The quality of the picture is terrible. Who can tell what the portico details might be

Paint the trim piece (facia?) above the upper windows to match the light or medium stone color. The upper windows appear to dangle from the trim without some definition.
You might want to change the finish/color of the portico roof. Was it originally a different color?

Did you post a few years ago? Your house looks so familiar.

You’re right, the picture quality is terrible! I’ll try to repost...it looks much better from my desktop!
Yes, I did post a few years ago. We removed the shutters and I still don’t like the front.
From what I can tell, the portico has been at least 5 different colors over the years.

Hopefully this image is better

Your house looks good to me, but so dark... maybe because is in shadows, could take a picture while the sun shot the house front, please?

Is this better?

Oh yes

Not fan of the iron work, but inside the portico looks like a cave. It needs light and color, for me.

It looks like someone put soffit on the front under the gutters. I hate it. It’s so thick and BROWN! I’ve just been trying to avoid painting it because it’s in good shape and its literally all over the house. The house looks smaller from the front, but it’s quite large from the other sides. Painting that soffit crap would be a big job. But, it’s something I just might have to do in order to achieve better curb appeal....

Here’s a close up of the iron work 👎

In one of Beverly’s photos, the walls are red brick and windows, door and portico roof are grey, but the portico itself and the door sides are cream. I don’t think a bold color works well in your house but a light color like that cream or a light gray or beige could enlighten your entrance.

I think the portico is fine, but the house looks like it was meant to be six feet taller and they ran out of money, leaving the roof sitting on top of the windows like a jar lid -- this is emphasized by the low slant of the roof as well. This is how your house "should" look:

(I also darkened the roof to match the trim better)

But this is not going to happen, or at least not for normal person bucks. I think you just need to learn to love the offbeat history of your house, or at the very least don't worry about whether it's good enough for a design mag. It's not worth the woe.

Stop focusing on the architecture and put in livelier plantings or containers to draw the eye -- a colored door would help too. Nobody cares about the glamor of your house, just that it be cozy inside for your family and welcoming to guests.

The things that jump out to me is what felizlady alluded to: the fascia board looks like it is cutting the top off your windows because that board is the same color as your roof/or blends into the roof. You would be better off with a lighter color that blends into the stone to make it look like there is room above your windows for trim. The other thing that jumps out is the landscape and hardscape. Your bushes are too rigid and line up against the house in a way that doesn't flatter your home. Revamp your landscaping and remove some of the hardscape. You will need to consult with a good landscape designer. JMO

Looking at your photo again, I'm not sure if it's the fasica board or some other type of banding, but it is the board immediately above your windows on the second floor and runs all the way across the top. Blend it to the limestone and it will look much better.

So paint the fascia board to match the stone

https://retrorenovation.com/2011/08/16/add-curb-appeal-to-your-mid-century-home-with-decorative-iron-or-aluminum-porch-columns-3-sources-for-this-old-school-produc/

Here are multiple sources for inexpensive custom iron porch columns if you want to change from the vine design.

http://www.wisconsinironworks.com/wroughtironcolumns.html

https://retrorenovation.com/2011/08/16/add-curb-appeal-to-your-mid-century-home-with-decorative-iron-or-aluminum-porch-columns-3-sources-for-this-old-school-produc/

I agree, it's the fascia above the windows, the low slope of the roof AND FOR ME, the asymmetry of the window & front door placement. Lots of people don't mind asymmetry & actually prefer it but it bothers me (I lived in an asymmetrical house & it drove me nuts til the day I sold it). I'd do what others suggested, accept the quirkiness & draw your eye to revamped landscaping, repainted fascia, front door color change, maybe do something with those lights up by the sidewalk.

Is the ironwork in good shape? If so, paint it a very dark green almost black color for all of the iron work.

I like the red doors, but they also seem too dark. Choose a lighter color or wood to complement your stone. Is your stone more of a yellow or gray or something else? A very nice wood door like below would look rich with your stone IMO.

Do you have lighting anywhere under the portico? That would help too.

Pheasant · More Info

Can we get a close up of the front door and the iron work straight on?

I do think you need more lush landscape.

