Wendy, I am with you that the rock facing is quite unattractive, and IMO it can't be saved with paint or other camouflage such as plants. It is different from your inspiration photo in that the inspiration photo looks like stacked stone and is in the foundation area, not flat stones fastened on fairly randomly as siding, oriented like tile. If funding allows, remove it. If not, see if it can be covered up with stucco or siding without needing to then fix or replace windows. As a last resort, plan to plant at least some taller shrubs with flowers or other interest to distract from that stone once the hardscape issues are solved. Rethink the entry; remove some of the paving along the garage (or at the very least add some large planters there) and take out the brick wall to make it feel more welcoming. Pull out the skinny bed under the eaves across the front because it really isn't large enough for plants or proportional to the size of the house. Replace the bed with one that is at least 6' deep from the front of the house - that will give you at least a foot between the house and the ultimate size of the plantings (for maintenance) as well as room for more than a single straight line of plants.

I love your brick. It is the tone that is timeless(not like 50's pink, you know?) If you paint the siding as you plan and leave the brick for last, you will know if you enjoy seeing the brick, I would think in a couple of weeks time, after completing the trim and the siding....you will know if the brick accents are pleasing to your home aesthetics.. I think it is very pretty. There are folks that don't care for brick..they prefer siding and thus, they paint the brick. I think brick adds elegance and fits well with your house. It is your house. These are just opinions offered. Do what makes you happy. I just think your brick is very pretty, and with warm colors or warm neutrals it looks like a nice way to make your house look special and unique in it's colors. And it is not in bad shape, the mortar has not been patched as a result of poor installation or foundation issues in times before you owned it, and why buy paint if you are not trying to bring a cosmetic benefit to the brick -that is what drives a lot of brick painting in many areas--that and the dated color of the brick too as mentioned earlier. However, if you do not paint the brick you might be able to not paint the fireplace chimney. IF you do paint it all, than don't forget the fireplace chimney. It's a very pretty home!! Others may add something that helps you decide? Brick's advantage over siding, is you don't HAVE to paint it regularly like siding.. Once you do however, it's now a part of exterior maintence for you and the future owners to endure.

Everybody has an opinion, which you asked for, but you have to do what is best for you in your neighborhood. If you are replacing the siding and thinking about doing all the work of painting brick, maybe you should just remove some of that brick altogether. If you leave some of it, have it be lower and even across...maybe 1/3 of the height of the walls instead of half. Keep the excess brick for edging or patio like someone else suggested. I liked the trim-work you added. Definitely do not paint the garage door the same as the front. Keep it in the lighter tone of your siding color choice. This way the front door is a focal point. Do not replace the garage door if it is not needed. There's no reason to add the expense ($1700 or more). I would use the existing shrubs as background to a much larger planted area. Allow budget for mulching that planting bed and, for what it's worth, consider using rubber bark mulch. It definitely is more expensive, but it is worth it in the long run if you're planning on living there. Rubber bark does not attract termites or roaches, it doesn't fade, it doesn't disintegrate, and it doesn't blow away so it doesn't need to be replaced every 2 years like bark mulch. It keeps tires out of the landfill! Anyway, updating is a great idea, but keep in mind why you are choosing to do so. If you are going to live there, spend what you want. If you are updating to sell, keep your budget as low as possible because you won't recoup much of it and expenses can only be subtracted from profits on the house. If you're losing money on the house then not even the realtor fees are deductible. Best of luck with your project!

Really nice house. Would not paint the brick -- not ever. You might consider removing the two trees leaning toward the house before a storm --wind storm and/or ice storm or even lightening -- puts them on your roof. While you already have room to create a portico, if you remove the two trees, you'll have plenty of room for a larger front porch -- either one will look good with forward facing gable with its ridge point the same height as the gable on the left side and it would be a good idea to make a decision on that before replacing the roof. If you've been considering enlarging the house to extend the upstairs over the single story section on the left end of the ground floor and/or adding a porch or room elsewhere, Decide that before redoing the roofing. If a new roof is needed, make that your priority. medium/dark gray shingles are as close to neutral as shingles get. Newer metal roofs now have an extended warranty. Talk with your homeowner insurance company and see if they can give you any information about how metal roofs age in your geographic location that might help you make your decision. Probably would not choose metal myself with that style house -- they tend to look better with steep roofs. Siding color you have is neutral and works well with the brick so if it doesn't need changing, wouldn't make that a priority.