IMO those hedges in the front need to be pruned significantly.

The shutters might look better in a higher contrast paint color. Maybe match the storm door color.

Here are Georgians in the Chicagoland area. White trim is pretty typical for Georgians.

This is kind of Georgian in Form, but it's really a Minimal Traditional or Deco-Moderne version of Georgian, so it started out as a pretty stripped down version of "traditional" and it will probably look best if it remains so.

Living in a design period where new houses have all sorts of jigs and jogs and four different cladding materials and embellishments tacked on here and there, yes, mid century Minimal Traditional houses are kinda boring. But give me a nice boring sturdy looking house any day. As was mentioned, working on the landscaping would help, and flowers in the summer months can make a world of difference.

Thank you. Very true! I think it was meant to be an affordable starter, post-depression, focused on maximizing space and less on materials. I hear you. I want to practice restraint here, for sure.

I think a crisper look with charcoal brown or dark brown features would be both traditional and modern. If there's room in the budget, hire a garden designer to plan upgraded landscaping that will enhance the upgraded house.

You can use a paneled shutter instead of louvered, but I would stay pretty traditional. As plain as this house is it has an identity strongly associated with what period it is from--like the Deco glass block sidelights instead of the traditional sidelights and the big picture window and asymmetrical door overhang.

So I really wouldn't personally introduce anything in a different style, particularly because you are really keeping the house exactly as is, otherwise. It's like a 70 year old in great shape wearing an outfit for a 25 year old because it fits--when really it would be better to wear something really flattering that is age appropriate.

https://www.architecturaldepot.com/CUSTOM-TFPFP.html?DefaultSku=

Landscaping, new shutters, and door color will help a lot.

The style is often referred to as “five, four and a door” — a row of five single windows above a row of four single windows and a centered door. The simple rectangular shape is typically topped with a hipped or gable roof with minimal overhang and an embellished cornice. This is what a georgian home would be. I think now just do some things suggested and stop trying to make it smething it is not . UNless of course you want to spen huge $$$$$ to make it "Georgian" I think darker shutters and a nice dark more Georgian style front door that might have a bit of that style feel. I agree landscpaing will make a huge difference in curb appeal. Giogle Georgian landscaping to give you someinspiration. What you have needs to be ripped out for sure A nice walkway from the street with the steps in front of the door would aslo be better.

I’d go with a creamy white on all of the trim and the shutters. I love the blue door color that you have now and would paint the brown on the storm door to match the blue. If you wanted to change it up a green in that same tone would be pretty too.

Patricia,

Actually "Georgian" or "Georgian Revival" is the proper name given to this style of house as is, in Chicago Vernacular architecture of the post-depression to post-war era. It may be a fanciful name, but that's what they were called.

These are all identified as "Georgian", in the Chicago vernacular style. They started with the pyramidal roof and symmetrical facade just like English Georgian houses (Not so much American colonial ) and evolved into more asymmetric forms over time.

Apparently like so many things not true to style and just renamed to make people feel they have something they do not have. IMO the symmetry of a Georgian house is what makes that style beautiful messing with it for no reason does not make it good.

Apparently like so many things not true to style and just renamed to make people feel they have something they do not have

Agree.

That's why I said the name was fanciful, but we're stuck with it, that is how they are called whether anybody approves of it or not. It's no more inappropriate than "Modern Farmhouse" which is neither, or "MCM" to describe a current pastiche that just isn't traditional being built right now. But we're stuck with those names too, and for the majority of people the names conjure up an idea of pretty much what such a house looks like, as inappropriate as they might be.

Emily thanks so much for taking the time to mockup some color choices!! And add some lanscaping colors and choices too. Amazing!!! So very generous of you! And very generous of everyone with their incredible perspectives!! Love this community.

The mint green looks all wrong and blah to me. Higher contrast, whether more white or browns- black, looks crisper.

I hear you. They actually used to be white, and we really didn't love it, hence the teal paint job. They're in bad shape now, so they have to go entirely. As for brown, our house is actually sandwiched between a colonial and a georgian, both with brown shutters. There are already a few homes not far with black shutters too, on yellow brick, and it is a very sharp contrast. So, we were hoping to be a bit different. I am a bit worried that a dark color, even if pvc, might dull in the sun (i've noticed that with brown and black). But I will consider maybe a dark blue or green. The sage color I was considering has a grey undertone, so do the shingles I picked and the mortar I have, which is why I thought about it. Definitely a tough decision to make!

Just a vote for lower contrast paneled shutters, I think they add dimension to the front of the home without being too dominating (to me personally: the home doesn’t look like it ”should” have shutters so I would want to tone down the visual impact of them)

but I tore off our cheap black shutters the same day we moved in so there’s that 😅

I get that about too dark. Maybe what I’m seeing is the “ mint” doesn’t go as well with the warm gold tones? Maybe there is a slightly warmer, similar color, and maybe medium- contrast. Hopefully you could try more photo- shopping in additional colors to narrow down what you’d actually sample.

LOL yes, so many times the shutters, though not functional, look out of place and are sized all wrong! They should be sized to look as if you could close them, even if they are just for decoration. Mine will be adjusted to the size of the window opening, as the sizing isn't correct currently. And good point on lower contrast, still can provide dimension, especially if I deviate from the traditional plantation style on the design.

Here it is without.