You're not putting siding over the brick correct?

The board and batten looks perfectly appropriate with your mid century ranch house and with the brick It just needs a new color.

The problem IMO is the burgundy roof.

And take away the overly ornate planters on the slab..............you own a MCM ranch. Embrace it.

LP Smart Siding in Board & Batten Style for your house.

Thanks for all of your great ideas! No siding over brick.
The newer windows are white, so we decided on white trim around the windows and portico ceiling. With that, do you think white or dark for posts?
Yes, roof is a little tricky, and we do have a few good years left on it, so it’s good to keep these roof colors in mind.
Love the landscape ideas. We just pulled out a dozen of mismatched bushes! Never thought of hostas.

Thanks for the ideas! We are thinking of a deep red (almost a rusty red) for front door. Thoughts on the outside storm door and inner doors? both red? Outer doors red and inner doors siding color? Or red inner door and white outer doors?

I would paint inner and outer doors the same color so they appear as one unit and aren't broken up visually.

Your current posts look like they end in the soil. If so you need to fix that when you change the posts.

I like the Misty Shadow color but prefer board and batten for your house.

All doors the same color.

Sounds like Board and Batten is the favored style. Wondering if that is for front only, or all over? I’ve seen it both ways.

I would use it all around.

I would use it all around as well.

widen the porch to the width of the portico, ad wider beams. keep the light were it is then landscape

FYI-attached are pics of side, back and garage. Wondering if under the portico should be something different? It’s covered, so shakes wouldn’t be a “functional” design, but feel it needs something to stand out vs simply using the same board & batten.

FYI-pic of another house on click w/same architecture in lap siding for comparison. Several neighbors have gone to lap. Not sure if mine would stand out as “ outdated”?

you pretty much already have that.....i would focus on the landscape and the portico/porch itself.

I don't think board and batten is outdated. It's simpler and cleaner and looks less busy with the brick. The fact that it's vertical also gives height to a single story house.

I wouldn't use a third material under the portico. The brick and board and batten are already two different materials. Adding a third would just confuse things and look too busy.

Hi Katinparadise, You recommended a rug for my son's room about two years ago and I am desperately trying to find out where you got the rug from! Any idea where it came from??

thanks!!

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/4903418/please-help-me-color-coordinate-a-bedroom

Hi kcorona. I think this was it. https://www.bellacoastaldecor.com/green-and-blue-squares-indoor-outdoor-rug-collection.html

Nice home and lot. Please do not paint the brick. Anything painted will, inevitably, need to be repainted.

If you feel you must cover any part of the brick ( I wouldn't), do at least limit the part covered to beneath the high windows. You might consider adding siding over the brick beneath the windows only, with vertical trim beside the siding. At least that way, you could remove it later if you realize you prefer the brick.

Straighten the gutter downspouts and paint them the dominant color in the brick to make them visually disappear. Check into extending them so you can bury the ends attached to underground drainage pipes to move the water away from the house -- and water your lawn from below ground level.

Enlarge the two front posts by wrapping them. Then enlarge the concrete floor to go post to post and beneath most of the covered area door to front sidewalk.

Instead of putting a light fixture on only one side of a double door, move your lighting to overhead beneath your front porch roof. You could even add a ceiling fan if choose to do that.

https://checkinginwithchelsea.com/lighting-up-the-night/

Thanks for the tips! Such a fun source of ideas! We decided on vertical board & batten siding replacement. Will not cover or paint brick. We had considered extending the concrete a while back, so we’ll start getting quotes to include that in our project. That also confirms my thoughts to keep pendant vs side light. Re: centering in middle- since we have a center beam, we would need to figure out which side of beam?? Or just keep over door?
Also, re: lighting. While board/batten is mid-century modern, my husband vetoed to lighting recommendations. Can anyone recommend additional lighting options that are perhaps a bit more current/transitional while not looking out of place for our house’s style? We also have a post light that we’ll be updating.

