After pressure washing the structure top down, I'd consider reworking the windows and painting the brick to make the home more MCM.

I also think the walkway and landscaping in the front needs to be revised.

What an exciting project with a lot of potential. I don’t think you need to extend the porch; I would just replace the wrought iron support post with a 8x8 wood post beam, stained to a dark bronze. Replace the windows with bronze/brown framed windows which would accent the brick. While you really don’t like the brick color, it’s quite nice and blue flowering plants such as agapanthus and plumbago look great against that color brick. Coral Knock Out Roses could replace what appears to be red roses on the right side. Remove the lawn furniture from the front yard or move it from the forefront. It’s nice, but detracts from your entry and porch. Remove the storm door or replace it with one that matches the new windows. I think just having a beautiful, painted door is enough, but you may need the storm door for the light it provides to your interior. Paint the white gable and don’t be afraid of color. Brown is easy, will match the brick but a bit boring. I’d probably find the right dark blue. Go to a craft store or Amazon and purchase a nice color wheel that offers hues and tones as well as the base color. I’m excited for you.

Wonderful house - very well proportioned and pleasing to the eye! Painted brick needs retouching every 5-7 years. Limewashing lasts longer although you are limited in color.

I’d add a patio to the left of the front door and rework the sidewalk and landscaping, which will help balance a slight asymmetry in the front view. Paint the front door to make the entry really pop.

Front porch sitting is getting to be a lost art.

Dear Wheels, thanks so much for all of that great advise! The previous owners are leasing back until the end of the month so I haven't moved in yet. The chairs, red rose bushes, a few dead tree trunks and terracotta brick garden pavers will all be gone soon. (I liked your sweet delivery on losing the chairs, btw. :-)) I plan to give it a complete makeover which includes painting the brick but your thoughts are making me second guess mine. I love your idea for the blue gable and blue flowers as well as the bronze window frames and support post if i decide to not paint. Great advise and something to strongly consider. I would be curious to know why you feel i shouldn't paint? Also, with regards to the porch, i want a lot more garden and chairs on a porch. So, i guess my question is this- can i extend the walkway to the front door say 5' or so without extending the roof?

Dear Shady, thanks for your comments and agreed, i love sitting out on my front porch! I just closed on this property and the sellers are leasing back until the end of the month.. as stated above, the chairs, red rose bushes, a few dead tree trunks and terracotta brick garden pavers will all be gone soon. I want to give the exterior a complete makeover which included painted brick but now i am second guessing that decision. Thanks for the limewashing idea. I just googled it and liked it a lot. Great advice!

Saintshelly, you are certainly ambitious. It’s all about maintenance for me, so I’m not opposed to altering the brick, just would rather spend that money and future maintenance costs in other areas. Lime washed brick is beautiful and a superior finish, in my opinion, to painted brick which is more prone to mold, moisture entrapment and such. That might be something to consider. Aesthetically, you’ll have a wider variety of trim/accent colors to choose from if you lime wash. You could extend the concrete pad from the front door to the left by the same width as the section in front of the door. Confused? That would be a nice patio, but a porch, in my mind, needs a roof. Ching, ching. If you extend the roof keep in mind that your gable will now be off set to the right of the point of interest. Sketch it and I think you will see what I mean. If I was going to build a porch I think I would take it all the way to the bathroom window, but not including that window. Plant a Nandina (great color for that brick) under the window for a bit of height balance. If you decide to do the patio instead, it will still give you a great area for some beautiful potted plants, seating room for the 1950’s style glider swing that I can visualize there. You are brave.