Use burnt orange (natural cedar!), red or chocolate brown for the window frames and front door to add some warmth. Once the grey paint needs a new finish, pick a similar grey with a slight bit of beige or olive in it.

We live in planned development with a Homeowner's Association that needs to approve the colors. It's a suburban planned community outside of Seattle toward the Foothills

Agree, the shutters are wrong. Beautiful house!

All the houses on our block have the shutters it would look odd not to have them. We are keeping them. The house needs painting. You can't see it in the pics but the paint is peeling.

Not only will you need help with your colors but using a qualified company to prep the home correctly and using a high quality paint is a must. homes like yours should not be peeling which leads me to believe that the paint used is of low quality. you can look at our page and see the colors we have used on homes in the Puget sound we help our clients with color choices and we help achieve a great looking home with the durability to last decades.

My first reaction was similar to that of rinqreation. An orange front door, pulling a color from the riverrock trim on your pillars.
Does your HOA have specifics on any exterior colors? Many have requirements that will restrict the creativity of the houzzers, but are the place to start. Some actually have palettes from which you are required to work.

I definitely think an orange front door would be outsiee HOA guidelines. The riverrock is grey, light tan with gold undertones. I think a more conservative but sharper looking color scheme would work. I don't want to go for more than 4 colors total including the door and shutter. Keep in mind the fence is an HOA required color that is a hideous camel/orange color. So warm, neutral colors would work best

Ask if they have a list of approved house colors, a friend just had her house painted, her HOA gave her a list of colors she was allowed to pick from.

iron mountain for shutters white vanilla for trim and the gable board and batten . Copley gray for siding or Cromwell gray for siding all from Benjamin moore front door can be done in dinner party red

What is the deal with Benjamin Moore. I am using Sherwin-Williams Colors. I found that the neighbors have to sign off on the colors, but the HOA is the last word on the colors. No pre-approved palette.

Benjamin Moore is a quality paint and is widely used . When posting its good to include details like My painter is using Sherwin . Does your painter provide color consultation

Thanks I've found a contractor. We are at the color selection stage

Its unfortunate that you have to keep the shutters. They make an otherwise attractive house look absolutely ridiculous. Not trying to be mean, but shutters are probably the most incorrectly used architectural feature (besides Palladian windows) and here it reaches almost cartoonish proportions. They are completely undersized for those windows and to boot a Craftsman style home probably wouldn't have shutters anyway. You gain so much more by removing them, but I can understand if there's an HOA concern.

Otherwise I would do what everyone else has suggested. Leave the trim white and bring the siding down a few values, maybe even into a taupe or brownish tone (green was a popular craftsman color as well). There are a lot of resources out there on Craftsman color schemes including an entire book on the subject http://www.amazon.com/Bungalow-Colors-Exteriors-Robert-Schweitzer/dp/1586851306/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1374646886&sr=8-3&keywords=craftsman+house+colors I would also update the light fixtures to something more period appropriate, you should be able to find Craftsman style fixtures at most big box stores. Good luck.

I think the spot that would benefit most would be above your garage......it's a little flat. Could you add a wooden trellis over it as seen in the photos above labeled "porter street bungalow" and "house with a garden"? It would add a little dimension and interest. I would think a pop of color on the door would also liven things up. Bummer about the size of shutters. ;)

I was limiting my updates to paint only. Unfortunately we won't be able to do it this year. Because the contractor we hired. All Covered Painting -Seattle,WA ripped us off. They kept the deposit won't return my calls.
They finally replied "We can't do the job" after I threatened to sue. Then said they were going to send a check. When I asked when. I got a 2 page email rant and the owner called late at night to continue fighting. I think they overbooked and are decided our job was too small for them. The owner is real estate investment VP and has buys apartment buildings. Much bigger jobs. Total jerk. Still haven't got my deposit back.

Wow ! that really sucks file a small claims suit against him . Were they recommended ? Contact the bbb and see if they are listed ? Sounds like a crappy deal . I hope you can get this settled so you can move on with your project

Companies like that give the industry a bad name . We dont ask for a deposit until work starts never before we split it in thirds . When the job starts and then another third when prep is done and then a final bill is submitted when the job is complete and full walk through is done with the client. Ask for payment details from the next contractors you ask to bid your project