Pic of lighting to be replaced (post and pendant). We’re thinking of bringing in black accents (pole/lighting, mail box post)

The Feiss Glenview has a modern look without being too MCM. It has both post and pendant lights available. https://www.1800lighting.com/generation-lighting-feiss-glenview-16-inch-tall-1-light-outdoor-post-lamp-CP159670.html

You could have the wiring for your pendant light altered to create an exterior electrical outlet rather than a base for a light -- or a pair of electrical plugs -- against your house where the wire exits and then add add LED rope lights on each side of the porch and across the front beneath the overhang rather than hanging any lights from the ceiling.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=LED+rope+lights+&FORM=HDRSC2

Or something more like these:

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&id=FA55020A05DB40E4A54E3D41833638F1C7F73C44&thid=OIP.8c1LvrL28KE8SkVyScxj-wHaE7&mediaurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwarisanlighting.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fparser%2Fbest-outdoor-lights-for-patio-3.jpg&exph=533&expw=800&q=unusual+front+porch+lighting++options&selectedindex=105&ajaxhist=0&vt=0&eim=1,2,6

In addition to the under porch lights you can turn on or off with your light switch, you could add a solar light with motion sensor on forward facing gable.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Waterproof-118LED-Solar-Powered-Lamp-Outdoor-Garden-Yard-PIR-Motion-Sensor-Light/362446699588?hash=item546381bc44:m:ml9v2JGI5el2yWypkJs7VDw&var=631626834882

https://www.lowes.com/pd/LINK2HOME-Link2Home-170-Lumen-Outdoor-Solar-Powered-Motion-Sensor-Adjustable-Dual-Head-LED-Safety-Security-Spot-Light/1000518733?cm_mmc=shp--c--prd--lit--bing--pla----sosdecorationlighting--1000518733-_-0amp;kpid&msclkid=4c0337c8f04f1386e0c66a4f2c31e54d&gclid=CI2ez6Sl5eQCFULiDQod59sCMA&gclsrc=ds

and/or on a post by your sidewalk where it meets your driveway. Choosing a solar version can give you some exterior lighting if the power is out and those with a motion sensor can be on "battery saver mode" until the sensor is tripped, letting the light last longer.

While there are certainly upscale lights for posts available for your front yard -- battery/solar or standard electrical -- if you want more economical lights for your back yard or for the corners of your home or near a patio door, as long as the site gets sunlight to keep the battery charged, there are some good option available. I have a half dozen that look very much like these that I bought at Dollar General for about $5 each and put them on 4"x4"x6' treated posts -- three standing in large wide plastic Christmas tree stands that I bought for even less each at a thrift store. I can let them charge in the sunlight during the day and move them to my (shady) deck at dusk if I want light there.

I recall seeing an advertisement for solar lights that you stake in the ground (with the top of the light ground level) and can mow over them. They might be worth considering for alongside of your driveway or your sidewalk.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=solar+lights+for+yard++on+ground+you+can+mow+over&_sacat=0

I, too, like the vertical board-'n-batt look for your siding much better than any horizontal siding would look.

If you use the treated post in a plastic Christmas tree stand idea, you should drill three holes in the bottom around the edges of the flatter area and add a flat rock or plastic lid in the center to raise the post off the bottom so the rainwater will drain so your post will last longer. Even a treated post shouldn't be left stand in a container of water. Also, in the fall of the year, you may need to remove some leaves from around the post.

Thanks suezbell. The posts are actually in cement. Our portico was sloping so these were installed to support it. We recently pulled out a bunch of bushes, so base is covered in a muddy mess, but the landscape will definitely be addressed in the spring.

Any suggestions on front door color?

Have you decided on a color for the siding? I think that will determine the front door color.

Yes, we are going to go with LP SmartSide board/batten in Misty Shadow w/white trim (pics below)

Explored some rusty-reds, but am open to suggestions

So something similar to what you have now. I would wait until it's up before deciding on door color but I think something in a rusty orange could be pretty.