1. How do I handle this? do I need to make sure all the wood on the doors, trim, and floor have the same color stain? >>This is a matter of personal preference so there's no absolute right answer. Personally I like the doors, door trim, base and crown mold to match. They don't need to match the floor but of course they do need to be complementary. 2. If so, is it possible to stain the existing woodwork darker without an excessive amount of work ( like sanding it all the way down)? >>Yes it is despite what I've read others claim. Speak to a reputable painter who is skilled at wood finishing. Just as is used on kitchen cabinets, there are stains that can be brushed or sprayed over existing finish once it's properly prepared. As long as you're going darker, it's not necessary to sand all the way to raw wood. 3. Is wood trim and moulding considered dated, these days? >> Styles come and go. Unless you move every few years, do what you like, not what would appeal to the majority. 4. Would it be better to go with replacing it all with white composite? (Lots of the woodwork needs repair as the previous children used it as a medium for carving pictures and their names) >> If you're going to paint, damaged areas can be filled, sanded, primed and painted. Just keep in mind that the grain on the old wood might show through in the finished product. Do a test on a piece to determine whether it meets your expectation and consider the cost difference between replacement and refinishing or painting. 5. The windows are also the same color of wood, would it look strange if they didn't match the trim around them? >> There again it's personal preference. I prefer that they match. There's nothing that says you can't paint the wood.

Remove the shutters they are all wrong for the windows they just look like cheap addons. IMO the door does not suit the house either . Some great landscaping would be a good idea to enhance the house

Thank you, I appreciate your concern. This very house has been built at least 10 times along the Mississippi Gulf Coast with minor tweaks each time. Our builder has built it multiple times. I have actually walked through the house in my first picture and it is lovely. IThe windows and porches are wonderful. It does not have a loft area or a bunk-room. Each time time it is built there are minor changes in order to not have the cookie cutter effect. My particular "tweaks" are in regards to enlarging the loft area and the bunk room that has been created in the dormer section along the front of the house. I had the option of a small cozy bunk room but that is similar to a house nearby. So I asked for a longer one with a small sitting area in the middle and a gabled dormer in addition to the shed dormers. My concern was that I was trying to get too much into a small space. I have spoken to the draftsperson and we added a foot to the gabled dormer to make it deeper. Now that gabled section is 9 feet. The ceiling in that area reached 12 feet. I have been playing around with ideas about creating a built in bench seat beneath the window with an Ikea wardrobe on either side. That adds seating and gives us storage and leaves a whole whopping 7 feet to place a small coffee table and small scale chairs with a tv on the other side of the wall. I also have discovered the Ikea Hemnes shoe cabinet. It is narrow but gives the look of a traditional chest of drawers. I think it will be perfect in this room. Iwill start a new discussion that is limited to just this area and how to stage it. For an update after speaking to the draftsman, she explained that the vanity in bathroom number 1 is due to the door and pocket doors won't work. So I will leave that like it is. The loft will stay the same size and might just have a desk or a small area to sit and read. The bunk room will serve as the area that I hope to send kids to watch tv. (I personally don't want a lot of tv watching at the beach, but I know it is inevitable, so I want there to be a separate area for kids.) I appreciate all of the insights from everyone. I realize that my post had too many questions. In the future I will focus on one thing at a time. I plan to start another post just for the staging of this bunk room. For all of you that have hung on through my rambling, please know that I will try to be more concise. Thank you!

I like this Timberline Natural Shadow. it's a nice charcoal color (left) On the right, is a warmer brown, which I don't care for as much stay with a warmer charcoal, or slate color. Appalachian Sky on this one would work nicely. this is Belleforte Slate Gray color. Looks nice w/this similar brick. and notice the accent colors You have some nice color in your brick. I think your door would look amazing if you painted a deep aubergine or plum. I love this plum door w/a soft white trim, and of course the plum/purple and golden tones in the landscaping would be perfect for your home. and this Black Garnet or Nocturne color would look beautiful for the trim areas you can paint or, these two btw, look at DaVinci roof tiles. they have some great color combos A slate color asphalt/faux slate tile roof could look great w/your brick. and the coordinating accent colors