Shutters wont work because some of the windows need larger shutters than you have room for, other wise they may end up looking like tooth pick if you get what I mean. I might start with power washing and restraining the deck in a different color then I would put some thought into landscaping by going to a local nursery and seeing what will work for your soil and environment. I think the lack of anything pretty is making it "drab" . Not sure if it's possible but casing the windows and adding a trim color could help. Also, painting the front door would be a great asset as well. I suppose due to the lower windows expanding the deck maybe out but it would surly bring some balance. Is this the front of the house? A path to the front door would help too.

I know these are expensive ideas but I think putting your money at the yard is the place to start.

That is awesome! This is the front but the side of the house faces the street. A design challenge for sure. Here is a pic of the side.

Better size and placement of windows will fix the house...........sorta.

i think shutters would help, landscaping for sure. building out the porch/roof might be cool

lots of cool things you can do here. but i do believe the landscape will help a lot.

Shutters will only accentuate that the windows are too short and long. Eg you’d make the visual appearance even longer. Like Beverly notes, correcting the window openings would go a long way. Also landscaping.

HKO HKO<, that's a good point, thanks! This house has 35 windows, so would be really expensive to change them out, although I would love to do so. We live on a small farm so trying to integrate the house into the farm, no easy task.

RL Relocation LLC, you mention staining the deck, would a red wood stain look good? The back of the house has an overhang and the wall is board/batten stained red wood.

That is very interesting! Do you think a lattice work underneath the deck would work?

I would add shutters but not in black or gray. I’d use a color blue, green, or red. Then it wouldn’t be all black/white. Then I’d use that color in accents in the landscaping/ garden. I think lattice would look nice under the deck.

Landscaping will do wonders! Also, restaining the deck should also add some backyard appeal.

I not sure if you should go with a color or just a natural wood look. i was thinking maybe even a gray. Need someone who can photoshop that too see I think. But a landscape plan is a must.

Do you think you could expand the deck?

I am transfixed with the challenge of the side that faces the street. You didn't say anything about your style, and maybe it's a real farm so you want to keep the natural farmhouse feel, even if a bit homely. But I felt like it was desperately calling out for subdivision, and I ended up with this somewhat more modern color-blocked idea:

Maybe you could take this color scheme to do the window-linkages that Grover suggested for the other side...

I do want the entrance shed to be someting different, whether it's less (a more normal entry door with sidelight) or more (a more substantive portico to match the scale of the facade). I realize this isn't the main view, but...

I know you have a porch, etc., on the other side, but I want something like this:

Really, you'd get a lot out of some plantings around this -- a few shrubs, an ornamental tree, etc. Every house looks its best in a more gracious setting.

I thought the same thing about the front of the house, i also agree that white might just be too stark! But start at the point you can afford and actually complete and move forward as you can. its a darn big project!

I think Beverly's trim and paint designs are the best and could be a tan or soft sage green instead of grey. And RL Relocation is so right about landscaping making the biggest impact.

@beverlyFLADeziner nailed it.

Wrap around porch with white railing & attractive columns or porch posts to connect the front & side? Also would break up the mass.

Thank you everyone- you all are so talented! So glad I found this site! So many good ideas.

RL - expanding the deck is definitely an option. This house is a challenge.

ACM - We loved your geometric idea and the subdivision theme, along with Beverly's window blocking! Our style tends towards the eclectic, with a homey feel. It is a homestead and your idea of the wood color on the side shed with expanded overhang is awesome. We were just talking about incorporating more wood into the design since we live in the PNW. Landscaping is a must.

awm03 - wrap around porch excellent!

Beverly - That looks much better than lattice.

Thank you all again so much.

I know that lattice is an easy thing to reach for, but sometimes it's just not right. These ideas are just jumping off points for you to consider in place of shutters. The vertical elements I have created on your house could be contrasting wood or a metal trellis, etc. We're just trying to get you to think beyond what you know. Sketch, sketch sketch, cut and paste ideas.

What is baffling is this style home out in the country!!! It's hard to fix things if funds are a big issue. Have to be clever that's why paint and carefully placed trim can be your friend.

Now you have to image it with landscape.

Oh wow Beverly, that's is awesome! You also incorporated the wood look. This house was owner built and is bare bones. They had 8 kids and wanted a big house on a farm. We got a good deal on it so remodeled the inside (wish I knew about Houzz during THAT process) and still remodeling. So, yes, funds are limited. You have given me something to think outside of the box and I thank you. RL - it is time to get to the nursery and figure out the landscape. I have a question, can you paint a dark color over white vinyl siding?

Ok but it's just a suggestion. It's not well thought out yet so hire a professional for help

I'm thinking that the 'tower' needs to be reduced in height, so maybe by extending the roof and gutter line you can help with that visual.

Also I have extended the porch to the edge of the house and extended the porch roof line.

This is a bad example but at least the deck projects out from the house. Stairs are too big and useless but it's more the size you should consider.

I am not the painting gal, ACM? Cant wait to hear feedback from the nursery.

Beverly, that is a great idea! I like that the house resembles ours and the porch elongates outward. One issue we have is that the basement, which has 8 foot ceilings would be blocked from the sun if we expand the deck. Is there an easy workaround for that? RL, we are having a nursery guy come out to look at what we can plant in our area. Will keep you updated (should be in a week or two).

Late on this thread but I’d love to see any updates!

Hi Urchinsushi, sorry for the late updates :) I had the worst time trying to get these photos posted last summer. With my husbands today's help, viola! We had the area regraded for parking spots and landscaping. There is still much to do for this spring including doing something for the vinyl siding or windows. Everyone was so helpful. Thanks again.

Thanks for the update - I love the colorful landscaping and the new deck. Looks fantastic. I’m a fan of the horizontal skirting.
Congratulations! I’m sure you are enjoying the new space.

We are enjoying the new space. The area was regraded all around the house and huge boulders from the property was set by the hill coming into the driveway. Glad you liked it. Thanks!

looks so much more inviting now!!

Thanks RL Relocation! Sorry it took so long to get these pics onto Houzz.