Pretty clean looking house. I like the color combinations so I would spend my money on making the front door more of a focal point and then some landscaping. Unless you're looking to change the siding color, then I would look at one of the other darker colors in the stone.

What are your thoughts on adding dormers to the right side? We were also trying to decide on window trim or shutters but weren't sure how those would work with the home.

I think shutters would be awkward because of the way the windows are placed on the stone (chimney?) wall.

Your front door looks like a black hole. If you paint it white or cream it would stand out more. And the young tree almost in line with the door has some lower branches that need to come off.

You need some low shrubs in front of, and near the corners of, the house to tie it to the ground. Now, it looks like a giant hand just plopped it there.

You have a handsome place. I like the yard.

I vote for a white door plus landscaping around the house.

The dark color lining each side of the brick is really distracting to my eye. If that is painted, I think it needs to be changed to the same color as the rest of the house.

Is painting the entire house on the to do list? I think you need more contrast between the roof and the house. Perhaps choosing a light color in the stone.

No shutters; they would be inappropriate on those contemporary windows. No dormers either. Is that locally sourced stone that you can still obtain? I think the addition of an entrance courtyard or a low wall of the stone in front would help bring the house into balance and make a unified statement of the two sides. I agree that the dark vertical stripes flanking the stone are not working. Paint them to match the house. Here's a thought on adding a stone wall and some pretty landscaping. This house has a brighter front door to draw attention to the entrance.

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Thanks for the idea of the bright/light/white front door! I like that a lot.

@benjesbride - The siding is vinyl and we don't have plans to replace it. I agree with you about the contrast. I kept telling my husband, it is all just so brown, haha!

Thank you also for the suggestion to paint the trim around the stone wall. I also thought the shutters/trim would look odd on the home. I do like the idea of adding stone somewhere else.

There is a chance we will have to remove the stone wall as it appears water may be getting behind it and running down into basement. Not sure yet, but we could then choose new stone and add it to the front of the home in other places as well.

These are landscape suggestions with reasonable do-ability. If you have lottery winnings at your disposal, I'm sure it would be possible to add another $80,000 to what you could spend and still like it. You've got to start by removing low-hanging limbs that block the view of the first floor level. Any tree can be limbed up to 50% of its height until you reach the goal ceiling for its canopy. A large, farther away tree will have a higher goal ceiling than a smaller, closer in tree.

Hows the condition of the roof? If the roof was black, the siding would look better.

They just put a new roof on it (we are in the process of buying this house). It is fairly close to the same color.

By far the best landscaping shown is Yardvaark's.

It sounds like you are keeping siding et al, but FWIW this house would lend itself well to the "modern farmhouse" look

Aaack do not add more stone anywhere!! You barely get away with that strip because it suggests a chimney although I don't see one. If anything I would remove the strip and do the whole place in new (not stone) siding.

No to dormers or shutters. Contemporary means cleans lines. Yes to landscaping. And paint the front door a different color.

There is a chimney, greenfish, but it doesn't align with that stone on that exterior. Would be interested to know how it plays out on the interior.

Here is a shot of the inside, decoenthusiaste :)

Greenfish, we aren't opposed to changing the siding but that will be a project later down the road. Looking for something we can do to address the curb appeal in the meantime :)

Cool house. Congrats!

Greenfish, what about this type of look?

Yardvaark's rendering is very attractive, but you could vary it a bit by using medium-tall grasses instead of the row of low shrubs. I like grasses with a modern style of house.

Yes LeAnn!! Remove fake stone, new siding, and center gable windows if you can and you are pretty much there :)

That's great Doug!