I meant to note how limited this view was of the house, overall, with these door colors : ) I think I'd downplay the garage door by painting it the trim color. Doing something else to blend with the brick would be adding a third paint, so probably not a good idea. Maybe you can post a wider pic of the house? Do you like having the gd teal also?

Maire_cate, I am so sorry for your loss. Let me be clear that I am in no way saying Joanie does any of these things. But for those who hear secondhand stories from friends about how their DIL treats them so badly, well, I'd suggest taking it with a grain of salt. For example, someone above asked who would always go to one side of the family for Christmas. We did. For years. My in laws lived near by and made no effort to see us. We always had to drive an hour plus to see them and half the time they had some project they wanted my dh to be unpaid labor on so I spent the visit chasing our toddler by myself while they did work (they had more than enough money to pay for the work to be done, they just didn't want to). Also his family never made any big deal out of holidays--they once ate Christmas dinner at McDonald's because they went skiing. So when dh could actually get leave because it was the holidays, we went to my family. And Dh one hundred percent agreed, I did not make that decision on my own. Another example, my ds had a milk allergy. I did not make it up; an allergist diagnosed it. But my mil ignored it. I would bring food with us that was safe for ds and she would still offer him snacks he could not have. She once offered him a pudding cup and ds actually told her he could not have it and she tried to insist to him that he could. Dh had to intervene. Well, she never got to babysit him again. And we pretty much stopped going to see them because we were never sure what food she would try to slip past us. Since they made little effort to come to see us, we saw them maybe every two or three months at that point. So, when people tell you secondhand how awful it is that they don't get the holidays or they never get to see their grandkids, I suggest not assuming it is all because of a terrible DIL. Again this is in no way a commentary on Joanie. I'm not doubting her point of view at all. And I am very sorry for her circumstances.

3 Months, 10,000 photos, 100s of Hours, Still NO firm decision! In Nov, we removed a nasty behemoth of a brick fireplace that we lived with far too long. I've been stuck since then trying to decide what to replace it with. We have a style in my mind though it's been difficult to visualize. In a former life, I was a tech writer, so I've drawn many rough drafts. The biggest obstacle is that I know I change my mind more often than I'd like about my favorite styles. This makes me even more hesitant to make a decision. "What if I don't like it a few years from now!" I've never solicited an online resource for opinions, though I've used Houzz for inspiration and motivation for over 10 years. At this point, however, I need an intervention! My spouse is very helpful (in telling me what he doesn't like) but ultimately, within reason, the decision is mine. We are not looking to spend a small fortune; this is an update, not a remodel. In my Ideabook 'Fireplace/Fam Rm Remodel', I've listed (way too many) ideas, pics of the old fireplace, inspiration photos, and other uploads if any of you would care to wade through them with me! Fireplace/Fam Rm Update Oh... and lastly, we are avid, passionate DIYers with a full woodworking shop in the basement. THANK YOU - more than you can imagine! Design Must-haves: Neutral tones Budget <10k Stone and wood mix (MSI *Sierra Blue or Alaska Gray) (Mid-tone white oak, teak is too spendy for this project.) Floating or flush/floor hearth Plenty of display shelving Oak Flooring, mid-tone to match existing. Design Dilemmas: - TV above or adjacent to the gas fireplace? Hubby says adjacent, I say above; neither is a deal-breaker. We rarely light a fire, so high temps/TV is not an issue. Height is also not relevant as we could purchase a MantelMount. - Stacked stone. A full wall, 3/4 wall or only @ fireplace? - Thin, wood trim installed vertically to separate stone and painted wall? - Lighting, which will be a simpler choice down the road.

I love the look of the trim a couple shades darker than the house. Unfortunately, my windows are white vinyl clad so white trim is what it is. I thought it'd look weird to have white windows and different eaves trim. I agree the giant maple is less than ideal from a landscape standpoint. But it provides so much shade that i don't need a/c in the house. I have hydronic heat and only a 100amp power feed to the house, so installing central a/c is a major ordeal. I'm going to keep that ugly maple alive as long as i can!