To draw attention away from the garage, paint it to match the house color. Easy fix. Can't advise on the steps but the front could use some color. Big plants, lots of color! Love your bay window, by the way.

I think some looser plants would help this house soften up a bit. All the shrubs are shorn into tight balls.

I wonder if beefing up the trim around the windows and painting it a brighter white would help. in addition to Bobbi P's excellent idea of painting the garage door, I think that would help bring attention to where it belongs. Don't know if you can do it with those vertical corner siding caps.

A couple other small-but-helpful items:
Clean out grasses and stuff growing between concrete pads on driveway and sidewalk. Because your house is so exposed and sits close-ish to the street, keeping things neat-as-a-pin will enhance the look of the exterior.

I find that houses look better from the outside during the day when the drapes are open on the windows on the inside.

Maybe new light fixtures will freshen things up. I can't tell if the light fixtures should be larger or not (near garage door).

Best wishes.

Thanks Bobbi P and Ann! I never though about changing the light fixtures, but now that I look at them in the photo they do look small! I agree that some bigger, looser plants pulled away from the house might help. I am thinking of creating the new walkway from the door to the center of the driveway instead of pushed up against the house like it is now.

THe new walkway style is a great idea. That will draw the eye where it is supposed to go.

Adding an arbor like this will help:

A wide stone landing and curvey walkway will help.

I'd get rif of the ball evergreen to the side of the garage.

http://www.houzz.com/photos/products/wood-garage-doors


This is a link to some beautiful stained garage doors that I think would solve your problems. There are more on Houzz. You cannot escape the fact that your garage is in front of your house so I would improve its appearance. I don't think it will disappear. Some of these doors are really very fashionable. And in another discussion people mentioned "stained garage doors " over and over. When we were in France people were using stained gates and shutters. They were not rough hewn but smooth with a nice finish perhaps an outdoor polyurethane. They looked amazing! Did not see them in Paris b/c it was all ancient buildings but in smaller towns where the homes were newed. Even a nicer white door would probably help.

You might want to drive through other neighborhoods to see homes that you like. Someone may have selected color combinations that just knock your socks off. That is what we did when we changed the color scheme on our house.
Putting more trim around the bay window would definitely improve the appearance and make the home look much more expensive (as others have said)

Given the front of the garage is at or behind the set back, You can add to the porch to the extent of extending the garage roof line. I'd take advantage of this by putting a piece of laminated glass or clear plex from the door to the outside of the extended roof. This will light up the door. I agree with others on changing the garage door color and adding a color to the front door or change the texture by bringing a stone surround on the door wall.

I love the stained garage door idea!! I guess if you have to look at it, it might as well be beautiful. I am also going to check into beefing up the trim around the window. I never even though of that!

I think the front would benefit greatly by painting garage door to match exterior color, add some carriage hinges to the garage door, Soften the shutters with a brown, and take away the large shrubbery in the front. It blocks the door path. Smaller scattered plants/shrubs would open up that side of the house. The image above looks great, but if you can't afford the hard scape, really trim back the shrubs. Good Luck. You have a gem of a home.

I think the front would benefit greatly by painting garage door to match exterior color, add some carriage hinges to the garage door, Soften the shutters with a brown, and take away the large shrubbery in the front. It blocks the door path. Smaller scattered plants/shrubs would open up that side of the house. The image above looks great, but if you can't afford the hard scape, really trim back the shrubs. Good Luck. You have a gem of a home. Also you could add color to the fron door in a pretty soft blue or green, especially if your shutters were a warm brown.

I did not read the comments by others, as a designer -here is my take....
1.) paint the garage door the same color as the shutters (or even better paint them all black- a classic!) add beefier and more architectural moldings around the garage door.
2.) paint the front door black also & remove the storm door
3.) replace the light fixtures with black ones...larger on the garage & add a 2nd one to the garage. smaller ones on the entry porch.
4.) new brick or pavers...consider real stone (like bluestone) extend the length of the front entry to extend beyond the garage. This will create more emphasis on the front door and less on the garage.
5) New landscaping...a must! I would decide on the brick/stone first, then come up with a plan that does not hide the bay window....one of the homes best features!

I'd leave tree. Planting white flowers around tree will help house look wider. Put garbage can away in back. Trim shrubs.

What type of outdoor light fixtures would work for this style of house? I think the house is 1980s contemporary, but I'm not sure what current style works.

I think it is a colonial type. I'd do black lanterns similar to want you have but larger. Large shrub seems to be covering one. 2 on each side will be nice. Can't tell what is near front door. is something hanging from a hook on Right?

There is a flag to the right of the door. There are 2 light fixtures, one on each side of the garage (yes, our overgrown shrub is covering it :) ) and there are two light fixtures next to the door.

I also think since your garage door is "front and center" so to speak, it would look more attractive if it was trimmed to look like a double door using a false center post. Windows added would also break up the expanse of the door.

http://www.moultoncustomdoor.com/1767.html

Smaller than garage lanterns on front door area, still black. What color is front door? On upper windows have both shades at same level. As someone said, I like black or charcoal shutters with the color of siding. I would remove flag, I think this draws attention to front door area and makes house look less wide.

