Improved & beautified landscape will be best and have most impact. I’d paint the siding a color before doing anything except possible needed cleaning to the brick.

I worry that in many instances the panels of wood siding will not age well.

maybe change the white paint to some shade of charcoal, change the railing to something simple and iron, and yes to wonderful lanscaping & hardscaping with perhaps some thoughtful outdoor lighting.

someone here said recently a variation of this: ”you can refresh the design without making it look as if it was built with everything that is trending right now”.

You can't plan that kind of stark modernist landscaping just randomly in front of a traditional house. If you want to transform it, you're going to need to really do that first! I'm not sure it's in reach of just some paint...

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Honestly, I can't quite see my way to a real modern look with that big gable in front, but an architect could probably come up with clever suggestions... Otherwise, go a bit easy on the jarring level of modern angularity in the landscape...

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. I agree that as low hanging fruit, removing the porch railing and perhaps the shutters would be a good start. The siding is vinyl, so I'm not sure about painting that for now.

I agree that really stark modernist landscaping would be a little much. Are there landscape elements I could change/add that would move things in that direction while still being tasteful? Thoughts on the current plants? I'm planning to clean up the mess of ivy in front of the house and make a mulched bed around the two larger trees to the left.

Also, here's a more flushed out sketchup of the gray stained brick idea. I kind of like it, and thought it would be a cheaper/easier change than doing all new siding. Thoughts?

Some idea

or with dark trim and white gable

I dont think you will be able to ”stain” that dark red brick the grey color you have in your renderings. Im not sure how you would accomplish that. you would likely need to paint it. painting brick means you are taking a no maintenance material and turning it into something that will need to be kept up, depending on you area, painted every couple of years. you could limewash it, but that might not achieve the look you are going for.

with black post for more drama :-))

Are you replacing the windows at this point? The thing that I don't like about sketch-up and the like is that you have drawn a cartoon, more or less. and while you can build a house that looks exactly like what you have drawn, your house really is not that, and to get that look it would probably be easier to build a new house.

For better or worse, your house is a "Minimal Traditional" with Colonial Revival details: the symmetrical front facing gable, and the 6/6 sash windows with the panel beneath the windows, and it has a typical tract house sort of treatment with brick on the front and siding all around, and smaller windows on the side. It has overhanging eaves which is a big difference in vocabulary really.

I think you can turn it into something "modern" but it's not something that you can really do piecemeal, and I don't think that staining the brick will turn it into anything but a Colonial Revival ranch with grey brick on the front. Clean up the details you don't like, but unless you are willing to throw a lot of money at it, it is not going to give you that sketchup modern look.

They build a lot of houses like this in Europe and Japan because they have different construction practices, much better window and rain-screening materials than are commonly used in the North America.

Romabio can give you better info on what is possible to change the brick. Can you open the gable? I think it would lighten the heavy feeling of the portico.

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Here are the finishes you indicated on your SketchUp

Thanks for the renderings and thoughts everyone. I see what you mean, palimpsest, about sketchup being sort of a cartoon. I agree that the house is what is is, and at this point, I don't envision making a major investment like new windows or opening up the gable. I'd like to cleanup the smaller details to make the best of what I have, so I appreciate any thoughts on plantings and other landscaping ideas.

@jeff1185 - Great decision! So that you can receive realistic landscaping suggestions, please share your planting zone & closest large city with us! Also your close environment situation - rural, urban but large lot? What is your level of gardening interest - like to work outside / want to plant & then low maintenance?

ETA you might also post under landscaping design - a bunch of pros there.. First thing they’ll ask is what I just did on locale etc

Paint the siding panels surrounding the windows a dark or black, and remove or paint dark also all the parts of the windows.

And obviously remove shutters and railings.

We had a 1905 1 1/2 storey house in Calgary and I tried to keep the exterior close to what was the original when we bought it. We have a very contemporary style so the interior was to our style and the exterior suited the age of the house.I am not a beleiver in the idea that the inside and outside need to be the same These pics were taken in the early spring but the front garden was like an English garden and totally suited the house .I think painting your brick will do nothing to improve the look of your home.

Thanks again to everyone for all the great input. I've created a new post in the landscape design category to get some more ideas there.

I think "Celery" has the best and simplest idea - black trim on the porch. Bam! Done.