It's a cute house. I like the brick. A new color scheme for the trim and shutters could help cheer it up. Maybe a light blue for the shutters and some beefed up trim on the windows and columns.

Painting requires a lot more maintenance, so I wouldn't go that route. A light whitewash could help if you dislike the color. I wouldn't do an opposing grout color. I love a good german smear and think that could be cute too.

I think you'll see a big difference with new landscaping. I would replace your walkway too. Maybe some big square pavers with Liriope or something growing along the border.

I would hesitate before trying to permanently change the brick color. Paint adds considerable maintenance over time as opposed to the current maintenance-free surface, and I don't think that mortor wash or German smear is well suited to your home's architecture. I anticipate that it will be a look that becomes dated, sort of the avocado appliances look of home exteriors, but much more difficult to fix in 5 or 10 or 15 years than avocado appliances since it's a permanent application.

Replace the front walk and steps with ones that are wider and of more appealing material. Put a generous landing at the bottom. Look at Doug's sketched columns, thicker and fewer to frame the porch; plan something similar. Change color on shutters, columns, garage doors, and gable ends to something that works better with the brick, perhaps sage or a light gray, and if there is the budget, change the style of the garage doors. Since the front door is recessed, consider giving it a color that will make it visible. Is there good light for the front porch at night and if not, would adding a light that also is ornamental help?

Redoing the landscape will soften the brick if it is done well. I would do all that first and live with it for a while before changing the brick to something that you may regret in a few years.

I love the brick but I do not like the shutters that are just not right on those windows all the wrong size and the wide window would never have shutters. What kind of front door are you thinking ? IMO one with some glass would be nice and a color too .As for trim if you want charcoal it will look good with the brick I would beef up the window trim and if it was mine I would make that front porch deeper so that it allows some nice colorful chairs there since you are putting in new posts just move them out closer to the roof edge

and pour a concrete pad to match the rest.I am not loving the sage and charcoal color scheme IMO they are too much the same so maybe all the trim charcoal and the door a brigher green like in this picture.

I've seen many nice examples of painted brick but I can't imagine doing it UNLESS the brick is nasty, which some is. Yours does not look bad. Can't see the mortar detail with your distant pictures though. I can't see that the German smear is worth it either since your brick is not bad. I would reconsider making other features more compatible with the brick and leaving the brick alone. If it could stand/needed tuckpointing, then a buff colored mortar would help homogenize the look. BTW, the color of freshly done mortar will be much more intense then after a year or two of weathering out. So don't get upset if it's a little strong at the beginning. I would not use a dark color or too light of mortar because then it will look bad.

One comment about your bed .... it doesn't make sense to collect trees in a bed but purposely leave one very nearby tree, out. Redesign the bed to include the excluded tree.

For landscaping, it would help if you show the whole house front plus extra space (the setting) at each end. To do this, take slightly OVERLAPPING shots that span the entire scene.

Thanks everyone - all of you have provided some very insightful feedback and great ideas.

@yardvaark - I think you are onto something with the tuck-pointing however I know that costs a significant amount of $$. I've uploaded a more complete view of the front as well as a close up of the brick and mortar. Our biggest issue is definitely the deeply recessed pink mortar. The brick themselves have a pinkish hue - I would imagine a good buff mortar would make a dramatic appearance but I'm note entirely certain.

@Patricia you definitely have me rethinking the Sage and Charcoal combo. I just know that sage goes great with the brick. We've got a lot of houses in the neighborhood with this brick and I have yet to find one with a great color combo that we love.

What did you end up going to your home? We recently purchased a house very similar and are looking to update the exterior. I personally like the brick and would like to keep it, but the sighting around the garage and the trim is green. I'd love inspiration on what we could do and colors we could paint the sighting! Thanks!