Just FYI olioboard has shut down. Thanks for replying though!

Thank you again everyone for all the help you have provided. My wife and I couldn’t be more appreciative for all the advice. At this stage, I feel like we have the following...remove railing, install potted plants/feature on side landings of stairs, paint porch a dark gray that matches the stone walkway, replace exterior lighting, remove interior window shutters, revisit landscaping options, install window planters. In terms of the exterior shutters and door colors...the current color is a dark maroon/purpley color (has to go). Based on some of the great feedback I’ve attached a couple options...1) High contrast black on white with a pretty brown stained door 2) Lighter shutters with a brown stained door. I think I’m leaning a bit more towards the high contrast black on white...thoughts on either and if brown is the way to go for front door or match color of shutters? Also color of planters under windows (same brown as door)?

If the goal is to upgrade the curb appeal, I would look to landscaping because your house colours are mostly working as is. That said, you're showing the Gentek samples which I'm assuming are for the soffit. The soffit doesn't actually show so I'm not sure why you're starting there. They help bounce light into your windows, so going with the lightest colour that goes with your lightest bricks (NOT white) would be a direction for the soffits. The door and siding are an entirely different matter. The brown that you have now on the siding goes perfectly with the darkest brown bricks. Just refresh it. The thing that looks out of place is the overly white vinyl windows and door. I'm guessing the windows can not be painted so that leaves the door . (If the windows could be painted, a beige colour that tied back into the brick would be the idea. ) The front door could/should be a different colour than the siding. The natural wood tone suggested by Freedomplace1 would work with your brick if you changed the door, but probably not as a paint colour. What were you thinking for the door?

briggs whitaker, I do commercial electrical work for a living and many of my fellow coworkers have gotten solar installed. Depending on your state, at least here in NJ, many residential solar installers are offering new roofs, new electrical services and clearing of solar obstructions like trees. My one coworker had 20 trees removed and a new 200amp service done at no charge after they quoted him the system. I'm not saying cutting down mature trees for solar panels is a smart move or the right move. I'm just saying if it was ever a possibility or you liked the idea and wanted to investigate then now would be the time before having work done. You may be surprised what could be done at no charge as many solar companies are getting subsidies to get solar on roofs at any cost. It's not for everyone, not every house or site benefits from a grid tied solar system. I also find it's better long term to invest in one more high end item vs doing several smaller cheaper or compromised projects. Say for example the front door. You might use that door daily instead of someone who parks in the garage and uses the interior door. Investing in a higher end door gives you better build quality, better finish, better feel and better air sealing and or thermal performance. Then hiring a good contractor with good references and local examples of their work, who has a great attention to detail may be better than trying to do a stock door from a box store and using one of their installation contractors. It might not be large overall sweeping change you are looking for but long term doing something like that once a year will get you there. Same goes for roofing. Try doing a little research to see what makes a good roof installation. I'm not saying you need to necessarily learn how to do it yourself but knowing that the use of higher end underlayment products (tar paper vs some of the new synthetic wrb's to a full peel and stick membrane vs a liquid applied product), basic understanding of flashing, proper valley treatments or proper roof ventilation (ridge vents and eave vents) etc or as simple as knowing basic fastening requirements (architectural asphalt shingles get nailed on the manufacturer marked nail line). We waited on a short sale years ago that we had to walk away from because during inspection our contractor friend and I got on the roof and discovered the all the shingles were nailed incorrectly and the counter flashing was installed backwards. I spoke with the neighbor and they informed us the previous owner did it themselves. The bank didn't want to move on price so we had to walk away. Long story short is, just because someone gets paid to do something doesn't necessarily mean they are good or the best. Sometimes knowing some basics of the job you are hiring for can present you red flags of a potential hire during an estimate. I always suggest to buy good materials but more importantly hire someone who installs the materials correctly. It doesn't matter how expensive something is if it's installed wrong. Ymmv.