Your home is not cottage. You would need to spend a great deal of $$ and at the end your home would still not be cottage without a significant remodel.

Find a home that is more in keeping with your style. Sell this one rather than remuddle it.

You'd have to tear it down and start over. Yup, sell it.

Or learn to appreciate the very desirable style of an 80's Contemporary without wanting to destroy that value. Love it as it is. You're not changing it. Nor should you.

I would eliminate the rounded window to the right of the front door. Other than that, keep the style as is.

Hi Tafra0713,

Here are 2 contemporary projects that we did the interior maybe it will give you some idea for color combination and design:

Togawa Residence-

https://www.houzz.com/projects/1579489

Chien Residence-

https://www.houzz.com/projects/2686735

and this one is cape cod, i believe it will look stunning on your house-

https://www.houzz.com/projects/2686882/ho-residence-cape-cod-modern-exterior-cheviot-hills

If you love your home and love cottage style I don't see why you would need to sell it to get what you want. You could always make most of your interior design cottage themed. Your have a lovely lot around your house, with all the nature even if you can't make the outside of your home look like a cottage you still could have the cottage feeling.

Be very careful in any changes that you do. The style of this home does not lend itself to cottage at all. Fill the interior with shabby chic painted furniture and florals if you want, but do not paint woodwork, or remove any of the windows, flooring, or other permanent installations to the home. Leave the bones of the home as is.

I think your home is great- just pick a siding color that you love.

your siding is deteriorating but you don't want to paint it. does that mean you're replacing it? I don't understand that statement. If you can, I'd fix the siding if possible and stain a rich cedar tone. the new windows would look nice if they were black exterior. black and cedar looks great together. then do a newer contemporary door with glass panels. paint it red or emerald, or black.

You have a very much sought after vintage contemporary home. If you want a cottage style, then sell this one and go buy something else. you can't make this into a cottage. no way. Nor should you.

er612 has some nice examples of what you could do to your home.

what you need to do is get the siding that looks like cedar or redwood planks and use those. I'm trying to post a pic but it won't let me. go to this link and look at the siding and the front door style. these colors would be perfect. Scroll down to the middle where it has the red door and redwood siding. Look at the other design options on that page as well.

http://www.thewowdecor.com/21-contemporary-exterior-design-inspiration/ 

If you like a stone option, try something like this.

http://www.trendir.com/elegant-suburban-house-with-exposed-interior-wood-beams/

I think you'll depreciate the value of your home by trying to turn it into something it's not meant to be. I agree with replacing the arched window and sticking with the same casement style window that is currently there. A vertical board and batten siding would be a good choice. Instead of vinyl, look at Hardiplank siding. I would have it painted in a color that you find in nature such as a sage green. Replacing the front door with something more modern would help as well. I would consider doing the front door in a stained wood or going bright. A color close to the purple/pink of your flowers would look great with a sage green siding.

I'd certainly recommend sticking with natural materials rather than going with vinyl siding. The cedar has lasted a good 35-40 years, which is not a bad lifespan and would keep the original appeal (and value) of the house intact. Hardiplank could be a good alternative. In addition to doing more cottage style looks on the interior, you could also do more cottage style plantings. But like others have stated, I think the house needs to be what it is. The bones of it will just never be cottage. It might also be worth having at least an initial consultation with an architect to see what they might recommend for updating the look of your home.

Don't try to turn it into a cottage style. Your front door seems to disappear under that low small roof. This may not work out with the interior of your house, but if you could afford it you might make the door and the rounded window out to the same depth and put one grand wood double door there with a transom over it. Perhaps surrounded just that area by a nice ledgestone. Of course that would involve changing the roof in that area, too. Just an idea.

don't change it, that's not a good idea

The palladium window is absurd. And the entry is claustrophobic. I would take the roof on the left and pull it across the entry and out to make a larger porch. Still contemporary but also much more practical. I would also update the bubble skylights.

Great house. Hardieplank board and batten would look really good on it. If you give it horizontal siding, it will look like crap. It's a lovely contemporary home. Embrace it and ditch the flag.

I definitely do think that a muted blue with some wood finishes would look great for your exterior as well!

Let's look at cottage style houses. A few more original and a few less original.

One can see the HUGE difference to your house. It just won't convert into this. And as many others have pointed out: your house has its own charm!

So if you Really like to have a cottage house, I agree with the first commenter to just sell this beautiful house and move.

I did find a not-cottage house more in the style of your own though, that might help you get inspired with stone and color. But then again: your windows are placed too low for a decent layer of stones at the base of the house.

Your current house is an original too. Precious as is.

So indeed: sell and move.

Change the garage doors to a wood look to match. I didn't this existed till I started looking for our log cabin. They are metal but can be made to look like wood, cheaper than real wood.
Look thru pictures here on contemporary homes for ideas. Do not try to make it something it can never be.

Jan, I believe she already has wood-look garage doors.

The only things I’d do are change the colour (if you don’t like the present colour) and, if you can, build out the porch so it wraps in front of the right-hand window. Even if it’s shallow there, and only becomes a plant pot spot, it will give the entrance a bit of prominence. As is, the front door is a but of a cubby hole, looks like a service entrance.