Can you post a closer photo of the front that shows what’s behind the tree?

Good suggestion. Here is a pic of the front , sans tree. It has a big ugly blank wall and unsymmetrical window pattern on opposite sides of the wall. I kind of feel like if we did that large block of linear paneling in an assymetrical fashion on a portion of that blank wall it could add architectural interest? but then it wouldn't look so "modern farmhouse/cottage" if we took it that direction with the wood, which i feel like the cobble stone kind of gives it that vibe.

That first pic is your home? Really nice home.

Can you replace your garage door with one with the same wood finish as your front door? If it is metal, you could paint it to look like wood (Giani); otherwise, paint it the dominant neutral color chosen from the colors of your stone so it doesn't compete with your front door as the focal point of your home.

You could enhance the entrance pathway from your driveway to your front door, making in more prominent and welcoming. Consider beginning that path at least one car length away from your garage door -- where your guests would be apt to park.

Like the home (first pic) but … not a fan of that shade of blue siding and that shade of gray trim together, especially with a brown roof.

If you're not going to change your roofing any time soon, you might consider repainting your exterior siding a tan -- pale brown without any pink or yellow hue -- or a shade of green and use a darker gray for your trim.

If and when you are ready for a new roof, consider a gray roof if you keep the blue siding w/gray trim.

Window boxes attached to a home can hold moisture against the home -- wouldn't do that. You could add posts with brackets for hanging baskets for flowers and/or wind chimes and/or bird feeders and/or even add a solar light anywhere you want color or something of interest. Know where any utility pipes/wires are buried before digging a post hole. A plain concrete bird bath or a sun dial can also be a point of interest in a yard -- for a patio or flower garden.

I like a B&W home too, so I just enjoy them from afar as my home is not B&W. You'd need to change the roof if you go in the B&W direction.

Great suggestions so far. The roof probably has another 20-30 years of life in it (fortunately but unfortunately) so we're kidn of stuck with it for now. In the future we definitely want to change it to a dark grey or something. Maybe even change it to a metal roof which is lighter yet durable material (we live in earthquake + fire zone). I was thinking about painting the roof tiles though if that's possible, haven't looked into it too much yet.

Your close up photo of the front elevation didn't show up. Re-try?

sorry I just noticed that . Ill upload it again

I think you could make a huge difference with paint. I would also lose the arched windows and replace with plain rectangular ones to match the rest.

I'd skip anything "modern." I think it's too much of a stretch. The stone and roof and stucco could maybe tilt toward neo french country? It's difficult to make out the color of the brick. If you have time, please take a detailed photo of the brick. I think a light beige or taupe or gray from your stone would make the best color for the body of the house. Below is what I think of as a neo french country house inspiration for your house, but what do I know. Not an architecture major.

Some pressure washing might be the place to start on the roof tiles and the stone/brick. I get the impression on my monitor that there may be moss or mold growing on that one chimney. Once the true color of those hard surfaces is revealed, you can make a better paint choice.

groveraxle, my husband agrees with you totally and hates the arched windows! I do think the arched windows date the home a bit or aren't really done well architecturally, but they're also very expensive so a part of me is sad to get rid of them.

do people actually look at the side of your house? Or maybe the arches bother you from the interior? Since they don't appear on the front facade, I'd probably leave them alone. You can easily hide them with window coverings on the inside.

I would paint the fascia the same color as the roof tiles. It gives more presence to the roof which this house needs. Then I'd stay in warm tones for the rest, creams, browns, warm grays. Use the colors in the brick to inform your palette.

benjesbride, neo French country looks cuter than what my house is now! but I agree it could aspire to be that and is kind of close

Would wood gable brackets and a wood garage door be appropriate? I think it would help break up the space above the garage. and a finish repeated three times is good.

the true color is hard to photograph, its kind of a purple-hued light grey which they took out of the stone/brick which is a brown/grey mix. It's easier to see In one of the first pics I posted above. Although I want to paint over that completely or do a wash to cover most of it.

We do have a pressure washer, so we will hit that spot on the chimney for sure!

thanks groveraxle and benjesbride for showing me some creative ways to color and change the architecture. these are all awesome suggestions!!! these are also the close up pics of the bricks/stone (dunno what it is) on our house. I was thinking of painting it over a solid so it's monochromatic and more modern though?

A closer up pic of the brick , theres quite a bit of variety: brown, orange, burgundy, charcoal, and a creamy tan in there--but like i said i may just paint over it all--

I really like the stone and the roof. I think if you found two colors from the brick, one darker and one lighter for the siding and trim, it would make a huge improvement.

I think the first one groveraxle did is close, but I would want a little less yellow and bit more gray in the light tan.

I would not do any faux beams.

Since the garage is the first thing a visitor sees, I'd get a really nice wood carriage door.

I actually like your brick. And I'm not really a brick person. If you choose the right paint colors it'll look wonderful and special.

Your stone is very attractive. I would not paint it. Remember, once painted, it cannot easily be undone.

I think the key is getting the right body colors for the house and trim. Once that purple is gone, it will be a whole new house.

i like the idea of adding something for architectural interest on the big blank walls ---my house has a five-head (bigger than a forehead)! I also hate that big blank flat triangle on the roof over the entry way. Windows on that wall don't make sense because the spaces inside don't actually line up in a traditional way.