You have a lot of add-ons that aren't playing well with each other--colonial door on a basic ranch house, the curvy bay window supports, the odd shutters, the railings. None of these things say midcentury or cottage. That said, here are some things you can do to spiff up with you do have: a brick ranch with nice lines, the yellow brick contrasted with the black roof:

--Replace the wrought iron supports and railings with wood supports with straight lines and railing. Look for a similar door to this one.

Casa Corbino · More Info

--If a new door isn't in the budget, just do the railings and paint the door and frame black. Add a modern porch sconce

Tristan 1 Light Outdoor Wall Sconce 12" High, Textured Black · More Info

--Replace the curvy bay window support with something less obtrusive.

--Those shutters--ugh. Not sure what you can do about those. What's underneath? If they can't be removed, paint them black.

Work with a small garden center to develop a great front yard landscaping that will set off your house much more than various cottage or MCM add-ons. Perennials and dramatic grasses would look great in your beds. Extend them out and use gravel or rock hardscaping.

lake house · More Info

Oh, and powerwash everything, especially your concrete porch. Add a couple cedar porch chairs

Red Cedar English Garden Patio Chair · More Info

5" Pure Copper Numbers, #1 · More Info

All Things Cedar TS26-set 3Pc. Teak Bistro Set · More Info

Oh, I just saw the grayish taupe. That would work, too. Just match it to the brick grout.

Replace the wrought iron, the facsia and the brackets holding up the bay window facade. Nothing about that house says MCM to me. It looks more 70's post-energy crisis with the small windows. Replace those with long casement windows to give it a more modern look.

I think the wrought iron posts are charming and appropriate for the era of your house. I'd consider painting them and your door black to "modernize" them. Is a post missing that supports the corner of the roof on the left side of the front door?

Also, I'd test out Benjamin Moore muslin for the shutters and panels around your windows. I thikn it would coordinate very nicely with your brick if you're interested in something that blends in with it.

Benjamin Moore Muslin for the shutters and panels:

Just saw Dig Doug's mock-up. Forget everything (except powerwashing) I said and go with that ('cept I'd get a walkway with slate that has some yellow/gold in it to harmonize with the yellowish brick). He's amazing.

I'm with housegal200, Dig Doug's design is the way to go. I still would replace the brackets under the bay window if possible.

i'd paint the wrought iron black. it has a very slim profile, and there isnt much space behind it already. any wood column you put there will make the even smaller space behind it look silly.

I love this forum! Lots and lots of ideas....thank you so much! Will post photos after the work is done. You guys are great.

Hey are you designers still following this post? I'm very impressed with your ideas and I'd like some advice but I want to make sure you designers in particular will see my post if I put one up.

Car-look for the designers you want to have comment on your dilemma by searching their name in the search bar under users. You can message them with a link to your dilemma.

Thanks, I started a thread.

hi again Houzzers, I've followed your advice where I could on updating the exterior of my home.

Wrought iron is removed and replaced with wood beams and rail; curvy wood is replaced by straight lines; wierd louvered shutters are gone. Now, I could use your opinions on color for the wood trim, of which there is a good amount. I've painted one window area with a light taupe, and the other with a dark taupe.Brick paint is pinkish and roof is dark grey. (Window frames will be painted to match, and wood will be stained ta complimentary semi translucent stain. Door color also to be decided.) thanks!

Apologies for the trees.....

Looks good Deb but the pics don't enlarge. They need to be in a jpeg format if you can reload them.

I like the new porch railings and posts. I think you should ditch the raised trim around the windows, and consider a contemporary door style. Maybe paint all windows the light taupe and let the front door be the star. Maybe a pop of greenish yellow? or bright clear blue?

trying to enlarge photos

fidlfreak - i love those mcm doors.

..pics are in jpg files, not sure why they wont enlarge...

Remove the window surround and replace with the deeper taupe colors mix of faux stone/flat without mortar style, small size scale, ---or bring home samples of any lighter red, or blacks and gray mixes they might offer to see what looks nicest with your brick for sure..........

and than strip your front door and divided light panel. Stain it with just the right redwood/brown/or gray?? toned sheer stain, and use that on your porch rails and posts too.

With your dark roof, you may decide that a weathered gray/ash colors of stone and paint and stain ..........look best with your brick and existing roof combination?...... Be sure to seal it with a weather/water repellant after it is stained.

Apply the sheer stain when the wood is very dry(not after a rain or during a foggy day). If you leave the porch trim at the top of the overhang, you might paint it black? If you remove it, use the taupe or gray or other tone on your porch roof that looks the best with the brick and roof/ stained door, and stone faux panels you put around the windows..

If you can handle more updating on your porch, post the selections you found and probably you can get opinions from others on which is a good blend for you. With your chunky porch railing, the mid century trim around the windows seems like it could use a bit more texture, and the faux stacked stone panels are created just for such a need!

redsilver, thx for you input. I started to strip the door, but unfortunately found out that it is metal. But i can choose a color to give a bit of contrast i think.

after photo - chose a warm grey for trim and grey-green for door. Landscaping next spring.

better lighting

You need to remember you have a black roof and a black roof with brown doesn't work all that well on the exterior. However, I do like your railings on the porch and the fact you've chosen another color that does blend on the shutters and windows. However, I'd go with grey or white for the windows and the wooden area below the windows and paint the shutters black and the front door its own color such as green or blue. No matter what color you use white or grey I'd paint the front door it's own color for certain. Also, you need to paint those rails grey or white to blend with the door and roof. If you do any landscaping in front be certain if you put a blooming plant it's an evergreen (my taste) so it'll stay green year-round and all the blooms match because you have a small area to work with and you don't want a patch quilt look in front of the house during blooming season.

Example if you decide to do an evergreen plant winter gem boxwoods would be a great base plant in the back they grow about four feet tall and are very hard and in front of the boxwoods plant something such as small azaleas that aren't deciduous. However, remember the blooms need to all be one color.

I would widen front steps.

Older post. Up vote for Dig Doug's Designs.

Well done, deb..

I like that you painted entire windows surround with the same color, not just shutters.Looks good!

I love it!! I absolutely adore the railing you chose. Looks spectacular!

Ok I'm blown away! Stumbled on this site trying to figure out how to help my ranch house front porch on a slope! Now I have to figure out how to post to this site for advise

Put a thread up hopefully I can get some great advise/help! Thank you Deb for this post!!

yw!

Price Wrought Iron Installation

Great job deb! I have a similar ranch and am wondering how your paint is holding up on the windows? I've heard it can be a lot of upkeep to paint vinyl but these white windows really limit color options.

Actually it's been awhile since I started this posting. I got new windows, they are taupe. It blends with the area painted underneath the window. I've planted native shrubs and perennials in the front garden - it gives a more ''natural'' look, with various green groundcovers instead of mulch. I'm a fan of native plants. Gives the house a casual look.

Sounds lovely! 👏 Would love to see an updated pic