Here is the house.

What do you mean by brighten? Are you talking about paint, light fixtures, or reducing what looks like a fair amount of shade? You do have a porch across the front which by definition and purpose keeps sunlight off the front of the building. But the trade-off is a nice place to sit out of the elements, whether it's sun or rain.

I would definitely paint the garage doors to match the white siding above to make it blend in more and make it look less of a black hole.

IMO all the untrimmed trees are contributing to the shady darkness of the driveway and front of the house. The landscaping hasn't been maintained enough on this home but that is an easy fix. Limb up the trees to the right and the left to allow the sunlight to come onto the property :) Change out the landscaping in front including removing the tree stump (a termite attraction).

Check out the landscape forum here by posting your dilemma there so the awesome people in that forum can give you more detailed landscape plans/help.

You could also paint the front door a bright bold color - red? yellow? blue? green? Any number of colors would work.

Your garage door could be painted a color that blends with the brick. Right now it is dark. I wouldn't paint it a light color because it would pop out rather than recede like it does now. You want all the attention to be on your front door and not your garage door.

You might consider painting all the taupe trim, including porch trim, posts and railing, in a white that matches the windows. Paint the vertical taupe trim or the corners to match the siding color. What color are the porch ceiling and floor?

Adding one example inspiration pic to my post above about changing front door color and trimming trees and white painted trim to brighten exterior, check this pic below in a heavily landscaped area:

Trimmed to Perfection · More Info

If you have anyone who will use that basketball hoop you may find that ball marks show up more on a light colored garage door. Now, the taupe may be dark enough but the next time the blacktop is sealed, well, maybe not.

tj

Painting the window soffit, fascia, window and door trim, front porch posts and porch railing (and that step railing, if you keep it) white would begin to lighten up the home.

You could add a white portico a couple of feet above the garage door -- porch roof level -- and then paint the portico and that part of the siding that is beneath it as well as the garage door and trim all white. Yes, there is dark brick on both sides of the garage door and, generally, that wouldn't be a contrast most people would want. IF, however, you have a broad white porch/portico strip across the entire ground floor of the house in addition to brick, it should work for the garage just as a white porch in front of the brick behind it should work well.

Then you could paint your front door your favorite bright bold color.

There are ways to get rid of a stump -- would check into that.

You could also remove/move all the visible shrubs in front of the house to the bar ground on the sunny right side of the house and plant a thick turf of the best grass for that geographic area.

Are those square wood posts used for the retaining wall alongside the driveway?

Consider eliminating the need for the step rail and wood alongside the driveway.

You could remove that wood post retaining wall, lower the edge of the yard adjacent to and alongside the driveway, creating a sidewalk that curves toward and then slopes away from the house parallel to the driveway, with the sidewalk ending one step up from the driveway about a car length back from the garage, then continuing toward your mailbox/road. You could create the sidewalk with light colored pavers and likely need much less retaining wall. You could also use those same light colored pavers to outline the other side of your driveway and any turn around/parking slot on that right side.

You could also add solar lights where the sun would reach them.

Beautiful house - paint the garage door and the front door the same as the trim . then reaccess

Paint the garage door and front door, trim trees. Also, that asphalt driveway is really dark. If money allowed, I would consider replacing it with a lighter material.

I am not loving the taupe application. I think swapping it to one color would help a lot and as stated the garage door is just not a statement I would want to make.

Swap out the garage door for one with windows. Add some decorative hardware.

Paint or new garage. A new entry way door, maybe with glass in it. As well bright flowers in the landscaping. Some nice front porch furniture, with color in the pillows/accessories.