IMO downspouts and gutters are not design elements and are best done to blend with the house. IMO the biggest thing to change here is to redo the landscaping , remove the sutters and take a pic from further back so we can see the whole house minus the junk in the garage and porch. This is atypical MCM ranch and IMO best to be kept in that style and good plan to leave the brick alone This is my fave for inspiration for MCM landscaping and the other pic my fave for color of siding with brick

Love the idea of doing black. But I think really more for the window frames and house trim. You can do the downspouts and gutters black too. But they will stick out and I do agree with the above they aren’t design elements ... cute house!!

Here are some pics. They used black downspouts etc. but notice how they tie the black in other places too. I think that’s what brings it together most...

We have thought about moving to black windows/trim as well, on that scenario what color would you go with fort gutters and downspouts + the garage door?

Usually gutters match either the roof or trim color. Downspouts match the walls. If you replace your white leaf guards in the gutters to match new gray gutters, they won't be as prominent. If you use white gutters, the horizontal lines of the house will stand out. If you paint the gutters black next to the gray roof, it will look like a mismatch, not an accent.

SInce you like black, paint the shutters a glossy charcoal black. Use a touch up gloss paint on the black light fixtures if they've faded.

The biggest changes to the appearance of the house would come from pruning the plants and (eventually) moving the cars into the garage. Since you are still settling down, clearing out the garage for cars may take a while.

Copper would not be in the budget just because of how large of a job it is. We’re definitely updating lighting/door/garage door but have just struggled on color palette since we came from a gray aluminum sided house with white trim

Remove the awful shutters. Agree that painting everything (except the brick) black will yield the desired impact. Eliminate everything "white". A new front door (and garage door when finances allow) in wood would add to making a bolder statement. Reassess the landscaping after those changes are made.

I could get behind black and then using wood to break it up too

Per a prior request here is a photo from the street to show the full scope of the front

The windows look like white vinyl- notoriously hard to paint especially black... If you are replacing the windows black could be great. We had the same vinyl soffits you have and replaced them with 1/2" hardi board- they look much sleeker.

I prefer when gutters and soffits blend into roof and as your downspout is not on front of house, a darker shade won’t even be an issue (a light one is no better). From your photos, roof is not pure black/has a lot of grey and I’d look for a dark grey/black; softer with roof and your brick as well.

You mentioned you were adding new windows and new garage and front doors - black would be stunning.

I’d remove the shutters and actually love the idea of adding siding, or wood to that section (or even paint brick)

Last but not least, will be the landscaping. Your entrance and walkway should have more prominence and I’d rethink what is planted and where. A landscape designer would be invaluable in drawing up plans and when budget permits, your home would be perfect!

For those following along - I think we’ve decided to stay traditional. To start, we’ll replace the shutters with a more desirable pair and paint black (or a stormy blue), replace the front door with a mid century styled panel door matching the shutters. Well go white on the gutters/trims and keep the house true to what it is.

One suggestion...a garage door with windows would add interest and help break up the white "wall."

Why not go with a lighter color on the shutters and front door. They are is under the overhang so they really just don't show up at all.

Then spend the rest of your money on landscaping. That is what truly makes a home stand out, in my opinion anyways...

Strongly suggest you find a landscape you love, and ask who installed it :)

P.S. It's really nice brick. Glad you left it alone!

Well, I’m back, and I lied. We just couldn’t kick the black! We’re wrapping the windows in black to frame the white vinyl windows and then doing a MCM garage door and front door in a wood tone at a later time. It goes against the design advice but we just couldn’t see it being any other way.

Now that you’ve done some things, need a picture of whole house again.