More pics for reference

A lot of the shrubs are overgrown, so update the landscaping. The steps and porch need a good power washing and some repairs. Get rid of the planters on the steps. Not in love with the house numbers. Whatever color you choose, err on the bright side since you are in the shade. Grays, grieges, etc will look a bit more blah in the shade.

IMO this is storybook ranch what you have is really bad try at making what could be quite lovely but missed That entry is all wrong the gable is to high , the shutters do not belong now it needs major work to get the style you think you have. Unless you are willing to do that major work on the entry you will need to begin work on lanscaping to balance that oversized entry . Thanew lanscaping will need to draw your eye down .

Yes! Exactly. Missed…. I think the former owner tried to make it look more… masculine? Built in 1975.

Remove the shutters. They're inconsistent with the style of the entry. The black front door is too dark against the stone. If the stone is just a facade, I would remove it. If the stone stays, a natural wood front door in a more modern style would be nice. If it's not time to replace the door, paint it brown/taupe - something that complements the stone better. Then go a couple shades lighter on the siding. The garage door should be the same color as the front door or siding if you want it to blend in more. Is the garage detached? Maybe someone will come along and mock up some options for you. Improving the landscaping will help a lot.

I would go with new steps and more inviting entrance

I like this idea for front portico

Interesting! So many good ideas popping up here. Love it. Thank you

I would make steps the full width of the front porch, widen sidewalk to house. Maybe even extend deck along part of front of house. If windows are not metal paint house dark navy add some cedar/ wood wrap around posts and maybe your soffits. I would bring in someone to help with landscape plan as it looks like you don’t have much existing to help with direction.
Great house..so much potential.

It's not a storybook ranch. It's just quirky.

I would remove the shutters which push it towards 'quaint'. Get it back to a contemporary ranch house.

Those double-hung windows are all wrong for the house and I'd look to replace them when funds permit with picture window/awning units or casements.

I like the board and batten siding and would keep that.

I'd select one of the colors in the stone and paint the house that color so the materials relate.

IMO this dusty taupe color below would look great on the house.

Agree with the suggestions to widen the steps in a complementary way (i.e. slate steps for example). For paint you can definitely go lighter with a creamy ivory. Shutters come off and the window trim can be darker (bronze instead of black)

Or you can look at a deep bronze paint that looks like your dark mortar (SW Urban Bronze is a winner). Your gutters and leaders can be changed to a dark color as well.

A mossy, rich, deep green also works for your ranch. Improved landscaping will enhance that color if you plant flowering bushes that being in light and happy colors (rhododendron or knockout roses for example).

If you have the money, I would change the style of the door. The current one is “heavy” looking so something with less paneling and more glass (in natural wood) would make the entry more appealing.

I hope this gets your paint color choices started.

yours isn't really a storybook ranch. those 'cinderella' ranch homes had a lot of hanssel and gretal/gingerbread trim look to them. the front gable would swoop down to the ground. (I always wanted these as a kid because I thought it would so cool to be able to climb to the roof)

I like the ideas Celerygirl mocked up for you

I love this look

The white painted underside of the overhang is all wrong. needs to be wood, or painted darker.

but I'd remove those shutters (they're horrible w/the house) and pick a color that matches the stonework

Creamy white, keep trim dark.

For with your stone, maybe something like this color combo would work?

I'm so glad you will be giving this home some love. I love it too. I like the concept of choosing paint colors that bring out the beauty of your stone. I like the caramel to taupe browns with dark bronze to black accents. I'd love to know what the original plan had for shutters and windows before going to the mess and expense of changing them. Are there other houses of this model or type in your neighborhood? Are there any you really admire in appearance that you could show us?

Comparing the pictures, it looks like someone changed the approach to the front door, and it created problems. Can you tell us what you know about that and why it was done? The slope on the front yard... Can you take a picture at the start of the walkway to the front door?

For the landscaping part it would help to have a plot map showing dimensions and directions. Information about growing zone and deer pressure would help. I'm guessing you are in a southeastern state. Do you have snow/ice in winters? Are there views from the house that you like? Are there rooms in the house that need a better view to look at? Looks like power lines nearby so you have to choose plantings that don't create a conflict.

