@Essbee, thanks! The problem with the front door is that it's actually not visible from the street (or in the photo). It's directly to the left when you walk under that arch over the front porch. I think that's part of what's so hard with the color scheme... the lack of visible front door makes it hard to put in that "pop" of color that helps with curb appeal.

I think for this style home, the white is your best bet. I might go with dark gray shutters and then do black accents in pots with flowers in reds and dark greens. I would also put a nice bistro table on that front porch. New landscaping will be a huge help as well. I would be concerned about that siding. It looks really worn out. Are you replacing the bad slats? The porch looks unfinished. I think a nice canvas awning could be a big plus as well. Something to "finish the porch".

There are also amazing new looks that harken to European styling, but using new materials.

Outdoor Oasis in NW Washington · More Info

I think you need to keep the brick and find the right gray.

I'd get rid of the shutters too, but I didn't have the energy for that. Then you could paint the inside of your entry to brighten it up a bit...

I like the earthiness of your third option. I would not keep the contrast between the siding and brick as you have now. I do think you need to paint the wall in the little porch some color that has a bit of contrast. Landscaping would add a great deal of curb appeal.

@Bailey R Yes! The landscaping and walkway definitely need to be restored. We just bought this fixer upper and that's at the top of our "to do" list as soon as spring is here! I like the idea of tall planters and flanking the arch. Thanks!

@Flo Mangan, Thanks for the suggestions! I like the awning idea and the suggestion of white... it's just a matter of convincing my husband (he just doesn't like how dingy white homes can look in the snow... which is a large portion of the year up here). And yes! We are having much of the siding replaced. This home was a foreclosure and we're pretty much redoing the whole thing. Lots of work... but lots of fun!

@Brickwood Builders, Inc. Thanks for taking the time to post. I agree that the house would look best in all one color. And the third option is my favorite as well! We plan on doing quite a bit of landscaping; we just bought this home (a foreclosure) and we can't wait until the weather is warm enough for us to get the yard cleaned up! What color would you suggest for the wall under the archway?

If you select the right white (such as SW High Reflective White) it will be bright even on gray winter days! You took on quite a challenge for sure, but it will be very rewarding to bring back a home with this much character! Now would be a very good time to make up some large poster boards of several different "whites" and hold them up outside on gloomy days and see what happens. Make sure to put two coats and leave a 1" white boarder on 3 sides and paint all the way to the edge on the third (side). This allows you to but up other samples next to each other for comparison. It really helps you identify "undertones" in any color. This tip works for inside paint colors testing as well.