hi ladysue. could you include a few more photos -- maybe from a bit further back?

Maybe just a louvered vent cover where the old security system is placed?
I think everything goes with a gray roof, but I wouldn't introduce too many colors on a smaller home. I'd paint the scolloped area the color of the ridge line and paint the ridge line white like the trim. The door I'd paint a brighter color like yellow to make it pop. Colorful doors help to
showcase a recessed entrance.

Hi there, I love the architecture of this house! What about painting the exterior a light grey and changing the shutters to black?



As for the space under the windows... What if you added bushes or flowers that reached the bottom of the window?

Minimal Traditional needs sense of humor,character.Go bold craftsmen style bungalow shutters wider.AvailableatLowes.Introduce two other colors,cherry red,or terra cotta white and smoky charcoall.Paint window trim or beef up white columns,easy switch out with craftsman style bungalow,columns,add homedepot or lowes stoneveneeraround porch column.Bold red door,or green,burnt orange.Get Craftsman Bungalowbook at library,note colors.Go to Sherwin Williams,use their schemes,samplesIs it coastal?Graypale blue taupe?Is it mountain?Gray,green terra cotta.....
.

Of course black craftsman style work,or a deep green.Even mulberry deep purple goes with gray green lavender,Punch it out.

Google craftsman style bungalows for ideas.

Love frenchdoor,porch,cut greens back to show better.Concider bolder chocolate browndarksky lanterns,also good,lowes.

Do not sorry mean to bombard you,like Yourhouse porch,keep square columns add brick or stone to base to look bungalow.be sure to open up porch and door by trimming greenery,Veryneat looking house.

Thanks everyone for your comments. I will reconsider wider shutters. Maybe they'll look better if mounted on the trim instead of outside the trim. A nice gable vent would sure be an improvement instead of the alarm box, and beefier porch posts akin to the arts & crafts style would look nice. I still am unsure about the paint color. Should I paint the scalloped area a different color? If so, should it be the same color as the fascia, or complementary?

The current scalloped area looks a bit dated as is, but could be really cool if you really made it a separate area with hardie board shingles. In its current state, my inclination would be to keep it the same color as the body of the house so as not to emphasize it.

I have seen in arts and crafts style the whole scallop and triangle siding boards peek a color,not just the facia.I think it would be .good to pick up doorcolor.Houzzchart three colors.60percent,twenty five fifteen percent.THe four boards above the window including the scallop in a color.

Hello, Lady Sue!
I would like to suggest that you do a "Bavarian" search on Houzz. I found a link to a prospective inspiration house, which Chemayne posted in a discussion. I am on my IPad and am having difficulties posting the photo here.

The photo is titled "Swiss Chalet" and listed under Canyon Construction.

The link to the architect's website is walkermoody.com.

You have a charming 1940's cottage! I really like your idea to highlight the scalloped shingles in the roof peak. You could put a charming birdhouse there to install a decorative element such as a round ceramic or molded wood emblem that is meaningful to you and your personality/family.

Gray is a wonderful neutral to work with. Look into your closet and find out which colors make you happiest. Are you bold or subtle? Blue tones are cooler, and look great with a gray roof. Green tones such as teal could play up the scallop shell shingles and add a pop of color in the door if so desired. Or... change the whole house color completely.

Play up the cottage details by skipping the shutters and installing wide planter boxes, in black. Sharpen up the trim with more contrast and make it pop with a brightly colored door. Hang some lovely colorful baskets in front and add a couple of brightly colored rockers with cushions or adirondack style chairs, with a small table for refreshing iced tea.
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black shutters with a medium grey on the exterior of the house with a bright red door.

I'm with Elise. Keep the gray, remove the shutters, put along black window boxe under the window, and have a brightly colored front door. Google "gray house with yellow front door," and Google images will show you a ton of those . . . or red, or orange, or turquoise, or royal blue. Additionally, hide the garden hose if you can and re-landscape the bushes at the foundation with plants of different heights. Don't worry about the scallops or the box up there. Pull the visitor's eye to plantings, window boxes, etc.

I am a *house whisperer* and this house spoke to me and said I want to be a yellow house with a blue door and shutters;)

HI -- The number one curb appeal color in surveys is "Yellow". I think this house could stand out if you painted it a real pretty sunny yellow with the white trim on the windows and black shutters and a cherry red front door --- classic ! The shutters you have are a little too small . One shutter should be as wide as half the window and as long as the window . Not so sure you need a window box , but you can try -- they are a lot of fuss and have to be watered more ,but if your going to do it then it could be the color of the house or the black of the shutters. The firebox up under the eve probably has to be there so just paint it the same color as the house main color . If it is no longer needed then maybe replace it with a louvered grill .The roof edge trim could be black or white .

