I am up for changing our shutters, painting the brick recessed entry, ect!

I like things clean, simply, modern farmhouse! Please help!

Do I see two doors on the front of your home? Which one is the actual front door? I assume the white one on the left. If so, that is the door that should be painted a bright color and the secondary door should blend into the siding.

Yes, our main entrance is in the recessed brick part with a bathroom window. The other is our garage entrance.

I'm concerned if the main door is any other color than "light" it would look too dark.

I'd like to change the color scheme, keeping the cream siding. Any other suggestions?

Thank you btw

I'm not attached to the brick color at all, however; I do like the texture :-)

To make the largest impact, I would add a wide walkway to the front door and add landscaping.

The shutter color can be changed, it doesn't have to be the color of your brick. I wouldn't change the brick or paint it because it adds interest to your entry. You are just missing the finishing touches: walkway and landscape.

Here is an example of a wide walkway (42 inches to 48 inches wide at least):

Montclair, NJ · More Info

Not a Pro.

You need to define the front door. Giving it more presence. A walk way leading to the front door would do that. Changing out the color on the shutters and garage door. Landscaping.

Here is some Inspiration:

Curb Appeal: Front Entry makeover · More Info

I would need to move our light pole, which we can do. Where should it go, if I make the walk way the same as the step?

You could build the walkway around the light pole.

You would have to leave enough access around the pole. Something like this:

The warm brown color of the shutters and door to the garage doesn't work with the brick or the roof color, IMO. I agree with Denita that the door to the garage should be painted to match the siding. The actual front door and shutters I would choose a color that bridges the gap between your warmer brick and cooler roof color (if that's possible). Maybe a warmish charcoal? Or something in the teal/sage family might work, even a plummy burgundy perhaps.

You could also use landscaping. A large bed under the two windows facing the street, a smaller bed or boxes near the entrance. I would wait until you have a new path to the driveway figured out before trying to landscape this area (and I agree that a new path would look great!).

I think landscape in front of the left side of the house will make a HUGE difference. Maybe some boulders in the front yard for some contour?

Biondanonima - I like the idea of warm charcoal.

midcenturyvibes- I like the boulder idea. We have a boulder retaining wall at the base of out back hill.

Can anyone do a visual with this look, with landscaping?

Zone 4.

I like boxwoods, hydrangeas, knock out roses...

Thank you all !

Keep the advice coming :-)

The front of your house is a bit too busy. Keep the focus on the front door, and I agree that it should contrast with the entry way, whether you keep the entry way brick or pain the brick.

But the door to the garage (the people door) should be painted the same color as the siding, so that it does not stand out. Same with the white garage doors. The white color makes the cream siding look dingy. This will help keep the focus on the front door where it belongs.

I generally like brick, but I don't much like the white bricks that are scattered in your bricks. I'd paint or stain them to match the black ones.

I agree with what other people have said about the landscaping. It will give you big bang for the buck.

If I was to paint the human garage door and garage doors the same color as my house, would the trim be the same white as the rest of the house?

Consider painting the brick the same color as the siding. Then you'd keep the texture. Since your brick is quite sheltered by the over hang, the paint would be somewhat protected. And even if you need to repaint in a few years, it's not a big deal because the area is small and not up on a ladder. It would brighten up your entry way too.

If you do that, you could go with any color you like for the shutters and the front door. A nice medium/dark blue would look good with the cream siding and charcoal roof.

No, paint the trim around the human door and the garage doors the same color as the siding. This way the garage doors and human door will "disappear" and with the new walkway and landscaping focus will be on your front door where it belongs.

I'd paint the trim around the garage area same cream. Not white. You kind of want to camouflage the whole garage area, and draw the eye to the front door.

partim- i have thought about painting the brick the same color as the siding!

I should point out that our roof is more brown. The pictures definitely show it more charcoal.

First thing I notice is lack of landscaping plus any house looks neater if vehicles are parked in the garage.

I’m not specifying plants here, or colors/styles of hardscaping, just wanted to give a visual of a larger patio/walkway (courtyard) area and having plantings. Hopefully, Doug or another pro sees this and posts better ones, as my app is very limited and amateur. But I hope it can give you at least a general idea. This is with going around the lamppost, leaving a little planting area for it. You could add a bench somewhere, too. I’d extend the bed around to the front of the house as well.

