Is that brick on the lower half?

Are you going to paint your siding? We did in our old house and it really lasted well. We used BM paint, went to our local shop and discuss it with them...I think they told us lighter colors would last much longer...

yes - brown brick............I'm really amazed at how you could create a picture! Although I'm not crazy about blue........it would stick out too much in the neighborhood. Can you do the same with taupe and taupe color windows? Someone also suggested a small 'fake' window above the garage. The landscaping is really interesting.........your so right about reducing those bushes. It still appears a bit unbalanced. I would be happy removing them. That would allow me to widen the driveway a bit more and allow for better snow removal.

Mary - we will be updating the siding with new siding (and updating insulation underneath). I'm finding that all the stores can give you all the wonderful information about each product but no one can give the 'total' picture. We are replacing the windows too and I'm considering taupe. Thanks for you comments!

Get out the chain saw. Please remove the 2 large bushes on the right. They are your biggest obstacles.

Not only are they dwarfing your house, but they are a security risk. Burglars love houses enclosed buy towering trees and bushes.

I would paint the body of the home Chelsea Gray (low luster) by Benjamin Moore. And the trim Revere Pewter HC-172 (soft gloss) Benjamin Moore front door Cottage Red ( high gloss) Benjamin Moore

A darker paint color is far more rich and classy and will suit this Traditional style home nicely!

Chelsea Gray and Revere Pewter...........I like that. Now to find that in siding and window options. Should I remove shutters and use window mouldings? If I read Bedbury comments - darker siding and lighter windows/framing. Should I lighten the corners with moulding too?

wow.........the white has to go! Thank you.

I don't particularly like the color posted on the photo above:-)

I think it's the shutters that are off. The picture appears more green than beige but the idea is there and I still like your color choices. Now to find the siding to match. Keep shutters or get rid of them?

Should the garage door be lighter or darker than the siding?

Have you considered painting in a tone similar to your brick, so that the house does not look horizontally chopped in half?

I've considered it except I don't really like the brown. I want to accent with black......hence the roof was recently done with black shingles.

What color is your brick? It looks reddish-brown. Is that right?

When you paint your front door, I would paint the sidelights same color as door, which will increase the visual footprint of the door.

I think we need a closer photo of the brick.

For the siding, I think I would go with a putty color.

Do you like these combinations?

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Also, one more thing you could do to really make your house look better is to beef up the pillars.

I attached a picture of the brick color

cdrdesign - I like the combo's. On the Magnolia pic, the mortar has grey, so there is a good connection. I have an odd color mortar that appears sometimes pinkish and sometimes taupe. This is likely why I'm leaning to the taupes.

Pillars - yes - agree- need to be beefy. Black or beige - railing or no railing? Can I do black railing with taupe pillars? It's amazing how you can look at what you have and can't see it right until you look through other people's eyes. Thanks for the feedback!

Now that I see the brick, I think you are better off with a color like that below for the siding. I would start by seeing what siding options there are.

The front door could be your show-stopper.....maybe a cobalt blue.

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Pilllars same color as siding. No railing. Windows charcoal. Siding taupe or putty color.

Gather all of your color choices and bring them together. It will all fall together.

I think your right.............and your picture has a black door and frame which I love. I checked out the Houzz front doors and didn't see anything. I think I would have a 3/4 window in the door with side lights, everything black..........too dramatic? Then taupe pillars - black railing? change out the soffits and facia board to blend it all. Thanks for the advice!

Okay, back to white pillars and windows, but this does look good!

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agreed.............you have me thinking. I like that brick better than mine.

You have good taste. Gather all of your possibilities. You can use the photos as inspiration. You have narrowed your choices and just need to refine them and make final choices!

I like the first picture with the double columns out front and I like the roof line change at the front door. This house is symmetrical...could that work for my house? I could never make it symmetrical. The square columns are nice. As for railing, it's the only input my husband gave...............it's his only input to the whole house change over. I don't know if I can eliminate or not. I know for sure I wouldn't put it on the right side of the door, maybe just the left? If I ignore him, then I will never get any input! only after it's done will I hear what is right and wrong!

Once you've decided on colors, make a new landscaping plan. Your plantings have outgrown themselves. You could go with a larger planting area, following the same line of your current area. Change the gutters to drain on the side of the house, not the front. It can be done. Then the downspout can be on the side of the house. Later, you might consider some kind of retaining wall on the left side. Take pics and a roughly drawn outline in to some nurseries. They will give you ideas as to plantings. Don't make the mistake I did at my first house and over plant the area -- bushes get bigger -- much bigger!

Yes...........next spring we will be working on the exterior of the house. The following year will be the stone driveway (currently stone) and landscaping (stone work etc). Good point on the bushes. Need to work from left to right so that the eye is lead to the front door.

Yes, you can do a roofline change.

Diana......with all you are doing, I really would recommend an architect who can pull this all together for you.

Then, you can execute the plan in stages.

I cannot emphasize how much (like señora) that changing the landscape will help. Are you seeing now how the landscape change and the paint and the architectural changes on the house are all integrated?

You can show the above pics to your hubbie and see if he likes them. Let him notice there is not railing.

......and, let the architect recommend no railing.

A railing could work. There are a lot of white PVC ones that would match your columns.

I wrote my post without seeing crdesign's.

Would you be able to post a better photo of the home? Also, a photo closer up to the front entryway? This way I can give you better input:-)

Diana, am I understanding you correctly that you are planning on replacing the siding and the windows?

Always paint garage doors the same color as the body of the home .....unless.... You have a GORGEOUS custom statement garage door! Otherwise you're highlighting the garage door vs. the entirety of the home.

LOVE Cdrdesigns photos with color choices! Anytime you use darker color choices a home appears richer and more classy!

If you use the color combo that Cdrdesigns shared I would use a darker shade of gray or a lighter shade of black for the pillars! It is so true that it's hard to see our own eye. It's great to see it with a new set of eyes:-) Your home is beautiful to begin with...so making these changes will be exciting"

Yes, replacing siding, windows, soffits and facia. This home was custom built in the 70's. Everything is original to then. Although I liked the home when we bought it 7 years ago, I quickly became tired of the white..........and the amount of white. I have never been a fan of brown either. You might think we bought the house because of the neighborhood and the interior. I always knew the exterior would be changed. I've attached 2 more photos, closer up in view. I've also attached one of my inspirations for siding color.
Cdrdesign gave me the idea of double columns and peaked arch at the front door. I've already drawn it out and it will be the plan going forward. Color is still my stumbling block. I'm a visual person.......that's why I really appreciate the input from all the submitters!
Thank again!

I've rotated the pic

Diana, you could add a hanging garden trellis to the outer most part of your porch on each side of the entry door. It would add a bit of privacy, and frame your front door.

wow...what a neat idea...never seen that before. Thanks for the comment