I'd like to see those scallops pulled along with the security box. Replace with a nice wide piece of trim and staggered shakes. The color suggestions above are all good. My opinion is to go bold but cute. White or khaki-tan trim with grey main and a cranberry or cobalt accent in the peak/porch columns.

I would definitely call Lantern & Scroll for some beautiful cottage style lanterns. I would pick these for your home. They would look awesome. Oh, and Lantern & Scroll is awesome to work with. Cheers!

I would call a local designer to look at your house and I bet he/she would come up with some great ideas. I bet it won't be a hard fix either. Probably just paint, some minimal landscaping, new shutters, and light fixtures. Show us pictures of any updates.

I really like your house! I would start by trimming the vines and bushes that block the doorway and porch. I like the scallops and would keep them the same color as the house. If you contrast the scallops, I think it will end up looking to dollhouse-ish. I barely notice the alarm box now, but the vent would work. I like the colors you have now. They are different, not colors you see everywhere. Deep purple and blue flowers will look nice in your landscaping. I agree with the post that you should think about disguising the hose. It would be better if you could store it on the side.

Do you know the name of your current color? Looks like what I'm looking for.

Looking again I think some white plantation blinds would look nice on the front window with black shutters. The white and black would pop against the pretty gray siding.

Hello, again!
May be you can see the Swiss Chalet inspiration photo, if I include the complete link. Marylou

www.canyonconstruction.com

I love this website! You all are so creative! Although it looks gray, the house is currently a faded sage green. The front door, shutters and fascia are lavender. Unfortunately, the front door is covered by a black security door so it can't be seen. :-( I'm intrigued by the yellow siding option. That's pretty bold but if done right can be really cute! I will not contrast the area above the scalloping. The alarm box is old technology and will most likely be replaced by a gable vent. The garden hose is going too. Would painting the gutter along the front to match the fascia on the peak be a good idea or a design faux pas?

Re: gutter paint, you could, or vice versa if you're going with a cheery color on the body of the house. If you stay with a muted tone like the one you have, the darker color would be fine. If it were my home, I'd go with 50's colors and give it a bungalow feel. It's a real sweet house!

I wouldn't paint the gutter, but WOULD paint to the scallops (not the fourth board) the same colour as the whole house, just a shade or two darker. Personally, I'd paint the whole house a shade or two darker (or go with the bold suggestion if you are brave and want to have fun - it might make it look cottage), but that's personal preference. My house is a bold greyed-down blue and I love it. A neighbour has a gable cover in white and people stop and look. It really adds to the house. I would ditch the shutters.

I agree with painting the scallops also, but I would paint from the scallops up. You could either go a shade or two darker or switch up your color palette. The options really are limitless and I'm loving how cute and charming this exterior is!

I was assuming that's what we were talking about (up, not down). I agree with either option. It's a really cute house - worth playing up the details.

When I was trying to pick paint colors for my house, I looked at plenty of pictures, and as I drove through various neighborhoods I noted paint schemes that appealed to me. What I discovered was that every house that appealed to me had a medium tone, rather neutral color for the body, both very dark and very light trims with a contrasting door. Knowing that made picking colors a lot easier, perhaps you could do a similar analysis, paying special note of roofs with color similar to yours.

No suggestions, but I must say, what a BEAUTIFUL, stunning home. I am so jealous. Whatever you do will be beautiful I'm sure. Beautiful!

I would like to see the body of the house white, the scalloped section medium gray and the shutters bigger and either black or dark charcoal. Add black hardware to the shutters

Here is my Minimal Traditional home it was built in the 50's, I bought the home in 2011. It is 1 level 735 sq feet 2 bdrm/1 tiny bathroom, kitchen. The little hallway has a linen closet. Hardwoods throughout except for bathroom/kitchen. The picture is when I bought the home. Since that time the tree had to go, planted in wrong place by previous owners. New roof and windows were done last fall 2016. The roof is a gray color. The front door has been replaced painted a luscious lemon by behr paint.

So my question to you folks is what to replace the awning with? What type of overhang would look good with this style home? I learn from the neighbors the awnings front and back were added at least 10 years ago. Gathering ideas the back steps from kitchen needed replacing so I added a nice deck. I like to keep the yellow door, aluminum siding will be painted and navy blue shutters added with navy blue foundation. This is the back door which the front entry door is painted the same color,

Hi Michelle,

Have you considered a front porch for your entry. By bringing your gable out and beefing up some posts over your steps, you could transform the front of your home and give it more presence. Also the extended gable would provide protection from the weather. I love this example here, and just play with a picture you print and draw on to get ideas. If you have a trusted contractor, ask them to draw an idea for you and give you a quote.

Enjoy your sweet cottage. There is a lot to be said for living small!

Here’s some neat colours on a craftsman type house owned by my daughter and son in law. Lots of windows, no shutters. The front planters are re-used iron bed frames.