well..neutrals can be deeper too. neutral doesn't mean "light"..it just means a color that will most likely be a background that most people would find natural to be a background color. Even though a lot of colors can be easily considered neutrals, since they're so prevalent in nature...say some blues or greens..If it's something you see a lot outside, and I mean a lot-don't worry you'll perceive it as neutral. If beige is neutral-then brown is a neutral too..technically it's a much darker beige, as far as i understand..or should I say-beige is much much lighter brown lol they all are colors. and some neutrals are very capricious actually. take white for example-it is a perfect background but it needs light to become perfect background..and it will accentuate a lot of things. which you sometimes want to accentuate, if you have great architecture for example..and sometimes you don't. if you have a dark bland small room-white won't do it any favors. of course one should remember there are many whites..) in short, no, deeper colors won't necessarily make a place small. they won't make it big either lol. they can make it livelier though..cozier. you usually don't want to go really dark in a big space, not because it will make it smaller, but because it might change your feel..too much dark might feel oppressing. but just a tad deeper color and real dark color are two different things. you know what you're ready to commit to..took me some years to go more colorful, and I do prefer muted colors so it still reads pretty soft. neutrals can be as deep and amazing as anything else..when you'll start getting samples, trying them in your unique space and light- you'll see what you are comfortable with. and what makes the given room lovelier to you. just don't believe the names paint companies give-these are very deceiving..:) if you're looking for a color, especially a neutral one-just look everywhere. looking for gray? great. check the whites too:) etcetera blue sectional sounds very cool. colorful furniture usually works well with neutrals allover the range. and colors too lol. put it in a gray room-it will work. or in a beige room-and it will work. or in a white room-still will work. or take a "real" color-still will work, in most of cases. i don't find your paneling that horrible btw-but maybe it's because i don't see it up close. quality of wood matters a lot of course. sorry for the ramblings..i get like that sometimes lol

This suggestion is a little outside the box, but hopefully will sparks some more ideas for you. In my old neighborhood, there were homes called "side splits" where an entry next to the garage lead to a foyer type situation and you walked up a few steps to the side to enter the main living space. I'm thinking this may be a solution for you, especially living in NY you might appreciate a main entrance that doesn't just dump you right into the living room. An awning above the new front door on the driveway level helps define the entrance.

I agree to both the flat window and making sure the replacement is like the other windows and also working on the front yard starting removing or at least moving the evergreen that is blocking the view of the front door and I always like a walkway from the street to the front door . I think aporch across the whole right side of the house would be a much nicer idea than sprucing up the ground level area , use the plants you have there for the new walkway. A new front door and all the siding and trim in this color with the brick and maybe remove the shutters the whole change will be like having a new house.

I need ideas! The siding is this yellowy cream and the shutters and garage doors are dark brown. We are painting the vinyl siding and garage door/shutters different colors but I would like to hear opinions on what color scheme we should do! I am just clueless lol thanks so much