Reotz02, I couldn't agree with you more about the vehicles being parked in the garage. However we no longer have the vehicles in the main picture. Our 2500 Ram will not fit in our 1987 garage :-( only my car. So our truck and my husband's company truck remain in the driveway.

Miz_G, thank you. I also hope Doug or another pro sees this!

I

First, get yourself a curb . . . ;)

Curb?

I would whitewash your brick. So you'd keep the brick texture, but the entry wouldn't be so dark. Then paint the main entry door a color and paint the garage entry to match the siding. It's drawing too much attention now, though I like the color. The trim would be the same as the rest of the house.

A walkway to the front door would be nice. I would put it right next to the driveway so you don't have to go around the light or tree. Just make sure there is a clear separation between the driveway and path. Then landscaping! A curving flower bed following the path (incorporating the light) and some bushes under the front windows.

Message a link to this post to Dig Doug. He's great at the landscaping mockups.

Emily Jowers, thank you!

How do I message a link to Dig Doug?

Here's his profile: https://www.houzz.com/pro/doug-lockwood/dig-dougs-designs

I believe you can message him using the "Contact me" button at the top right. Just send the URL to this page.

Thanks Doug! I never thought about having our walkway go that far down the driveway, but I really like it!

Btw, that is a sugar maple in front. There is a mature lilac brush to the left and a mature crab apple approx 15 ft in front of the lilac.

We are in zone 4a.....brrr, I know!

I also like the use of boulders & the dark shutters.

I'll be sure to post updated pictures.

This quick article might be able to help you out! Or at least offer some inspiration!

http://www.phantomscreens.com/blog/curb-appeal-easy-home-value-booster/

With your more brownish roof, black shutters would look good. The contrast will make the cream look siding look very fresh.

You can also print out house photos and do some doodling on them with sharpie markers to work out ideas. You will want to make a to scale plan view where you actually lay out measured beds with circles that represent the growth of shrubs at 10 years and the ultimate expected canopy of trees at maturity before you start purchasing or get out the shovel.

The placement of your sugar maple isn't ideal since it blocks sight lines to your front entry to some extent. I am not at all suggesting removal, but you do want to limb it up to at least the roof line of the house so that only the trunk is in front of the door and not branches as well. Do your best to avoid the root zone of this tree if you reroute the path, both for the longterm well-being of the tree and the path (be sure to make it at least 4' wide) as they are shallow rooted. Don't plan on doing extensive plantings under the maple since the maple will win over most new plantings with its extensive shallow root system. Mulch and a tough groundcover such as the perennial Geranium 'Biokivo' may be the answer there to fill the space.

Comments about using color to reduce the impact of the garage doors is spot on and I totally agree with the need for better landscaping. I don't know where your septic is if you have one, but you want to avoid planting woody plants such as shrubs and trees on top of or close to the septic. Having a tree to the side off the front corner on either side of the house can give it a frame that grounds it and also ties it into the woods in the back visually.

I love post lamps. So welcoming & useful too. In addition to the various landscaping suggestions that incorporate your post into the plantings, how about splurging on a larger, more stately lamp for the post? You could get a matching sconce for your entry door. That would help to dress it up.

The other thing that catches my eye: not only is your main entry door a bland white that recedes in comparison to the red garage entry, it's a lot plainer too. It looks like a utility door. If you replaced it with something grander -- perhaps a wood-look fiberglass door with full length glass -- it would do a better job of announcing "Enter Here!" than your current door does.

Just a riff on Miz_G's good ideas. Neutralize the shutters & garage side door, add some field stones, dress up the main entry & lights.

While were at it, dress up the little window with a pretty flower box & shutters.

Awm03, is it possible for you to paint the brick the same color as the siding? I'm curious what it would look like. Could you also make the door dark wood with full glass? I surely appreciate what your doing!

We getting everything ready to conquer this in the next few weeks when things warm up a bit!

We just got our pavers delivered for our back patio and we ordered enough for the front - wide walkway.

This isn't the greatest rendition, but hope you get the idea. I think painting the brick cream like the siding would be pretty. It's protected enough from the elements that it wouldn't be an ongoing maintenance issue -- just make sure the brick is very clean and very dry before painting.

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