We purchased this previously abandoned, foreclosed house a few months ago, gutted & renovated the entire inside. Now something needs to be done with the exterior on a very small budget (spent all our $ on the inside!). I can't stand the colors....pinkish beige siding (both aluminum & vertical wood) & tan brick. I do not like a lot of color & tend to be drawn more to the grey-beiges/black/brown. I fear the yellowish undertones of the brick w/ such "greige" colors will clash. Thinking very seriously about painting the brick a slightly darker shade of a siding color I like & then adding a much darker (grey-black or brown-black) shutters & front doors. Front doors, BTW, need major update as well. Behind those storm doors are 2 half-lite steel doors w/ pink & brass stained-glass inserts. Two worn brass 70's lights hang from the soffit under the porch to the right of the doors. The white vinyl window trim must remain as windows are the ONLY semi-new, semi-nice thing about the home when we bought it.
I could really use some good insight on (1)exterior colors, (2)paint the brick or not, (3)how to update those glass inserts on the front doors (I intend to replace the hardware & change the color of the storm door frames too), (4)if/how to "beef up" the porch columns in a DIY way, (5)porch light ideas based on current electrical run as hanging-style vs. wall-mount, and (6) anything else that comes to mind to help us improve the curb-appeal of this unique & ugly mid-century traditional home.