I am not great with suggestions, especially exterior ones, but I think your "after" shot looks great, like a very clean saltbox style house.

I was also thinking saltbox or early Colonial.

Not sure about the entry door. Was it for security reasons, you went with a solid door instead of one with lights (like the "before" door)? It may be an illusion, but the windows appear smaller in the "after" pic. I'm wondering if a darker siding would have made a differenc in that regard?

I can not tell on my screen if it is white or cream. If it is white I love white tradition homes with dark dark green or black trim. That might work for the door. I really like how it turned out. Simply elegant.

Oh I like it!

I was thinking the same thing as roarah: dark green almost black.

Yes, it looks like a New England saltbox-very pretty! I love the corners of the garage-gives a custom look! I am another fan of that dark green that is almost black.

No, not for security reasons, we were going for the Shaker, or saltbox or classic New England look. Not to mention the fact that due to the placement of the dining room wall inside the entrance way, the door with the sidelights was not placed symetrical on the front of the house and that bugged me to no end once I noticed it.

The old door was dark parkbench green, nearly black, so we are thinking of going with Rittenhouse Ivory from Old Village on the trim around the door, and using Sherwin Williams Tassel on the door itself. I found an early door header trim piece of architectural salvage that will go over the top of the door when we have time to cut the moldings down to size.

The siding color is called Linen. It's almost white, but with that slightly stark edge off. I had nightmares for months after I made the final selections and before the installers started!

The windows are exactly the same size as the old leaky ones were, but these have the grids. We actually went with new construction windows since we were doing the siding too. If you are thinking of doing your siding at some point in the future but need to do windows immediately, I would suggest waiting until you can do both at the same time. The replacement windows are always less glass and you can't do the same amount of insulating and sealing around the edges as you can with new construction windows.

This has been an incredible learning experience, let me tell you!!

Yes, a trim piece over the door will make a big difference. I see your reasoning for the solid door. I wasn't really thinking of adding sidelights again, just a window with panes instead of solid. Now that I've come back to the post and pic, I can see the saltbox style you're after.

You might like to try a Google search for Shakertown at Pleasant Hill and see some of the doorways there...or Hancock Shaker Village. After your list comes up, choose "images" for many, many photos. I really love Shaker design. Pleasant Hill is one of my favorite places on earth. :)

Actually your house with the offset door was a typical salt box form. They often started three bays with the door to one side and then bays would be added to the other side of the door converting it from a side hall house to a center hall house. You can see the break in the roof of this Rhode Island house. They were less concerned with symmetry than they were with an overall pleasing balance and the bays were not always equal.

Very nice job. I would use black for the door.

I think if it were me I would need some sort of accent color on the window trim as well as the door. The salt boxes in New England (as pictured by pal) are usually cedar shingle, so there a textural element to that. Is the back of your home sloped downward? Have you searched the internet for pics of saltbox or colonial homes for inspiration.

Have you considered using a larger black lantern for the front door and perhaps a set on the garage?

What is behind the fencing in front of your front door? Will the fence stay intact?

Can you post photos of the back of your home?

Ohhh!!! Your house came out so nicely! What a handsome home! The spareness suits it well. Now the house has an overall look that's much improved over the decorative bits tacked on here 'n there. I enjoyed your earlier posts on this project and am so happy for you. Very well done!

Tassel is lovely and doesn't overwhelm the house. I think you could even use a tad deeper than the siding color to keep the spare, subtle look.

If you do want the door to stand out, Farrow & Ball's Hague Blue could work well with the yellow undertone of the siding and the browns in the roof. Maybe a shade darker or two than Hague Blue even.

Hague Blue:
{{!gwi}}

Front door painted Tassel. The architectural salvage header next to be added... We LOVE this color! It's more of a deep curry. VERY warm and inviting...

That is a stunning color!

It looks great. And the flowers and shrubs are beautiful!

Fabulous. Your house came out so nice. I absolutely love it. I wish I was brave enough to do something similar. :)

I am glad you are doing an overdoor, since that was an original feature of most saltboxes.

The stripping down of the details your house came with (which were common but not very appropriate), has made it into a completely different and much better looking house.

Anyway you could add a massive chimney? :)

love the front door color. what brand of paint is it?

All right, I have to ask.

I think I grew up on the same street as the house in your before picture.

Does your town name start with a W? I was trying to figure out a way to ask the question without specifying the actual name for privacy reasons. I hope you know what I mean! :) And if you do not want to answer, I totally understand.

I've never seen anyone dress down a house before. I love shutters so the after looks so naked to me.

I agree the windows need some trim color on them.

Just beautiful~~ very New England!

nice choice on the door and trim! It is still simply elegant!

It's perfect! I love it! You did a fabulous job taking your house from mundane to classic.

Maybe paint the garage door the same color as the siding?

Your house looks wonderful! I am always so intrigued by the creativity that some possess to transform their surroundings. I love the door color as well! Only one thought - maybe change the door hardware to an ORB that matches the light fixture? It would add more of the saltbox character I think. Just a thought - you've done a great job.

arapaho, we are looking for new door hardware now. We just reused the old that we had in the meantime. We'll do something in an antique black to play off the light fixture.

xantippe, we live in a town that starts with an M in Ohio.

malhgold, the tassel paint is from Sherwin Williams. I tried to search image links of that color and found very little on the web. Makes it that much more unique I guess!

We were absolutely going for the stark simple elegant lines of the classic New England look while still taking into consideration the fact that we were using modern building materials. There is just such a simplicity to the way of life back then that appeals to me and I was happy to pay homage to it in our home. It feels very peaceful to me and that was the look we were after. We hope our family, friends and guests get the same feeling when they visit.

I have to admit I liked the before house better. But I love even more that you took the time and effort to make the house what you wanted. Its wonderful to see someone just go for it and do what they invistion for thier home. Great job!

If anyone is interesting, here's Colorcharts matching for SW Tassel

Here is a link that might be useful: Colorcharts.org to match TASSEL

I keep thinking about your gorgeous house! Is your siding wood? I wish I could do something like this but I think I am stuck because of the brick until the need to redo the siding occurs. :( I hope you post picks when you add the overdoor.

This is mine - looks like everyhouse in the development (except we are the only ones with brick)

I would just love to simplify. We have taken out all the overgrown shrubs and I can't decide what to do with the beds because I want to do something to the house first!

Wow, just beautiful!!!! Love the simplicity you so created.