Flower boxes in black and shutters and front door and adding color in flowers and a green shrubs in font if paint grey with your favorite color for front door new hard ware and light or beef up your supports on the front still flower boxes always a winner

I would paint out the siding on the upper storey to more closely match the brick. I think the white siding on the top is what is making you feel like your house looks dated. I would also replace the brass accents and also the white light fixtures with oil rubbed bronze. Not sure what's going on with the mailbox but I think the post situation looks a bit strange. Replace the mailbox or spray paint it with oil rubbed bronze paint and attach it to the house. I can't see your garage door but I have a hunch it might be white. I would also paint this out so it blends with the brick colour. The garage is not something you want to highlight. As for the front door, hard to tell what colour you have there currently. I would change this to a brighter colour - maybe turquoise or pale yellow or something. Good luck!

Thanks for the ideas! The mailbox has been taken down and we've added some landscaping since this photo was taken. The front door is the same (yucky) brown as the shutters and the garage door is a cream colour, similar to the siding.

Also, kind of a silly question but where would the window boxes go? On the second-storey windows?

I have no idea about the window box idea!! However I would definitely consider painting the front door right away. It definitely needs to stand out more and that's a quick and easy fix. Once you change out the light fixtures and door hardware to the oil rubbed bronze you may find that the dark brown eaves and shutters don't look so bad. A darker greyish taupe for the siding and garage door will blend it all together.

No flower boxes, your house should be more sophisticated, not cutesy.

What about losing the shutters all together (they're not proportional and most likely don't function), painting the upper half, sidelights, garage, etc., a great dusty navy, and making the door and trim pop in a lighter shade of grey blue. Or flip that and make the darker shade go on the door and trim, and the lighter grey/blue on everything else. If my computer wasn't so slow, I'd Photoshop it to give you a better visual, but I've attached a photo of a brick house with grey and blue trim to give you an idea. A cool industrial light fixture can replace the dated lantern (which most likely matches the garage fixtures). With bright flowers and some cool landscaping, you'll have a house that doesn't look quite so much like 1986.

Paint the siding. The house separates into a top half and bottom half and that is what is really hurting it's appearance. You want to use a mid tone color that goes with the brick but a lot of colors will do that nicely. Then paint the shutters and doors in a color you are fond of to add the sparkle. Just painting them alone will not make much difference in how the house looks.

And of course landscaping of some sort even if it is just flowers.

I would probably remove the shutters, I think it's what is partially dating the house.

It appears the roof is similar in color to the brick. I personally like a bright door, because it's obvious the door, in shade, doesn't stand out. I'd probably use a nice mellow (not mustardy) yellow. I might even paint the areas to the side of the door the same color, whatever you choose, to make more of a statement colorwise.

If your long term intent is to replace the siding, I wouldn't recommend going through the trouble of painting it. It appears the gutters are a brown that semi-blends in with the brick and roof, so leave that for now also. If the cream garage door matches the siding, again, I'd leave that for now.

I'd probably add a couple of adirondack chairs or standard wood rockers for sitting on the porch, with a small table in between. They could be in a color that coordinates with the door. I also like gliding benches. We sit on our porch a lot in the spring, summer and fall and have a gliding bench. The cushions can pick up the colors in your door.

In the photo of course the door looks dark. Even painting it white would help. If you have the stomach for it how about some kind of yellow or orange. Something that would go with the brick. Whatever color you go with I suggest something light.

I would paint the siding a complimentary colour to the brick. If keeping the shutters, lighten dramatically and update hardware. I'd like to see the new landscaping

A hanging garden trellis would look great to the right of your mailbox.

This looks great

Keep door, change out porch light, go bigger ( not too big ) and go with black fixture with beveled glass.

Paint white trim black, keep white around door, paint shutters black, add shutters to lower windows in front ( not porch). Place large colored urn vase with palm tree or vine floral mix on porch, chair and small iron table in front of window. Hv cushion on chair pick up color of urn. Replace mail box. Remove standing and go for porch style, hang below light. Or put shorter more up to date mail box in place of existing one.

Plants,shrubs and flowers for sure. No flower boxes IMO they will date the house. Paint siding a cashmere brown/beige.

You have to remove shutters to paint properly, so you might as well invest in wider shutters and order them in black to balance the top of your. house. You could go for a "carriage house" look since you already have a white fence to tie into the house. Add a black or off black substantial carriage light and black mailbox under the light to the side of the door. Paint your door white as well as the frame around side light windows bright white. Add black or off black door handle and lock. Paint your garage door white and leave the cream color paint around frame to match your siding. Add another matching carriage light above the garage door. Two matching chairs on the porch, black aluminum, flanking the window with a small table in between would be inviting. You could place a pot with flowers on it in the spring and summer, and a basket of pine cones in the winter, candy for halloween! Don't block your nice window.

Old post. OP not around since 2013.