We love the natural look of the door and the stone added around the white area will really make a difference! The color scheme attached regarding the shutter color and the stone would look really nice.

Sorry for the conflicting advice but stone on the white next to the door will simply look like a postage stamp stuck on the front of the house, you need to tie stone in if you are going to use it.

I agree with The Color People, I think you'll get a bigger bang from your buck by adding boards to match with the rest of the house. The area around the mailbox just seems blank and like it wasn't part of the original house. I would also paint the shutters something darker so the house doesn't seem so pale. Maybe a darker green than you have or a blue so there's not too much green. Or, maybe dark red to tie with chimney and give a pop of color? Very very pretty house though, just a couple minor tweaks needed!

The Color People, what do you mean by "tie stone in"? Where else would you put it?

I REALLY want to do the stone there, so I was just thinking we could also do a stone porch, and maybe a stone retaining wall?? Its a work in progress!!

Paint the brick and change the shutters to a darker color. Add a nice stone sidewalk. Add some flowers that will make the flower end pop with color! Add some type of art in the bed or by the house

Good suggestion Tracie Littrell, The shutters could go to a medium gray or dark blue and then add stone in the gray/natural flagstone tones. I vote for painting the door a different color as well...maybe a navy or a couple of shades darker than the shutter gray? Add pops of color with some large planters to flank each side of the steps filled with colorful seasonal flowers and greenery.

Hello Leanne and everyone!

I think everyone has really good suggestions. Leanne, I THOUGHT I posted 3rd, so if my suggestions sounds redundant, or not addressing your concerns, I hadn't seen them yet.

This is such a lovely home, its a really fun discussion.

What I noticed is you have a very delicate balance between the color of the house, and the trim colors, including the shutters. You've done a really good job at finding a color for the shutters, that is a subtle enough contrast as to not make the house look off balance, since they are only on one side

Tracie and Ashley, I love your suggestions except for the shutters. I tried putting up different colors, and if they are just a couple of shades darker, they seem to throw the house off balance. Do you not think that? I don't know, I was pretty tired when I was working on it. I got a notice from E-bay that I need to pay them for a pair of shoes I vaguely remember, but did not remember buying! So maybe we should be careful about going with my advice at this time!:)

Anyway! :) Leanne, I wonder if you need to live with the door for a bit. Because I really do think the balance of color on your home is very pretty, but delicate, I'm afraid because you weren't prepared for how the door color affected the appearance of the entrance, even if you really like stone, you have to be careful about adding a strong architectural detail like that, because it could end up being like washing walls. When you start trying to compensate, it could turn into something expensive and disappointing.

There was a VERY lengthy discussion recently about a gentlemans home that was a lovely colonial with grey shakes on the upper half, and brick on the bottom. His roof was brown. You would not have BELIEVED how long it went on, and he ended up repainting it grey, because there wasn't a color that would go with both the roof and the brick, except the grey.

The flagstone porch and steps are so pretty. You also have to think about adding a warm color stone with your grey roof. If you want to add stone, it would look out of balance on one side of the door, even if you changed the porch. I'm not sure where you would put a retaining wall.

I agree with Ashley and Tracie. I wonder if you added columns on your porch, with flagstone bases, if there is room, and then continue with a flagstone sidewalk, and maybe it would work to use it on the wall?

Beautiful home! I think it needs a stronger constrast in a few areas. I think I would only go 1/2 way up the wall with the stone on the right of the door. I happen to prefer that a bit more. MO. I would repeat the stone somewhere, like you were thinking. A stone planter would be great!

I would remove the shutters. For better balance, I would add picture framing on the right side in place of the shutters to frame out the windows, like the left of the door, that seem to be framed out. Maybe a blue gray for the wood window trim and fascia. I think the architecture of your home needs to be highlighted with a midtone color. The siding and window trim are close in value of color, gets visually lost.

