Congratulations on your first home! Make sure you test colors on a movable board before you have the exterior painted - the colors look different from the monitor and will look different in various times of the day or evening. Blue is very hard to get right, but looks fabulous when it is done right. I will see if I can find a couple of blue siding homes as insp pics so you can have a place to start your color tests. One comment about your shutters: remove the shutters on the front right double window and add shutter hardware to the other two sets of shutters so they look functional even if they aren't, it will add lots of personality to your home. They need to be sized right (half the size of the window for each shutter). Here is a link to a brief article written by an architect for you Shutters vs Shudders ^See how the each shutter is half the size of the window in width and each has hinges and shutter dogs. I have no idea if these are functional or just look functional, and that is the point:)

Thanks for the input, everyone. This subject has certainly generated discussion! Please understand that I'm not trying to turn it into a cape cod home as such. I would just like to get away from all the brown. I've seen cabins stained in all sorts of colors. Don't worry, I'm not going to rush into anything. I'll start with the cleaning and then decide the best course of action. greenfish, the previous owner loved the patina as well. This has been a beloved home and has not been neglected. It was a conscious choice to let the years of exposure do their work. It's just not a look that I enjoy. It's quite heavy and drab in my opinion.

Very few houses that style in Texas (or somewhere warm with Live Oaks, lol), built in that decade, have wood or paintable windows. And the vinyl grids are inside the glass. I’m not explaining it technically correct, sorry, just saying it’s not an option to paint these all dark. I mean, the metal/aluminum frames could be, but the grids would still be white.

@Sabrina Alfin - Well, that wasn’t my choice - it was my SO’s decision. We are basically renovating my entire house (he’s moving in with me) - and I basically have free reign to do whatever I want on the inside. So, I let him coordinate the back side. Seemed lime a good trade at the time. i wasnt theilled when I saw the drawings/plans for the covered patio area. I discussed it with him - and since the back of the house already didn’t really represent a ”colonial” style style, I gave in to him. It just wasn’t worth arguing over. I figured that I could change the detailing by roofline + paint cedar in furture if I decided to without spending a lot of $$. This way I get the kitchen of my dreams!