Here's an article about bay windows: https://www.houzz.com/magazine/looking-at-beautiful-bay-windows-stsetivw-vs~11302

The door and shutters are dark "maroonish" color.

Paint the garage the house body color and it will "FINALLY" blend and not stand out so much.

Dark marroon-ish on shutters & door is fine. I'm not sure about the garage door a color other than white. It might look odd. Does anyone in your neighborhood have this (garage painted same as body of house)? so you can see in person? A garage is a garage, no matter what color it is, you're not going to fool anyone. It's fine, I'd leave it. A garage the same color as body of house might make your house look shorter and squatty. Sherwin Williams has a free site called "chip-it"...you can upload a photo of your house and change to various colors.
Not too fond of your house numbers. How about numbers (black) written in script across garage top? If you like idea. Make a template to see how it looks before you commit.

I totally agree with nanlu that adding windows to and painting and trimming the garage door to make it visually appear to be 2 doors will visually widen your home. You can even add straps and handles to make them look like carriage doors. Painting the garage the color of the house will make it blend in but it will still be a big blank and that will not add curb appeal....it will still be a big garage door. The garage doors and should be a brown/black or green/black. Please get rid of the shutters. They are the wrong size and only detract. There is not enough room for the correct size. Instead, put window boxes under the windows with live plants determined by the season. A bright yellow on the front door will bring it more forward and make it pop. Keep the trim a creamy white. Definitely change the light fixtures and put one above the center of the garage door (what will appear as the post between 2 doors) to visually widen. To the left of the garage, but attached to the house I suggest a pillar 3/4 to the top of the garage which is attached to a wall with a gentle swag and running it to the end of you property line on the left side. I would cover this wall with engineered stone as close to the color of your home as you can get. If there is more space than meets the eye you can put a gate in the center of 2 such swag walls with a pillar at each end of the swags. This will visually widen the house and you can add a wall to the right side of the house as well, but I would make that one straight with no gate. Raise your flag to the height of the eave.
If it is in the budget consider moving your front door out to 6" to 8" inches behind the bay wall and covering it with a small roof peaked in the center, opposite of your current roof to add architectural interest as well as visual width. If the door is brought forward you may opt for clack to match the shutters and garage or red, but choose a bright red, not a burgundy or blue red. Again, if it is in the budget consider a pergola above the garage. This can be covered with climbing roses or bougainvillea (depending on where you live) in faux stone or lead planters on either end of the garage. The roof line there is detracting from the lovely bay window on the other side so you may want to push it back to make room for the pergola. Let whichever climbing plant you use continue on the attached wall at least to the gate.
I recommend moving the walkway entrance to 3/4 the distance of the end of the drive to the house and using stamped concrete to resemble the stone on the wall. I would do the same to the drive if it is in the budget. The walk can be lined with dwarf boxwood kept low. You may place a light post at the street side of the entry to the walk from which a sign denoting the house number can be hung. I suggest using copper light fixtures as they age beautifully and will complement the color of your home. The shrubbery on the left of your garage to too large to use in the front. Consider moving it to the back or selling on Craigslist. Lose the shrub to the right of the walk but keep the dark green ones and arrange them so they completely wrap your bay window; cut them to just below the window and add flowering plants in front of them that are no more than 2/3 the height of the back shrub; in front of those add an evergreen ground cover or very low shrub that is 1/3 the height of the back shrub. The layering will make a big difference in your landscaping. Plan in stages and enjoy the process. You will reap the rewards as long as you are in the home! :)

you need to get rid of the heavy scrubs to the right of the door. make it more open. the door is so dark. maybe a patio area where the bushes are. add a bench for sitting or a couple of chairs, and a small table. add color with some different size pots. planted with delicate flowers. maybe if your red shudders are painted white the garage won't stand out as much and take over the front of the house so much. i would even get rid of the ball bush on the other side of the garage.

I would like to suggest you totally ditch the garage door and go for one tha looks more like a really traditional one to match the rest of your house. that is a lot of area for paint and color and will be first thing anyone notices. What about one with a wooden look and hinges? And some window lights? Yes - you definitely need to add much LARGER light fixtures - to off set the size of that huge garage sticking out.

I REALLY like Sydney1's concept and was going to suggest a low stone wall with planters around the bay window area - But his design does make the house look wider like you desired. The stone pavers in the drive and along the new step area add texture and interest.

I would like to suggest adding a water feature - there - like a very large URN - with a recycling pump for softly flowing water. This would also add some height and interest and the last thing I would like to suggest - is perhaps changing the maroon shutters to something like a "Charleston Green" (which is almost black - but IS green) very dark - and very traditional looking - to go with your new updated lighting fixtures in either wrought iron or an oil rubbed bronze.

With Sydney01's suggestions and some of these tweeks - I think your home with have a great rich palette of textures and lots of interest.

let us know!

I have fixed some of the issues. I now have a walkway leading to the front door, a sitting area and new landscaping. I got rid of the big ball bush on the left and the yews covering the bay window. We replaced them with boxwoods and it made a huge difference. Also, we extended the landscaping on the right side of the house to visually widen it. New light fixtures are next on my list!

How is it going on your house? I love the picts from 2014.

This before/ after is also a source of inspiration in terms of garage door and overall:

Lighting is an often under utilized improvement. With all the new LED options builders should be using it more.