That's what I was thinking too, LB, but also thought of a stone bench, or sides of porch? I put up columns with flagstone bases, and on the sidewalk (Sorry , not my best work)

I think the column kind of diminishes the prominence of the space next to the door, but I'm not completely sold on them. I think making the entrance more special is the goal. What to do?

(Because of my Italian heritage, and local fame of relative's home that looks like "my Big Fat Greek Wedding", I usually steer away from adding anything close to a pole, I'm afraid it could be a genetic trait that shows up later in life)

I found this picture on the internet; even if the door color is not to your liking, hope the tips given with the picture there in will be useful:-
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Front Door. A freshly painted door will make the entry look clean and neat. Consider a new color giving your home a fresh perspective. Clean and polish the door’s hardware.
2. Add a Pair of Pots. Place large flower pots on either side of the front door. Fill the pots with both a trailing plant (a spiller) and a flowering plant (a thriller). Use colors that compliment the new front door color.
3. Add Color to a Bench or Chairs. If you have a bench or chair by the door, paint them a bright color. Add throw pillows to make the entry way or porch more inviting.
4. Add an Architectural Element. Many garden and home stores carry ironwork type decor items that can be attached to your home to add interest.
5. Plant Flowers and Shrubs. Annual flowers add color to a walkway. Aromatic plants like jasmine or gardenia make the entry smell wonderful.
6. Mow, Edge and Mulch. Make sure that the yard is well mowed and edged. Fresh mulch adds to a clean, tidy look.
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Instead of those shrubs close to the windows, I would plant more flowers and different kinds of grass and have a nice tree closer to your home in the front garden because I am basically a nature person. Hope you are too. Unseen to us, may be you are having many trees.. Can see some branches of a tree.

The home has such a sweet look and I love the muted colors. Pale green and gray stone or white and gray may work, although the colors I'm thinking of I've only seen in smaller stone. Maybe a white washed gray brick?
I'd leave it as is and move the house number under the light. Use a basket on the door for the mail. I'd also place a larger planter with an obelisk and trained flowering vine by the door.

I think biggest wow would be to widen the walk way with stone: pavers or slate. That would tie in the look of the stone on the house also.

I'm sharing one of my very favorite homes/gardens here on Houzz and I would suggest that your house could very well go in this direction. Paint the body of the house green, add stone; you get the general idea. There are lots of additional pix of this house as the garden grew and matured over the years. Check it out - I think the concept would transfer to your home easily if you like it. Of course, in the meantime I advise removing any shrubbery that doesn't bloom sometime in the year and start beds with a more loosely organized style as this home has.Bloomers you want to keep should be trimmed so they don't cover any part of the windows.

great ideas from above , I would change color of front door , change chimney color , paint or Stucco, Paver or Stone Walkway and have a covered porch front . jamesVconsulting.net

I'm inclined to agree with LB Interiors ... I would remove the shutters. The fact that you don't have room for two shutters between the windows in front suggests the architect never intended them. I also agree with taking the tone of the house a bit darker; right now it's awfully flat with no contrast in color. I would also add a larger lantern, perhaps in copper. Would also change out the door, which isn't really appropriate to add a punch of color.

Yes, you could add stone in the area around the entry door, but I'm not sure I care for it. Wouldn't tie in to any other elements of the facade of your house.

Ngôi nhà bình thường thôi,nhưng có cảm giác rất dịu ngọt và yên bình khi được sống và hít thở bầu không khí nơi đây.

Sometimes simple is the best! Delicate crisp color of paint for the door. New mail box and light. A colored pot on the porch to go with the door color.From your pic, it looks like the plantings in front go straight across. Bring some of the area out. Where there is space on the right between windows plant a Japanese Maple or an evergreen. Maybe pulling out the old bushes, reuse somewhere else in the yard.

Plants with careful planning can give so much to an exterior.........

Thank you for all of these suggestions! We're having a good time reading through them and will definitely use many of them. We just paid a lot of money for that door and the stain so I don't think we'll be changing the color of that any time soon - but probably someday!

