White!!... Always white for a brick cottage! Paint your shutters with oil based paint and they won't bleed.
Will you put window boxes on the upstairs windows as well? That will look wonderful! I can see an ocean of pink supertunias....or callibrachoa....with some varigated vinca trailing.
You need some scylla in with your yellow and white...they are cheap as dirt and naturalize rapidly....some say they "take over" but if you are a cottage gardener....you will love them!
How about a few strings and a vine softening the corner by the covered patio? Do you have a clematis on the tauteur? Would be nice if you don't.

oh gosh, I'd love to see black on that house! With windowboxes filled with colorful flowers, it would look stunning!

I was thinking the green that's almost black would look nice against the brick.

Just some thoughts:

a)Paint the brick white to blend into the garden patio covering.

b)Add black shutters.

c)Add large white window boxes.

d)Switch to a much larger black lantern by the front door.

e)Paint the gate and fencing on the right-hand side of the photo to black.

f)add large black garden pots on each side of the doorway with taller bushes.

g)add a flowering vine around the tall lantern on the post.

Thank you for the advice!!! I'm wondering about a pediment and columns on the side of the doors. But the front of the house is so smallish I don't want to clutter it. Definatly doing window boxes on all 3 windows. I love the white idea, which isn't much change but it's what I'm comfortable with. I like the black with hint of green.
Buffet girl, is there a program you used that colored the shutters? I'd love to play around with such a program. Let me know what you use! Thanks!,
Teacats, it's like we were on the same page, I do use black urns on either side of the door with petunias. And there's a vine working its way up the pole now! Unfortunatly the painting the brick idea isn't an option, my husband won't go for it. If he would, I'd paint the house a sagely olive tone and make it really pretty. I guess I'm just thankful I don't have the orange brick that my neighbor does, I don't know how id work with that !! :)

I just used a simple paint shop program - a very old one.

Lily finch, I think a spruce green would be just right for the shutters and your front door. The trim and window boxes I would paint in a warm beige/putty color similar to the first two stones from the bottom on the left side of the door (as you are looking at it in the photo). The post light I would paint black.

I would paint the covered patio (or carport?) overhang in the warm beige and the support poles in black, and train vineson the chain link fence or plant boxwoods in front of it.

I would not do anything with engaged columns or pediments. Both would detract from the stone accents on your charming home. A darker green half round awning over the door would be in keeping with the lovely cottage feel you already have.

I really like that kswl's suggestion of a curved awning over the door. I feel like it needs something to make it look more finished but, like others, I don't think columns and pediment would be right. I love the stone trim around the door.