What a cute house!! I could not live without a storm door. So I would paint it the same color as the door, dark red, sage green, medium orange, ....!

Posting a photo that includes the right side of the house would help. I would remove the shutters and hanging plants, paint the white sections in a light muted blue so that part of the house feels less visually cut in half (while treating the right side accordingly). I would suggest painting a front door in a warm cream color.

I love the look of your house! The stone façade with the bay window is charming. I disagree that it looks visually cut in half because if you look at the 2nd picture it's obvious the right side is white with another window with black shutters. Paint the door glossy black (and the storm door if you keep it) and get rid of the hanging plant by the door. Is that a planter below the hanging plant on the left? Plant some flowers or flowering bushes there for a pop of color.

I would replace the two hanging plants with a single one, centered above the brick knee wall, so that it no longer impedes the view of the front door. Then I would add a pop of color on the front door with a deep brick red or burnt orange, something that will pick up the warmth from the roof. If you are willing to do a somewhat bigger project, I agree with the others that painting the white parts of the facade and removing or replacing the shutters would also help. It's hard to see exactly what colors are present in your bricks but I would think something in a pale but warm-ish greige or sage would probably complement both the roof and the brick (and then I would revise my door suggestions based on the main color).

@JudyG Designs - Ah! Never noticed the shutters not fitting and now I can't unsee it ;)

Thank you all for the suggestions! I think that is a good suggestion about having just the one plant, centered. The hooks were there originally when we bought the house which is why I just put up what I did. I do like the idea of painting the whole house a shade in the stone but I don't think it would be feasible at this time.

Oh and yes the stone part is a planter but it hasn't worked out yet with me being able to keep anything alive :(

HI -- Your ranch is adorable . I am going to tell you to paint more than just the doors . Put the hanging plants into the planter instead of hanging them , but leave them in the pots so you can change them for seasonal things . In the fall do the Mums and for the winter season and Christmas do birch branches and pine-cones and lights etc. Paint the center entrance / porch section Manchester Tan . Paint the front and storm doors -- Willow all by Benjamin Moore . Put a raised panel below the left window and decorative side panels to the full height on the sides . Paint the under window panel white and the side panels - the Willow . If you can also paint the big front window frame and grids the Willow . To add another bright color such as red with some big plant pots and flowers .

@lefty47 Thanks! Believe it or not it's a cape - three bedrooms are on the second floor, dormers in the back. I'd love to one day raise the roof and put dormers in the front but it's probably not worth all that work.

I love the suggestions! I would have never though about the panels on the bottom of the windows. Will seriously consider!

The planter placed by the door seems woefully out of place, I'm surprised someone actually put it there. Move it to the other side of the door, the same distance away as the one on the left - then it will frame your door which is your welcoming point. Trim the bush under your window. Go to a nursery and get information on plants that would work for your container and your house, and skills as a gardener. If you can't garden or water, perhaps you could find something inorganic that would look interesting placed in the planter.

As far as door colour, I'm of the mindset you need to pic your favourite colour, or at least the one you are most obsessed with right now, and paint it that one. Since it's your door and you're the one approaching/looking at it on a regular basis!

Ritasj, it is the hanging planter which is situated between the mailbox and half of the door.

Fill the stone planter with packing peanuts that will raise a trio of pots to just the right height to look "planted" and cover them with some moss or mulch. See if you can keep those alive. If they're not bloomers, pull out the hedges on the left and re-work your beds to be more airy with shade loving plants like hosta, astilbe, dwarf hydrangea and azaleas. Blue works so well with brown; I'd be looking for the perfect blue for the door and storm. No shutters here, please.