Your house would profit from a landscaping makover. Please replace the bright pink chairs for something that matches the trim on the house. Paint all the flower pots the same color and store them in the garage when there are no live plants in them. You have way too much debris/stuff around the house--either get rid of it or store it unseen or use it up. Otherwise, your house looks fine, lake view and all.

I would not add a 3rd color to your house. One possibility is to lighten the brown trim color. Add a row of windows to the garage doors. Larger lights & house numbers. Remove the B and dried hydrangeas. I'm not fond of the red door but if you like it paint the white window frame red and the sidelights the same color as the trim. You might love the deck, but it doesn't seem deep enough to me. The I agree 100% with @Yvonne Martin about removing all the extraneous stuff. Power wash the concrete and then Landscape

I'd lighten the garage doors toward the siding color, as they aready dominate the front, and pick a better door color (with brown, not white, trim). Agree that the rest just needs to be harmonious, and that you need some plantings for sure!

No more Brown adding no more graphite adding you got some white trim on your red door I would paint the windows White cuz that will go with the tan too it will look good with the tan and the diangle siding I would leave that dangly and you're asking why because it will look like a box I think if you make it horizontal so if all possible maybe you can add a decorative object there? Or possibly around window would be interesting and your house is not ugly it also needs Landscaping get some low-line bushes and some flowers if you like flowers and if you add a tree add it way far from the house

Please let go of landscaping i appreciate ideas but red chairs and pots, none of that is there premantely. There are large hostas infront & hydrangeas on side in summer :)

The diagonal siding is visually jarring. I would replace it with horizontal siding to match the existing and seriously consider a window in that space.

I thought the same thing about putting a window in that upper space, the only problem is the door below is not centered so it would look odd if you centered a window there. I think the window would have to be off centered too.

I am the minority, but what I really liked was the diagonal part of the siding. What I didn't like was the two-story "end pieces" that jutted out where the chairs are. I'd change the horizonal section in the front where the windows are to diagonal slanting the other direction.

When I look at your house I see a ton of potential to create any eye popping modern building. First I want to agree with what someone else suggested: landscaping. But that can be tackled after you do this: paint the entire house dark gray, like a lead pencil gray. No trim. Take out your front door, together with the side panels and replace with a modern door made of some sort of wood you like. I am thinking teak which can be very pricey, but a modern wood door maybe with larger hardware would be so interesting. You could also keep one of the glass "sides" but it would be framed in the same wood as the door. I would use a privacy glass.

Paint is the least expensive way to rejuvenate the dingiest of exteriors while tying everything together. Once the paint job is done, consider getting some cool grasses, if where you live can support perennials like those and line the front of the deck with them. Incidentally, I would get rid of the patio furniture and replace with just two "cool" chairs and a small table maybe of wood or metal in a bold color.

If you can afford it change out your front windows, and also the lighting as well.

Agree there is tons of potential - I’d be tempted to go dark too, (matte) charcoal or black in order to replace all the brown — I would simplify and do the trim in the same color

if you google ”diagonal siding” you’ll see some amazing makeovers -

exterior would need to be crisp and minimal tho so I agree with the feedback above related to chairs, pots etc

Ok, and back to the question you asked about paint colors. It will look too odd to have the front and sides not matched so keep the front the same color as it is now.

The two story tall vertical pieces on either side of the front windows, and the third short vertical piece by the garage, paint the same color as the body of the house to make them disappear.

Paint the garage doors a warm khaki/olive and the trim an off white/beige. It will lighten things up, but keep them soft together, take away some of the harshness and boxiness of the front of your house.

Please let go of landscaping

Landscaping is at least 50% of what will improve the look of this home.

How can i improve the front of this ugly house?

You don't want to change anything but paint? It's not going to improve much if that's all you're doing.

What about the garage doors? if you updated to something more modern/contemp, it would fit the house better. you could even do a faux wood paint?

I do like the dark siding w/the wood accent

If it was mine, I'd probably pick a dark color for siding, redo the trim in black or one of these others, bring in cool color front door, modern style lighting, and new garage doors.

The landscaping doesn't have to be over the top. do some hardscape w/cement pavers, rocks, DG or black mulch, some low plants, diff planers, and something other than a red plastic lawn chair!

You see how this front lawn/flower bed is done? Simple. Make an actual stepping stone path from driveway to door.

look up Contemporary 1970's exterior homes. You can get some other ideas

I love the one Lauren Leiss did with the black/charcoal

https://www.contemporist.com/remodeled-1970s-home-in-seattle/

Here are some other color combos you may like:

Before

After

The vinyl siding cannot be painted a color darker than the manufacturer's original color. Because dark colors absorb heat and cause the vinyl to distort.

Nice rendering by simplynatural^^.

Simplynatural nailed it. Donnajean, even if you don't like the dark mid section, the other colors are fantastic, and you could paint the midsection to match the rest and accent with the door.

If you like a lighter, warmer gray. (try Anonymous)

As you can see, landscaping, a walkway, hardscape, lighting, new numbers, garage doors, all make a beautiful compliment to this style home.

maybe do the siding in the lighter color, trim in the darker, including garage doors

Or try a soft white like shown here w/this siding (anonymous), darker garage door

some lighter shades. modern door, address, some diff chairs, light

same colors, but think about doing some simple wood slats around the front door. bring in a bold color door.

Actually, I think I like this. vertical wood planks, a door just like this one:

garage door, large cement pavers (you can actually make these or buy them) and try the siding in one of these lighter shades w/the darker trim. (I like the darker siding options, but you'd have to check w/the manufacturer of your siding to see if you're able to paint it a darker color)

closer look of the size of the wood if you like this. (you could even do a composite. James Hardie siding)

Some other colors that would work w/wood accents

I like @simplynatural rendering. Not sure what your budget is, but you may want to prepare for replacing rotten wood. Diagonal siding is notorious for rot underneath although you may be saved by that large overhang. I think I see a lake behind the house which indicates a lot of moisture so who knows. The fact that the back siding was already replaced might tell some tales of rot repair.

If you have to replace the diagonal siding, I'd do it with a vertical siding. Also, the eave over your garage looks like it's sagging. Could be just the gutter but could also be another indication of rotten wood. I recently planned to replace my deck, but when the contractor arrived he found so much rotten wood in other areas of the house, my budget allowed for only repairs. Replacing the rotten wood and subsequent new gutters was the cost of the deck replacement. I share this to say, be prepared for more than painting. Keep the budget flexible.

I am just curious about how your home was built. I have never seen this in the front of a home.

My immediate thought is white siding with black trim. Keep your front door red. The angled siding on the upper story, white. Garage doors, white. I think it would sparkle with this c9lor sceh

Sorry, the rest of that sentence: I think it would sparkle with this color scheme.

Thank you for ideas!! It helped me see house in a new light. We will either keep diagonal siding or get vertical wood. Beth H and simplynatural, your ideas and colors were most helpful. I will redo front walk - great idea and will mix grasses in with our huge hostas and hydranga plants. The whole thing will get a paint job but not sure which colors exactly. Thx!!

Oh, and new door!