Whoa///you have me thinking...

Stop it! Your siding and roof and curb appeal are great. Landscaping boring! You can get the most bang by updating landscaping including adding some hardscape. The entire yard should be gorgous. No one stands and looks atvthe house. They look at the bride. Trust we have married 2 daughters outside. One wedding at our house. Maybe paint porch rails black but don't think that's needed.

Can you remove the tv antenna??? :). I see you have a dish ...

I agree that this is an attractive house just as it is ... Except for the antenna. Like the brick and the style, very charming Not sure about removing the trim or adding other texture but like the idea of grey shutters if you are keeping the same neutral color scheme.
I'm into plants and see that you have some ... do they need help? I can't tell from the pic but nice landscaping can work wonders. Don't know what part of the country you are in but if it's a summer wedding you could work that into your plans very inexpensively.
Good luck, I'm sure the wedding will be wonderful!

I never would of thought of gray shutters on a beige house---we are reroofing so trying to get that color thing down also. Yes the TV antenna is coming off as is the silly dish. Do you all think a Bead Board and Shake Shingles on the front peaks would add some perk to the home. The brick is real and has pretty textures. I want to do sliding barn type door shutters over the A peak that faces the road...just fits our place.
More thoughts on dark brown or a tan for color? I can perk up the place with door colors and garage door colors..THanks all!

I like all of howelmsue's suggestions. However, I see white siding, black shutters, and red door ( to match barn). This looks like the perfect house for that combo to me;)

love barn red on country homes

Where is the front walk? Where do guests park and enter? What climate are you in?

I have always wanted to be a wedding crasher, when and where?;))

What color will your new roof be?

I love red houses toooo, but the BIG RED BARN is huge and to close. to the house. The original farm was white, black shutters and a red door. Ought to bring it home. I know I need some landscape ideas also. There is NO front door sidewalk, as the driveway goes around back to the garage and a HUGE deck. We live in Minnesota so gray and cold are coming.

I am still stumped on if I add shake shingles in the peaks and bead board or if it is to busy?

I say * Bring it home* ;))

Hardy Board Colonial style would look great and will last for decades. It also holds paint really well (don't do the preprinted or the wood grain Hardy Board it looks cheap to me) Yes I know your house is not Colonial but their is a subtle detail in the Colonial that gives it a more interesting look that standard lap siding. Here is an image of my home during construction with this siding. 3 years later I still love my choice. Then you can switch to board and baton for the gables.

If you decide to go with barn doors over the window give us a call we can help you with this project. Call 1-800-891-8312

I would not do shake in the peaks AND beadboard siding with the brick. I think it would be texture overload. My personal opinion.

Remove any shutters that are not exactly half the width of the window. Disproportionate shutters are the unibrows of the window world.

cedar board and batten siding painted deep charcoal would look great with the brick!

I'd let the red barn be the red barn, and have the house as a slightly more stylish contrast. Our barns were black! Now they're a pile of building materials, lol.

Have you looked at Hardie Siding products? You can either go vertical, simulating board & batten, or horizontal, like paddle-lap or shiplap. There are tons of examples on Houzz, and they have some great colours. If you have shutters, they should make sense size-wise, i.e. be half the size as the windows they're on.

I think the Hardie board & batten would be very nice on your house, and you could go with a dove-grey - nothing too dark. And a steel roof in a creamy putty colour, which costs roughly 2x a good fiberglass/asphalt, but you won't be replacing it again in another 10 years.

I honestly find nothing wrong with your house other than the antenna. Weddings are about the couple getting married, and the family & friends being together. If you are hosting the wedding on the grounds of your property, the most important things are to have the grounds look great, and any areas that guests will see (bathrooms?) up close looking updated. Assuming you are having tents in case of rain, figure out where you will have them, preferably flat ground area. Figure out where people will park. The areas around the ceremony site and the (presumably) back of the house reception area should have some color, probably from annuals, not perennials unless you know what you want to plant, and do it soon. It's impossible to plan on perennials blooming at exactly the right time due to Mother Nature, but annuals in colorful pots, some hanging (maybe on your porch overhangs), some on the ground or on plant stands will help bring color.

