I am probably too late, but I would think about a soft olive green, rather than a sage. I think the warmer tones of the olive would be nice in the shady space, and with a red door and warm white trim, along with the roof color, would be a wonderful combo! Have you considered adding simple trellises on either side of the lone window on the left? I would be nice with the cottage feel of the home, and would give some visual weight to balance the three windows on the other side. Paint the ceiling of the porch in a light blue, and change out the railings to wood ones. A charming cottage! Your current home is wonderful, and I can understand you hating to leave. But down the line, especially since remodeling is your passion, you will have something even more amazing, I am sure. For now, the cottage may feel small, but will also give you a sense of coziness and security that could be an island of peace in the storm.

HI -- There is two much texture and busy pattern with the brick going one way and the wood going another ...it's cluttered and dark looking . If the wood can be removed then do that and replace with drywall and or tile that in the same direction as the bricks , on the horizontal. I would paint that whole wall one color like the wall color . Then the texture speaks for itself . You say you don't want to spend too much so a live edge shelf/mantel would be very expensive . So basically you just need to simplify the look of that whole wall so it blends into the room and looks more modern .

Congratulations on your house purchase! I agree with others -- ditch the shutters. This is a contemporary style home not a "colonial" like we have everywhere here in Virginia, where shutters do sort of belong sometimes. Look at the style of the chimney -- not colonial/traditional but very contemporary. This is why IMHO the garage looks so odd since the window pattern is traditional and out of sync with the basics of the house. You might not want the expense of replacing the garage door right away when you will have so many other house expenditures, but hopefully the complicated window panes on it are modular and easily redone. I like your idea about the window box -- can totally see one large one or three smaller ones at the top edge of the balcony rail, after you make it the color of the house. I am imagining something filled with those succulents that thrive in So Cal, particularly the trailing ones for visual drama.

Stop beating your head against the wall trying to turn your classic colonial home into a historical home. It's not going to happen without more money than it makes sense to invest. Are you planning to remove the vinyl siding and change it to wood so you can get peeling paint and see how old it can look? Enjoy your perfectly nice new home and put your time and effort into finding some great antiques to use inside. Plant some trees so you get the setting of an older home.