Understood about the door. I still think a darker tone on the base of the house would add some dimension and contrast. Good luck!

I feel you need contrast with the siding or window and fascia trim. Let the door be the focal point of your home.

Are you open to painting your wood door?

One other option I am wondering about would be to paint the porch area with a contrasting color to the rest of the house.

Also, add a brass or nickle kick plate to the bottom of the door. That with a large matching lantern, new numbers, mail box and a larger planter would really help to draw in the eye.

Here is what I kind of had in mind with the entrance, and extending the porch as a paito. I added bridk early on to the step area, and liked it, but removing the flagstone for that didn't make sense.

Here is a really good example of mixing the two. I've been looking at your annex area the whole time, and I wonder if something like this could be done in that area, removing the shrubs, and adding the brick trimmed flagstone planters It looks like it could be the kitchen area. Could those windows be changed for french doors? And have that whole wall be flagstone?

What I see is you either need MORE of an entrance, or LESS. Meaning, the door would look fine if it didn't have the wall area next to it. I'm guessing you must have had a white door before, so it looked fine. What about bringing the sideing into the whole porch area? That would work I think

I LOVE aspects of decoenthusiaste's example, but if you look at all the photos, it's an example of what I think you would not want.

It is very beautiful because all the landscaping, the colors, and materials they chose are gorgeous, but the architectural integrity was compromised when they just stopped with the stone, and it is only on one side of the entrance. The designer tried to compensate with the flagstone post bases, but it really doesn't work for my eye, especially when a wall of light colored brick is right next to it. Also the two gables, or 1 1/2 gables in front are a little off in my eye. It;s hard to know why designs are compromised. It's usually the expense of what it would cost to carry it through, or a funtional necessity thatl's hard to change.

Don't mean to put the example down, decoenthusiaste. As I said, most of it I love, and is really very beautiful, I agree.

Boy, you can be sure on Houzz that you ask a simple question, and eventually we'll have you adding on two or three stories to your place!:)

Kinda Sorta........? The right side is a planter, but maybe you could extend the porch all the way across, I don't know. the front sidewalk in the rendering isn't finished enough looking, but brick trim didn't look right...........

Come to think of it, you could maybe just put the stone on both sides of the door. I can't tell where the porch ends, and if that would make it a little off. But don't you think it looks better with it on both siides?

I actually like that. I'm not sure if you would need the brick trim on the steps or not. But with some new lighting and really nice accessories, I think it would look complete. The stone would surround the whole door. But I think continuing with the grey match flagstone is crucial.

Last one, promise!

smdrovetto - you are highly observant and pretty neat. Hopefully someone out there will put your ideas into action.

Hi Sellaginella! Oh my goodness! What a lovely compliment! Thank you so much. I just kind of fool around, so that makes me feel pretty nice. Do I dectect a pizanne? :)

Hi Sellaginella, I have my mom with me, who is 93, and bedridden, so this is very relaxing, and such a bonus to get such nice compliments.

She got so sick in a nursing home, I just packed her up and brought her home.

She's still bossy! I will be doing her personal care, and she'll let me know when she doesn't like it! This morning she said, "That's just about enough of that! Just what she said when I was a kid/

There aren't enough like you left in the world today. Your mom is extremely lucky. I know what it is like to look after someone bedridden. MY best to both of you and I really hope your mom can get back on her feet with the kind of care you give. My own mother passed away at the ripe old age of 85 and she was on her feet until the very last day, Her secret? Vegetarian diet and herbals. Hope Leannfrank doesn't mind the private chat.

I still hope she will. I know, I felt so sorry for some of the patients, who never got a visitor. My mom's roommate was just a lovely lady, and her daughter didn't come and see her very often, but my mom was only there about 1 1/2 months. I felt very bad not being able to give her more notice. I wish I could have brought her home, too.

