

Might as well do the whole driveway.

that Urban Lake house above is gorgeous w/the coloring. If you are going to do your driveway, then pull out those bricks and do a cement walk way like they have in their picture. I like how they added some design elements by making large square pavers and the large ornamental grass. For now, consider taking out all of that white rock in the flower bed. You could always get some black bark as a temporary ground cover until you figure out what direction you want to go. consider painting the brick flower bed under the window, the same color of the new trim you will be doing around your windows.

The slate that Tribble came up with looks good too.

Agree with removing the shutters for sure and painting the windows a darker grey. I would also say remove the pavers, they are unattractive and poorly installed. Also not a fan of stones in your landscaping. I recommend grass and nice plantings.

Hi Rachel ,

Your home is lovely. You may think about adding some striking light fixtures to add some charm to your entrance. We are the oldest open
flame/electric copper lighting company in the U.S. and hand make every one of our
fixtures in New Orleans, LA. We have hundreds of different lighting
combinations and offer a complimentary design service. From your
picture, our classic French Quarter lantern works well. Or - to speak to the more modern facets of your home our Modernist is another great option. Feel free to email us pictures of your space and we will be
happy to make style and scale recommendations. Happy decorating! -Lindsey

The end of the walkway seems unfinished or dug up, but I would take all of that brick out and replace it with concrete pavers. They come in many colors and different design sets so you can get exactly what you want from them.

I would also take out the white brick retaining wall thats off to the side and either scrap it completely and add some small shrubbery, or expand it outward slightly in a small curve using a concrete paver that matches or compliments your walkway.

Another option you might want to consider for the rocky side with the small plants would be turf stone. It is low maintenance and has a very fun look.

Your front door could also benefit from a covered entry and having a trim added to it.

Concrete paver walkway.

Low retaining wall

Trimmed door with cover.

Turfstone for the side area