For me, I think it is too many rectangles, which are emphasized by the boxwood, which looks a bit stunted because it has to be kept low under the windows and the house is wide. I also think the dark color of the windows makes them recede into the house along with the portico. I’m no good with photoshop, but maybe someone could change the windows (if you are up for that) and interior of the portico to a color closer to the stone to see if that helps. Might also help to do the door a solid color that “pops” a bit more - doesn’t have to be too bright - maybe a lighter sage green. Since it is still cold the plantings are not at their leafy best, but I would consider varying the plantings at the foundation and making some of them more free flowing type plants, to add color and texture. You could also add plants in pots on either side at the base of the steps.

The left side of the house is significantly larger than the right so the landscaping on the right needs to be more visually interesting to balance out the greater amount of space on the left. Trying to have matching landscaping just emphasizes to me that the house doesn't match. Without seeing a distance shot including the garage and driveway, the recommendations may not fit. When you drive up to the house, or walk down the front sidewalk, you see the entire space, not just the portion shown in your photo.

I would remove all the grass to the right of the sidewalk and have the entire space as hardscape and plantings. It could be a very formal space with boxwood hedge in a geometric pattern or a more casual space with some seating. I like the look of your house and the location looks beautiful so perhaps minimizing landscaping on that side of the house would showcase the view.

Sara, you posted last year, asking the same questions, and received lots of advice. Why didn't you take the advice given???

I did post something last year, but I wanted to get some feedback on the portico. Also, I just wanted to get more ideas. Everyone has such different views and I didn’t think I was bothering anyone by asking again!

I agree with BeverlyFLADeziner, brightening up the fascia helps a lot

abcdlatham suggested the dark color of the windows makes them appear to recede into the house, is it possible to change the color of the windows or maybe add white/light colored trim for around the windows?

acm suggested painting the door a different color

decoenthusiaste mentioned the feminine curves and frills of the current portico clash with the masculinity of the rest of the house which is true

Sorry I'm not good at photoshop but maybe if you look at it from far away you can get an idea :)

I think the different size windows make the house look off balance.

I agree that the windows aren’t balanced and it’s distracting, but I think the reason it was built that way is to take advantage of the lake views. You can see the lake from that larger window on the left side. There are quite a few weird thing going on with the architecture, but it’s the location that makes it worthwhile!

I love the stone and the portico doesn't bother me as much as the dark fascia and soffit. Raise the roof by painting it to match the limestone. ( I know easier said than done.) I think flowers and softer landscaping would make the biggest difference. Add some bright flowers in front of that straight hedge. If you are using a bright door color coordinate it with your flowers and foliage. Add bright planters on either side of the entry. Maybe a flowering vine could climb the iron work you dislike. Morning Glories are easy cheap annuals.( evergreen garland for winter?) If gardening isn't your thing just add a wreath and a couple boxwood in colorful pots to match door. some new lighting would also brighten the entry.

Just got this image of your house as a cartoon body builder with your portico as his red bikini! HaHa!

https://www.canstockphoto.com/cartoon-bodybuilder-flexing-23448223.html

Dress him in less curvy clothes and he'll look fine! lol

https://www.canstockphoto.com/cartoon-personal-trainer-23452311.html

I also noticed first and foremost the asymmetry of the windows and that the portico is off center. Since you’re thinking of starting over, I’m thinking if the portico and porch were wider that the unevenness might be less noticeable.

Wow!

Oh my gosh- that cartoon is totally my house!! My new favorite description of my house is what acm said about my roof looking like a “jar lid”. The more I look at the pictures, the more ridiculous it is!

Question- if I put shutters on the smaller windows, what do I do with the large picture window? Do I leave it, or try to find larger/appropriately sized shutters?

I don’t think shutters look good at all, because they will accentuate the windows’ different sizes and different distances between them.

No shutters on the large picture window. It isn't designed for shutters. For the other windows, make sure the shutters are sized right. Not too skinny and not too long or too fat. They need to look functional even if they aren't functional.

Brief article about shutters here: https://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/residential-architecture-101-shutters/

You don't need shutters on every window. They look especially bad on the wrong windows.

Take a look at these examples below where some windows have shutters and some don't have shutters:

Urban Four-Square · More Info

Arcadia English Remodel · More Info

I would plant an ornamental tree right in the middle of the lawn in front of the large window to help obscure the imbalance. It will be pretty to look at and add a bit of privacy.

Dianne Muyskens · More Info

dianne muyskens · More Info

It seems there is a surround around you door that is dark brown. Maybe you can paint that the same color as the limestone.