This was the home I originally fell in love with, but lost to a higher offer during a bid war. Completely different style - contemporary vs. colonial - but it has a certain charm to it that the colonial does not. Not sure what it is. Paint colors? Landscaping? Style of house? Regardless, thought I would post a picture of an exterior that I like.

I like both homes. I do like the one you lost a bit better, but it is a more saturated, warm palette. And the landscaping is more sophisticated. Both are things you can achieve in the house you did get.

What color do you like? I can see that house in so many ways, it would help to narrow down a bit.

The home you didn't get has wider trim around windows, and no shutters. That could be a start.

Completely agree; I think the warm palette and landscaping made the first house feel more inviting and homey. Regarding colors, I like greys (including blue and some green variations/hues), navy, white, red, black, etc. A lot of the colors they are using on the modern craftsman style homes are something that I would be open to. Ideally I’d like to change the vinyl siding to a hardieplank, but that will have to wait for a little while.

Maybe this image will provide you with some inspiration for your home. The colors are varies shades of warm gray pulled from the stone accents. Gable vents and brackets also enhance the appeal of the home.

I would remove those yews by the front porch. They really close it in. Perhaps paint the front door a fun color. Maybe replace the square posts on the porch with round ones. Definitely a new garage door. The trim could also be painted a color.

Start with a landscape clear-out and removal of the stick-on shutters. You can paint vinyl siding and the major paint companies have specialty paints for that.

In addition to removing the shutters, the divisions in your windows can probably be removed, too. And, has been noted...vinyl can be painted. Landscaping will help you achieve your goals. I like the clean lines of your chosen home. And the square columns on your front porch. A new garage door and richer colored siding will help you achieve your goals. Good luck!

Thank you to everyone that has commented so far with the great suggestions! And a special thank you toBrown Dog & BeverlyFLADeziner that took the time to provide a visual of their ideas. Landscaping is definitely on the list of items to do, as well as a new garage door. I do want to either replace siding or paint it (now that I know vinyl can be painted) but in the meantime, does anyone have suggestions for shutters/front door color? Also, thinking about painting the new garage door too. Thoughts?

I agree with Gracie and Beverly. The 9-pane windows screams cottage. Beverly's photo shows a craftsman style with the clear pane on the bottom and 4-pane tops. That home also has the wider-bottomed pillars on stacked stone columns. I think what you're attracted to on the house you wanted are the full unobstructed glass panes with the large white frames. The plastic (?) shutters on your new home just don't work aesthetically because they don't even to begin to give the impression that they're functional. That's what's so awful about the tens of thousands of vinyl-sided "cottages" that have these skinny fake shutters. Aesthetically there's "balance" when the shutters--when you imagine them closed--would cover the entire window. Changing the windows and framing them with a more architectural frame, and 2 or 3 warmers colors would be a terrific goal.

msmliss I completely agree - I truly did love the full unobstructed glass panes with the large frames on the first house, and would love to incorporate that into this house. The windows in this house are original from 1997, and per home inspection all but one are in good shape, but I do plan on replacing them in the near future - and they definitely will not be the windows with "panes" in them :) . Thank you so much for your suggestions!

Have you considered adding stone veneers to the exterior? It's relatively an easy process and can give the home a much more contemporary feel. Here's a link to some of the exteriors people have done with our stone veneers. Let me know if you have any questions, as I'd be happy to answer any!

NorstoneUSA actually yes, I've been considering adding stone veneer to area around the garage door and wrap it around to the corner (left of the front door). Not sure how it would look - would definitely want to mock it up. I'm thinking a grey color stone would look best with the white siding. What are your thoughts?

The wainscoat idea you have is definitely the best option for the existing architecture in place. I'm attaching a photo of a project that used our stone a couple years ago. This ochre / neutral colored stone was good for the color scheme they had. If you are keeping the white color on the house then a darker grey / charcoal color would probably make the most sense. Let me know if you have any questions, as I'd be happy to answer any!