I know it's hard when planning on a huge event being in your home to think that how it looks is ok since you will have the future spouse's family there, and lots of people you will be hosting. However, don't make the mistake of trying to fit in tons of expensive improvements before the wedding. Having just been married myself 2 years ago, I know how tough it is to plan for a wedding. If it had been at my house or one of our parent's houses, I would have been apoplectic. The last thing I would have wanted is for them to make major expensive changes because they thought they needed to.

Worry more about the open areas, bringing some definition to them, what people will see outside in the area of the wedding. If you have a cool tree, hang a wooden swing with rope. Maybe get some gliders, andirock chairs, small tables and benches for that lovely front and side porch. Those are things you can use all the time for guests.

Good luck with your plans. Just my opinion, but look to spend the money on things for the wedding, and plan all the home improvements for later when there is less stress, LOL.

I agree with what howellmsue said in the first post, plus I'd put in larger windows in the two dormers. Beef up the porch posts and trim them out like this house. You could use James Hardie siding (cement type) in a vertical board and batten application like this. Try all white and black shutters plus a red door that matches the barn or a black one if it works better with the brick. Add nice oversized lanterns and spend the rest on replacing all the landscaping for a beautiful wedding venue.

Dear MamaBear, Please do not worry. BabyBear will be just fine. Your house is beautiful and you are too hard on yourself. You must calm down, my dear. There are some really talented people here that have commented toward your question. If they can not tear your house apart, they won't. If you needed it, they would. Sounds to me that folks are giving you a few suggestions since YOU SAY it is faded and needs a new roof. Does not sound like any one thinks this better get done by the wedding or there is going to be some egg souffle on your face! I am worried you will have to get your dress altered three times due to stress induced weight loss just before the cardiac crisis!

Weddings are incredibly expensive. Home improvements are incredibly expensive. That sounds like a receipe for DOUBLE TROUBLE! ( Also sounds like the name of a 1950's TV show) I would not spend money on the house JUST BECAUSE of the wedding and thinking only of that moment IF you do anything to your house. Do it because you would want it that way all the time and would enjoy something many times over and long after the wedding. Please leave yourself extra, extra, EXTRA money and PLENTY of lead time to get it finished so the dust can settle. Construction trucks are havoc on your spring grass and your nerves.

Guess you're not going to get your shake and bead board after all! Folks here think you should not. There's your answer. You were so worried about how to do it! You shouldn't and that's why you couldn't see how. That's an expense you don't need to worry about now. You were almost begging for it but these folks are advising against it. That's what you'd want to know.

All me running my mouth about it, with that being said, ok I agree that getting rid of the gingerbread is a good idea. I do like the beefed up porch posts and trim like Decoenthusiaste has shown up there. Cool! I think that's more in line with the barn door style you think "fits your place". I haven't heard anything from anyone about the barn door though. I don't think it fits the "actual SPACE", IMHO.

Everybody likes your brick including you so that's a win. I agree about a larger window to equal the other one. That also equals work on the INSIDE. New interior paint and furniture rearrangement. You ok with that? You'd then have one small window downstairs. Your brick is so pretty and yet you have no walk way up to the terrific porch and very little landscaping. I think changing the posts, the window and adding a walkway with some landscaping would be a super plan.

I'm thinking about the domino effect that happens with me and try to play it all out and it can and does get mind boggling!

If you want a metal roof but don't want the metal roof look, just to let you know, there are roofs that look like shingle but are in fact, metal, with 50 year warranties.

I finally had the nerve to show a picture of my house here. It was so ridiculous and I'm a bit "slap me silly" with this remodeling I'm in the middle of right now! I hope to be looking as good as you do now, my dear, someday in my future! They will be back bright and early in the morning and I had better get some sleep tonight!

You are looking good, MamaBear. Do not worry so much. Best wishes!

But it's the first childs wedding!!!!

I love you all, the comments are gonna be pulled together and with 100 acres to park and play, I am sure it will go no matter what. ;) My I love going vertical, beefing up the porch, etc. I have a plan now. my contractor is not sold on the James Hardie, but I love the look......he is concerned about our high level of moisture in Minnesota and also letting the house breathe. we will work they it.......and I love you all. I will post pictures...

You might want to think about adding some landscape lighting for the guests who will be partying into the night. Some path lighting for sure, and against the house. And add some to the deck as well.