I think you have a great canvas to work with, but definitely need a bit of an update. It sounds like you have plenty of great advice on the landscaping and transplanting a few plants. From what you said about not wanting to update the siding, I would think about updating the trim and your front door! The gray and beige just need a pop of something - a third color added in will help define the spaces of your windows and make your house stand out. To get some ideas, I searched some traditional exteriors to help spark your color inspiration! Even here where they outlined the windows in a fresh white and notice that they did the same but thicker around the front door. I love the strong color they gave the front door as well. I could see this coloring really working on your home. [traditional exterior design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-exterior-home-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_736~s_2107) by sacramento interior designer Kerrie L. Kelly Here is a link that might be useful: [Traditional exterior photos[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-exterior-home-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_736~s_2107)

You want some interest and contrast, but not as much as you're planning. I'd replace that top window with something like is being shown in these inspiration photos, and then add some type of siding to the top "A" part of your house and the porch roof, that contrasts in pattern, yet is the same color. You might not even have to reside the whole house. They make vinyl siding in all kinds of styles now, including fake cedar shakes, board and batten, scallops, etc. Snazz up the window trim too. Hire a good carpenter, one who knows how to do outside trim. It's a skill! Could go with a slightly different color too, like grey or tan or a light color. Rip out those boring badly pruned yews and get a shrub that remains small in the shape you want without a lot of expert pruning. Globe arborvitae and magic carpet spirea are two examples, there are many others, knock out roses, Mt. Airy dwarf fothergilla, Ms. Kim lilac are some others I have used, but pay attention to the labels and the mature sizes of the plants for the replacements.

Thanks Beverly! The timbers are actually painted in the same chocolate brown color as the window and roof line trim as well as gutters. And the house is painted wood (been painted several times over the years house circa 1980) although we've only been here two years and inherited the bad peachy sandy beige siding and chocolate brown trim. I agree the darker pic you attached is appealing. Right now I'll be taping up several colors I've picked up. They range from mid toned to darker grays mostly with a green undertone. (I'll post some pics this afternoon.) And we don't see a choice of keeping the chocolate brown trim if we really want to enhance the appeal of the house. So we really ought to get rid of the chocolate brown trim for good--which will include also replacing the gutters and downspouts to a different color (they need replacing anyhow). I'm attaching a closer image of the timbers in the front door area and one looking in from the driveway to the front deck. After paint, trim and gutter color is chosen, we'll tackle a paint color the front door. It's scary now as it has some sort of faux finish with actual leaves embedded and painted over. Since it's an oversized custom door size we are trying to fix it rather than replacing it. The front door is to the immediate right in the deck pic. The two doors in deck photo lead to the dining room and the other to the kitchen. Will also replace light fixtures. It's always a domino effect major project to redo an exterior but it's sorely needed. Thank you again for your time, interest and sharing of talent.

Brief explanation of "CORNICE RETURNS" and "PORK CHOPS" Older traditional (Colonial, Colonial Revival, etc.) houses that we copy repeatedly today (in and out of context) with "boxed cornices" (bottom of rafter overhang enclosed with a soffit) without gutters had roof eave/cornices that emulated Greek & Roman temples like this: The roof rake and eave/cornice is made of 2 parts: the upper is what we call a "crown" and the lower is a short vertical trim board called a "fillet". When the diagonal rake trim meets the eave/cornice trim, the full detail (crown and fillet) continue along the eave/cornice and the fillet turns and runs horizontally across the face of the gable. This detail is called a "Classical Cornice Return" typical of Colonial and Colonial Revival style houses. This detail becomes more complicated when a gutter is added. The 3 most common gutters are the integral wood or metal gutter, the hanging half-round gutter and the applied metal "K style" gutter. Here is an "integral gutter" with a true Classical return: Here is a modern interpreation of a cornice return with a K style gutter (it's a bit heavy handed IMO): Here is a modern cornice return in copper: A "Pork Chop" cornice return is not really a cornice return since the eave/cornice stops when it reaches the corner of the house and the diagonal gable rake trim continues, covering the eave/cornice and the K style gutter. This is an informal "bungalow" style detail but builders like to apply it to larger more formal multi-gable houses because it doesn't require a high level of carpentry skill or expense. It's often considered inappropriate by architects and IMO can be an indication of who is in charge of the detailing: the designer or the builder. There are other ways to detail it: