You don't have to use "power" to wash a brick house. A spray of water with something like Jomax will not harm the brick or the mortar and will remove the surface grime. You can scrub the individual bricks with watered down muriatic acid to remove the paint that is on them but do this by hand and only on those bricks. I have BM Linem on the trim in our library and the undertone is decidedly yellow, which sounds as though it would go nicely with the Rockport Grey with brown undertones. However, the blue/black would be of concern and you might consider a very very dark brown (almost black) instead. Agree with everybody else about painting the garage door the siding color. However, that garage door is very "ageing modern" looking and I would think to replace it at some point with a more traditional looking carriage door. Finally, Would not use a different white trim with the shingles when you use Linen elsewhere/ on the front. Your house might end up looking like separate buildings depending upon what side one views. Love your home, especially the entrance! Please post your changes as they're made!

I didn't care for the Thermatru stain (found a returned kit at HD) - too thin - and definitely prefer Cetol to the Thermatru top coat. Cetol held up much better to sun and rain than the sample (wood) I did with Thermatru. Thermatru's is water-based, Cetol is oil-based and I guess maybe I'm just biased - I don't think there is such a thing as a good exterior water-based clear coat. Faron recommended the Cetol so that's what I used. I only bought the kit (wrong stain color) for the sample FG piece and the brushes, but the brushes were cheap too. Didn't have luck with Minwax gel (too thick) but as baby bear said, the Zar was "just right!" - a neighbor used it (different color) with great results on his FG door, so I took his recommendation. I know a lot of people use gel stains, but I think the gels might just all be too thick for a novice to use on FG, the Zar went on like paint and was very easy to dry brush. As it says in the link, it's all in the technique.

After seeing your very pretty living room, I understand your hesitance to go red on the front door. If the room is an example of your taste, you go for more muted tones. Don't think I'm crazy for suggesting a "purple", but there are two really lovely Sherwin Williams muted plum colors that might give the feeling of your gray but be a bit more interesting. My friends has the same color shutters that you do with SW Expressive Plum on her front door and its soft and lovely. I also really, really like the one shade darker on the color card but I can't find my card or remember the name. But this is just a suggestion, you may hate plum! I have door that is one color (in my case wood) but sidelights and transom are white like the trim around my windows, etc. However I think it works on my house b/c I have the transom, flagstone steps leading up to a portico with a copper roof. All of those things give the entrance more weight/importance. Since your entrance is more flat, I think your next best bet (and cheapest!) is to give the entrance more weight by making it look bigger/more important...ie, painting it as though it is all one unit. And maybe going with a slightly more interesting color (but still muted they way you like.) But I do think you went a step in the right direction painting the sidelights like the door! I don't know that painting those vertical trim pieces a third color would help...that would still break up the "unit". (And just to clarify, just the vertical white trim b/t the door and sidelights. The trim around the entire thing is good the way it is.) Its a pretty nice color but have you thought about going a shade or so darker? As you mentioned, outside in the sun things can look very light.

Ksc36 - I disagree with you about the composite door jambs. Do you actually have a door with them? I drank the marketing Kool-aid when I ordered my new door, and chose the composite door jambs that replaced the 25-year-old wood door jambs. I am wondering if you did same. The wood jambs are heavier, feel solid. The composite door jambs feel light, and not solid. I should have realized that the composite door thing is a way for door companies to charge more for something that is much cheaper for them to manufacture, and so they made up a bunch of hooey to make people buy them. Sounds great in the brochures though. The owner of the door contracting company told me he has begun steering his customers away from the composite jambs now that he's had some experience with them.