A mistake a lot of people make in landscaping is to plan only for the foundation of the house, and appearances from the street. That tends to make the house and plants harder to maintain in addition to looking contrived. The other mistake people often make is to think all flowering shrubs, forgetting that the entry needs to look great in winter. In addition, symmetry isn't always best for a home with a sidewalk from one side. With such a sidewalk, there is a tendency to put shrubs between the walk and house that quickly overgrown the space and look stupid. A better approach sometimes is to eliminate the walk and instead install a patio the width of the front porch that eliminates the dirt space next to the house and all the problems the dirt causes. Plantings then go outside that space if needed. Beyond the front door on the left side of the house you plan for a space with a depth equal to the right side and the depth of the front porch. I think this approach to the front entry also will require fewer shallower steps to the porch. While you are at it, get radiant heating for the new approach/walk/patio so you never have to worry about ice on it, and look into coloring the concrete to blend with your stone and stamping it with a slate texture and a stone pattern edging. Don't just get anyone to pour concrete. Start with the company doing the stamping and ask for references you can visit. 

People also create landscapes that make a lot of work for themselves and provide no assistance. You have several deciduous trees and I am guessing a bit of raking in the fall plus spots that are hard to grow grass under. Is that correct? If you could show on your plot map where those are that will help. But the main idea is to create wide beds that connect the trees so you don't have to try and fail to grow grass  under them or spend money mulching under them. They also give you a place to blow the leaves in a half hour instead of raking a half day and add to the health of the entire yard. I just ask that you look at the current trees and consider removing any that are fighting with your power lines. The power company may be willing to remove them for you. And I love trees, so I also would think of how best to replant elsewhere with more trees. Those are some starting thoughts.

I just noticed the driveway needs replacing too. That is expensive. But when you do it, it doesn't cost much more to put in heating so you don't have to worry about snow or ice storms. The expensive part is the driveway. Let me know if you want details.

Fixing the proportions and harmonizing the materials will enhance curb appeal. But 1st, repair driveway cracks now before the cracks get worse and repairs will cost you more. If you can replace the blacktop driveway with brown, if will look more natural. Are you keeping the wooded lot feel or going for manicured lawn? Is the stone under gable real or fake facade? Are you feeling the exterior should be prairie or modern? The tiny eagle over huge double garage door make both look way out of proportion, remove the eagle and train a vine that stays green year-round on the pergola over the garage door to soften all the straight lines. The square panels on the garage door and front door geometrically fight with the vertical lines of the siding, consider a simpler style for both - a flat panel natural finish wood, repeat style and finish on the shutters if you keep them. If that is real stone on the front door surround, the underside of the gable and the pillars should be natural finish wood to continue the natural or modern look. The tiny side lights are too small for the double garage door, maybe big prairie or modern style lanterns instead. Remove the 3 concrete planters, it doesn’t feel like the right material and the embossing is too fussy. The front porch drop-off is dangerous and not wide enough to balance the massive entry, either build a porch fence if you plan to sit on the porch, or build wide steps as suggested in a photo above. Add super tall planters flanking the door and smaller planters stairstepped in front to gently lead the eye up to the soaring gable. The black trim on windows is too dark, needs a lighter beige/brown color from the stone. IMO, a tall evergreen at each end of the house will balance the gable height.

Thank you so much for all of the great ideas here. I am going with the color scheme similar to the one ffpalms suggested. Siding Shell White, Front door Cavern Clay, Soffits & Trim in Loggia. We are removing the shutters & arbor over the garage door.

We are replacing the vinyl soffits with hardiplank. Is Loggia a good color for those? Should we keep them the same color as the siding?

We have a quote to wrap the two columns and beams holding up the portico with pine wood…. They have also suggested “southern yellow 1x6 pine tongue & groove” to go under the portico / porch ceiling. All stained to match? What color stain would you choose?

I almost feel like we should keep soffits the same color as the siding in Shell White if we will have stained wood columns and ceiling in the center. But the fascia and gutters in Loggia. Downspouts in Shell White to disappear.

Any suggestions are welcome. I have a hard time picturing what all this will look like.

And new landscaping! Definitely will be pulling out all the foundation plants and working on something new for that as well. We know that will go a long way too with curb appeal.

The stained wood is something I need help with now. Is darker ok?
Help! Thank you!!!

darker is fine. you don't want anything yellow.

this stain is nice. a darker (no red) tone w/a bit of gray added to it

why not have the painter guy make up a few samples for you?

hold them up w/the samples of the paint color. have him paint a few boards in those colors too.

no one knows how this will look w/your lighting. you need samples

Sounds beautiful! Please post pics of the results.🙂