Hi thanks everyone for the ideas. I'm in Arizona where the red brick is a unique feature compared to the typical concrete block walls. Its a distinct feature for the neighborhood and I'm not sure HOA would allow it. That said, I do see stuccoing the the backyard side would create more balance. The railing on the balcony will be replaced and I'm interested in doing wrought iron inserts/railing in between the large painted wood posts. cpaul1 had an interesting idea on stained wood vs painted for the pillars. I'd assume these painted one pillars could be sanded and stained? That might look good in combination with the dark trim paint. Then I'd also consider doing wood slate ceiling on the balcony. Would that look off? I'm searching for some photos of similar homes with the non-painted beams and similar style. As far as the balusters, something like this in a flat black? decoenthusiaste - I'm a big fan of that white home with the dark trim! Wish I had the wooden windows to contrast like they did. I'm not sure how I could do that without the wood windows/door.

First I must respectfully disagree with you. I think your new home is gorgeous. I do agree that it needs a front path more equal to the value of the house itself. I suspect the rounded awnings were used to repeat the arched niche surrounding the window of the room to the left. Is that room the dining room? It is not uncommon for Spanish style houses to have rectangular windows with some arched windows It is not a problem that you need to disguise with current awnings. . A more common type of awning is what I read is called spear awning. Usually they are dark green or ashy brown. The current awnings remind me of a commercial building. Most people use awnings only on southern and western exposures. My other critique involves the niche. I wonder if that was once a much larger window. Here are some examples of the window filling the niche. Windows or French doors to the right of the entrance. ^^

@Lisa M I hear you but when updating, one needs to also consider if there is any true architectural significance to what you are changing. Plus one needs to consider if the original was actually done well or was it just done to the trends of the time? Is preserving trends of the time of architectural value? Maybe. But we live in the real world with budgets, labor/material availability and new concerns impacting our decisions. Horizontal siding application requires expertise to avoid the risk of water leakage around windows, doors and other openings. Water finds its way and when it does it's damaging and can have adverse health impacts. Accommodating the horizontal cuts results in a lot more wasted material. So does today's enlightened awareness of sustainability and reducing waste secure a higher place on the priority list than preserving a look that recalls the trends of the 70's? Not sure if you are working with outside tradespeople on your shed, but finding quality craftspeople to do specialized work well is a lesson in patience, often literally years out, in my very active region. Specialized labor plus more material equals more cost. What are the family's other budget priorities? Does preserving a 70's trend outweigh saving for a child's education or your own retirement? To answer your question: "why would you buy a very specific 1980 house and try to use it as a springboard to faking the look of new build houses on your inspa lists." In the current real estate market, most folks buy a house based on location, cost and the ability to actually get your hands on a house in this crazy bidding market. The house style often has little to do with the purchase decision. May I point out that the OP has two, not four or five different siding styles on her home. Even FLW used two siding types on his own Oak Park house. If it's good enough for ole Frankie, I'll take it! Could he have bricked the entire house? Yes, so is that shake siding an arbitrary decoration? Who's to say what's an arbitrary decision on any structure? Some thought went into everything chosen. Not everything is precious on/in houses of their time. I just gutted a classic harvest gold bathroom. Should I have replaced it with the same since it is of the times of the house? No thank you. It had a good run and kuddos to the tile craftsperson who installed a shower pan that lasted 53 years. And BTW, thank ya Jesus for "James" Hardie. Had the company he established not pioneered fiber cement products, we'd have a lot more asbestos, rotting wood, black mold and ear piercing wood peckers waking us up at dawn. Big questions are interesting to ponder. Just not sure making assumptions about a poster on Houzz and the decisions they made is the place for it. Probably better to post your big questions as your own posts for comment. But...that's my opinion.

Whites can get stark in natural daylight, so most "white" homes are actually an off white or light beige. This is a window frame I painted this past summer. It is the same color as the fireplace screen. (Rust oleum French Cream for metal and color matched for wood) (Please excuse the dirty gutters - house is a work in progress).