First, do add trim boards around the windows on the right to match (as closely as possible) the windows on the left and clad your front porch posts to make them larger. You should also consider creating a wood rail from each porch post to the front exterior wall of the house. You will also need to waterproof/seal any wood on your porch or porch posts/rail that you're not painting. If you paint the floor of your porch, make sure you choose paint intended to withstand foot traffic.

Unless you want stark white exterior walls with black trim. Paint all the exterior walls (siding and stone) one color and then paint all the trim -- window and door trim and fascia and soffit and gutter and porch posts all the same color, preferably a lighter version of that same color as your exterior walls.

Light gray exterior walls -- siding and rocks -- with darker gray trim.

Light green exterior walls -- siding and rocks -- with darker green trim.

Light blue exterior walls -- siding and rocks -- with darker blue trim.

Medium brown exterior walls -- siding and rocks -- with darker brown trim.

Create a hand rail for your front steps and paint it the trim color. You might consider putting a solar light atop a post at the bottom of your steps and creating a handrail attached to the side of that post and also attached to another post on or beside the porch floor.

If those are shrubs against the front of the left side of the house, they really should be cut with even tops or moved to a planting area farther away from the house where symmetry wouldn't matter.

Thank you! I appreciate your ide

as And suggestions! The windows are being replaced and so will the trim boards around them. I have considered adding railing to the deck as well. If I do I was considering the wood stain I’d use around the porch post to make the look heartier. Those shrubs will also be removed. This is the inspiration for the home. The only difference is that I’ll be Keeping the deck and door black. Or at least I’d like to.

I would cover up the faux stone with Hardy type siding with a ledge at the top...it also looks like the two posts are not enough to support the porch roof..in the picture it seems to be sagging...

I agree with adding the porch railings and beefing up the posts in the front. I also agree, no window boxes, because, they do drip down and they do stain the siding under them. The new windows with nicer trim, will make a huge difference. The porch light looks to small, and also like its too high up. I would replace that, and add some nice house numbers on the front. The stone does look too stark. Once you decide what color the siding will be, then, maybe a contrasting paint wash over the stone, in browns, or dark grays, etc, to make it look more like real stone. You could also use some landscaping on the front.

Agree about window boxes not being a good idea -- they can hold moisture against a house.

Some hanging brackets for planting baskets (or bird feeders or wind chimes) would be a better idea. You could even add 4"x4" treated posts in your yard with solar lights and hanging brackets.

You could put railing on the sides only and change your steps for those that are as wide as the front of the deck

If that isn't a back deck, I would remove and replace it with a proper porch/entry. Do you plan to sit out front on your deck, or would that be a back yard activity? It isn't very welcoming and may be more trouble that its worth to improve it. Start again. As for paint, I would probably want it all white.

HI -- The best thing for your house is to remove that faux stone and replace with some horizontal cedar siding . That stone is horrible and does not do the house any favors . Added value would be the cedar siding . Window boxes would not be the right thing for this style house and they are a messy pain to deal with. Matching modern black light fixtures on each side of the front door and paint the windows black if you can with wider frames in black also and the roof trim also in black .

Thank you. I didn’t really think of the mess of widow boxes. I just think they look so pretty! Removing that faux rock is definitely on our to do list but with most of our investment going into the structure of the home, we have to make it work for now. @lefty47

@decoenthusiaste yes, we do plan on sitting out on the front. we have a shaded Front yard. Im really new at this, would you link me or post a photo of what you mean when you say proper porch or entry? do you mean railings or proper stairs and cement? I’m open to any ideas. Thank you.

@calidesign thank you! I have no experience with window boxes and appeciate your input. I like the idea of hiding the rock with landscaping!

I wanted to show a full photo of the front the seller had. @suezbell @calidesign @lefty47 @decoenthusiaste

HI -- Well the best thing I think to do at this time is to paint the house and the stone all the same color , to make the stone less of an obvious feature . A creamy taupe or a warm white with black trim . Simple and classy .The best way to paint the stone will be to have it sprayed . Look at Spray-net .com for inspiration .

You can keep the deck then, but try to make it look more like a front porch than a deck. Broad, closed steps and railings would be good additions. Blue and white would be pretty with black as the accent. You might even enlarge it with an extension toward the left that stops where the stone does.

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Add landscaping between the house and the walkway, and also on the other side. Just be sure to keep the plants below the windows, and use lower plants around the deck to keep the porch open.

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If at some point you do remove the wood flooring, create a concrete porch floor and consider extending it all across the front of the house . Consider how you might want to enlarge the porch before investing in really nice shrubs you would need to move later.

Another option for later would be to extend the front porch to the right corner and wrap around the right side of the house, but know whether or not you intend to build an addition on any side of the house before making that decision.

Are you remodeling the interior at this time or just making sure you have a solid exterior such as by replacing windows? Pay attention to where you have and want and need sunlight as you add or replace or change windows -- what side of the house is north, south, east and west.

If you're replacing windows now but might want to remodel inside later, and/or create a patio as an indoor/outdoor living space, you will want to keep in mind what changes you expect to eventually want as you replace the windows.

For instance, if any of the windows you are replacing are for a small dining area and you'd like to enlarge that dining area by just a bit, and if creating a bay window would do that, you might not want to just replace the windows now only to want to move them next year.

Also, If you intend to add a patio or back porch, you may want to replace any windows in that room with a 5' or 6' sliding glass patio door rather than new windows.

Do let us know how your project goes.

Don’t know if anyone suggested...but to give the stone a whitewashed look...start with a gray stone color paint..use cheap spray paint in a can for the fastest, cheapest,quickest method ...spray and then gently wipe with a cloth so some of the white will show through...