I would love to help but I can't see any pictures. Check your settings.

Somehow I ended up here when I was searching for something else and I became distracted reading the posts ;) I have to agree that I wouldn't remove the shutters, and I also wouldn't paint the brick unless you have a plan to change some of the architectural features of the home as well. I know the shutters and brick aren't modern, but the problem is that the windows are small in proportion to the outside of the house, and the brick is what gives the long, boxy shape of the house some texture and interest. If you look at the pictures of the modern houses above, all of them have windows that are either blocked together or are larger in proportion to the house, or there is some kind of textural or architectural element to provide interest, such as the cedar siding or the linear decking. If you remove the shutters and paint the brick, I think you're going to end up with more of a flat, boring house than you began with, and I agree that it will look more commercial vs. more sleek and modern. In the long run you can transform the house more dramatically if you wish and really make it more modern, but I think it will require some architectural changes, and it just won't look right if you do it part way. You could replace the siding that isn't to your taste, or possibly replace the windows with larger ones, trim out the windows, build something out front, etc. but I think those are all going to cost more than your budge - unless you do it in phases. I also second the suggestion to consider your long term "dream plan" (keeping in mind whether your priorities might shift to a different area of your house once you're living in it) and maybe break it up into stages, doing stage 1 now. As far as making what you have as modern as you can, I think you'll get a better result if you can embrace (or accept, haha) some of the traditional style. If it's freshened up, especially with your great landscaping ideas, you'll give it a much more modern look without making it look forced or awkward, especially because it does have a rectangular, linear shape. If you choose a color scheme that has more crisp contrast, such as light and dark grey for the siding and shutters like someone suggested earlier, it will contrast really nicely with the red brick, and with a great bold door, you might find the traditional features don't bother you nearly as much when they aren't beige. I LOVE the idea of the awning, especially the one you pictured because of the metal and because it mimics the line of the existing roof, and it would go a long way to draw attention to your doorway, and away from the traditional features. I think if you're careful you could probably paint, replace or paint the door, add a great, graphic railing, and probably DIY some more blocky, contemporary shutters to replace the traditional ones that are there, all for within your budget. I haven't ever priced out an awning like that so that's one thing I'm not sure on, but the awning is definitely a really good place to start to give you a lot of bang for your buck, unless you want to make more dramatic structural changes in the near future.

Thanks everyone! Sena01, thank you, I am trying the cabinets in front of the duct wall also. Pulling out the Fridge wall would give me issues with the ceiling grid area though. damiarain, thanks so much, we think its pretty cool too :) You have a really nice plan and what you and cpartist have made looks like a good workspace. PirateFoxy, thanks, I have the same thoughts about the fridge placement. Ok here are my issues. I would prefer to vent outside, keeping the cooktop on the outside wall. Everyone seems to agree I should lose that doorway from elevator and I get it, I just would prefer to find another way around that. This plan pulls everything to the dining room/entry area and my goal was to expand into the family area and pull the work areas that way a bit. Perhaps moving the ovens, move the fridge to the left and make a 28" counter there? Make a peninsula off the exterior wall on the other side of the cooktop? The family room space I really want to become part of the kitchen, with a desk and an eat in area. When you walk up onto this main floor you walk into the dining area looking right at where the fridge is placed in this plan. This counter area, left of the sink, I am imagining open with maybe shelves, no uppers. Keeping the counters open near the sink and window. So when you look at it like this, I think you will agree that it should be open with no appliances there. I really appreciate as much input as I can get, thanks so much!

it will be more of a full-time office, but he travels a lot & visits clients frequently working out of their office What I like about Beverly's last suggestion with the worktop extended along the wall is that also gives your husband more storage for things like files, etc. Without something like that, will he have enough storage in the room? Otherwise I would strongly consider a credenza for storing files, under the TV, rather than a media console. For curtains, given your color preferences, these would be nice, https://www.potterybarn.com/products/haylie-print-drape/?pkey=ccurtains-drapes&isx=0.0.6515 I would also re-hang the curtain rods above the casing and extend them several inches beyond the casing for "stack back". If you opt to buy a rug from PB, exercise caution because historically they've had problems with rugs that smell (generally a "burned latex" odor). Make sure you get a *woven* rug, rather than a tufted rug, esp tufted rugs from India. There's a long thread here somewhere, and also this, https://rugchick.com/pottery-barn-rugs-to-run-from/