Well, your mom was very smart! Especially someone from her generation adopting quite a drastic lifestyle change. It must be hard to be without your mom. Thanks for all your kind wishes, sellaginella. There are days when it kind of blndsides me, and I think, "Where is that young mother?"

My mother's age should have read 95 not 85. You have to learn to let go. When I was younger, I wanted my mother to live for ever but when the time came for her to go all of us were glad that she went without having to depend on anyone for her day to day activities. She got her wish. With 9 stray cats and kittens to look after, I am kept busy with their antics. About your mom's roommate, there are far too many like her languishing in elders' homes. I would say you are one in a million. You have your heart in the right place. Who knows what will happen to us! My apologies to all curb appeal participants and Leannfrank of course for straying away from the subject. Being vegetarian is a way of life for Buddhists.
Getting back to the subject in hand curb appeal means different things to different people. Hope someone can benefit from these images which might or might not be to the taste of Leannfrank..

Wow! These are all gorgeous! Wow! 95! Wow! 9 stray cats !? That must me like herding cats! :)
You can write me anytime at: smdrovetto@yahoo.com Love to hear from you.

The last photo looks almost exactly like my in-laws house, except the steps head straight to the front door.

No need for apologies!!! I love your ideas and your conversation.

Thank you both. I love gardening and interior decorating. Not a pro though. But I like to share the images I see and love with others but one can never cater to a specific request just by submitting images. One can only pick up ideas. And professionals can see to the rest by supplying the needful.

Yes, I will write to the email address you have given smdrovetto. Thanks. 2 top images are from my own garden. Not landscaped but I like it a little wild. Bottom two are ideas from the internet. Thanks for enjoying the conversation Leannfrank. Hope you will find what you are looking for eventually.

My first impression when looking at the photo is that it would be nice if the door were centered...maybe with glass panes on either side. I personally love the delicate colors of the paint and shutters, it's kind of cottage-y, so the door would look nice if it were painted a pretty color to coordinate...maybe a light smokey teal. Or else stained darker.

Leanne! Thank you so much for being so generous to allow a bit of off-subject conversation! You've been so gracious to allow us to comment and give ideas about your lovely home!

Sellaginella! your garden looks beautiful! One of my favorite places is Carmel, CA. It is a little beach town where so many cottages (and not so cottages!) have the charming, unmanicured gardens. I love that look!

You made me think of my cat George. He was SO funny! He came with a house we bought 30 years ago.
He looked like a cartoon cat. He was smooth black, a little chubby, with short legs, and he ran the neighborhood! I would go next door once in a while, and there he would be, sleeping on a pillow on a chair.

The neighbor cried all night before we had to move 8 years later..................not for us, she was going to miss George. So, I left him with her. He was getting older and I was worried about him adjusting to a new territory, so he lived a long life there.

Lucky George! He was more fortunate than many humans to have been looked after so well by good carers.
Vet was here and had a time with one orange fellow scratching me all over through fear and the fuss was all for nothing.
The fellow was not a she but a he! So much for my knowledge on important matters! Wasted trip for the vet so we compensated him by paying transport charges. I love animals but not in such large numbers. Now that the damage is done, we have to look after all. Finally last Saturday vet gave the mother cat an injection(spaying?) to stop it's activities for the next six months. After that the full works. Forgot to show the orangey last week so vet had to come this week for nothing. Time for some education for me and my daughter. Will write to given address now that the fuss is over with the kitty cats. Thank you Leannfrank. No more wasting of your valuable space. Some flowers for all you friends from my garden.

Here it is...

I helped a friend with a similar situation - though we were also picking a roof color at the time. We went with a butterscotch on the hours, lighter tan trim (not too light so that it gets to a cream color!) on facia boards, gutters, and went black with all fixtures - new bigger exterior lanterns, planters, shutters, mailbox, and a black iron bistro set out front. The overall look was of butterscotch and black with the tan to relieve the connecting areas. It was really rich looking when we were done.
-Christina
5 Rules Design