What stage is your new build in? Already under construction?

With your really busy/jumbled elevation (looks like the plan was "perfected", then the exterior was applied), I'd suggest a simpler brick with very little variation, and not using a white mortar.

I would select a lighter window too.

Then think about trim and roof colors.

Thank you for the response. Just broken ground - so very early still.

We are not interested in changing the brick color, roof color, or the windows - so looking to get ideas with those things set.

We have debated the mortar - we have ruled out gray, buff, and anything but a white or an off-white. We would potentially be interested in an ivory mortar or something very subtly off-white but still with the same brick and windows.

You have a lot of going on with all the materials and very busy elevation.

I'm going to guess this is an indirect way of saying match the trim with Hardie board color

A McMansion, huh? Didn't know people were still pursuing this architectural design with all that had been written about avoiding this style trap. The house is huge and hulking and is mostly roof/attic.

McMansion is a slang term that describes a large, often opulent or ostentatious, mass-

produced house. The name carries a somewhat critical connotation because McMansions

lack architectural uniqueness, class, or style.

You keep referring to gray...................nothing in your current palette is gray. If they look gray to you, then there are online color blindness tests you can take to determine if you are seeing colors correctly.

What's with the large brick corbels at the base of all the gables? Just another applied detail with no design basis.

.

Do you think you understand exactly how much roof you have on your home as currently designed??????? And how much that roof is costing you??

McMansions

PPF did a very good job of revising the elevation to eliminate lots of unnecessary material changes. I'd go further and reduce the height of the roof & get some protection over the front door.

Here are some French style homes that have been detailed with careful restraint.

Beverly this was very helpful, thank you. I agree, roof line is a lot and we need to reduce it/clean it up and straightening those corbels will clean it up quite a bit. There is a large front porch behind the fence and that area is covered. I don't think my elevation photo is a good photo and accentuates things quite a bit as the front of the house is more flat while this makes it look like it has a lot of variation in depth. I appreciate the color suggestions - I think when we switched brick, we couldn't see past the trim/design choices we had already chose to see that they needed to change now as well. This was exactly what I was hoping for. Back to the design board and back to make those design changes on the roof and corbel.

IMO stop now and redo that exterior completly so many gables and all for no reason except upping construction costs .As for where to put the brick is there some reason for the brick? I think this house is planned for how it looks from the street but IMO homes need to be designed for how the house relates to the plot and what is inside and any brick or stone added to a house needs to go all the way around or it just looks like exactly what it is brick stuck on and not part of the constaruction I am thinking this is in some HOA place where you have to have brick . IMO back to the drawing board for the whole house.

Never select colors from a computer screen.

"Modernized red brick house" and the front elevation provided institute dubiety.

From the Henry Brick website.

IMO too much is just too much