awm we were posting at the same time. I actually really like both versions of your home as I do of bittersweet's. You can count me in with the home owners with "fake" style homes. Ours is a Queen Anne Victorian wanna be and everyone that has seen it, even strangers that find out I live in "that house" tell me they love it. We even had one couple come snooping in our windows when we were obviously here working on our home during finishing (ha! like it'll ever be finished) construction. Two vehicles in the driveway and their walking around with their noses to the windows. LOL. When I saw them I told Darrell and we both went outside to meet them. They were a very nice couple and we invited them in to get a better look. Ha! They said they'd been watching it from ground up and was thrilled to get a look inside. Here it is last fall. We've yet to finish the sleeping porch railings. Took down the temp to be able to move in awhile ago and are now thinking of closing it in as a three season porch since we love the screen porch we closed in a couple years ago. And here's my idea of gingerbread and shutters that hubby really wants. I'd like other trim too, but it all adds up when you are doing it all with cash....

Funny you should mention that d_gw, I looked and looked for painted brick surround examples on images and found none. I did find many painted masonry surrounds. I decided against trying a mock-up of painted brick surrounds as my thought is that that is more nice jewelry highlighting better quality windows. Its one of those things were you can't really stop at just the surround. You have to go with nicer windows as well. I like my first full house mock-up. I did the door and sidelights all the same color as per Lori's suggestion and it does look nicer. So, it has been edited since my first go. To me sometimes simpler is better. That first mock-up would look nice with some pretty pots as per Outsideplayings suggestion and better landscape which everyone suggested. The first mock-up would also be a bit budget friendlier.

What a wonderful project. And how nice that the house is set back so that different areas of transition can be created. Will you be growing tall trees so the home is eventually sheltered in dappled shade? Lower landscaping so the house rises above washed with sunshine? Do you want a rather mysterious look with a narrow area of accented house intriguing and drawing the eye in , making people going by try to see more? Do you want an open look with the property lushly foliaged but the house very much on display, serenely or exuberantly? If you have a image in mind of what you want, style, mood and light included, you could then drive around both creative older and expensively landscaped neighborhoods looking for ideas to realize it. Color choices made then? These mostly lack the rich color you want, but I was mostly thinking first of how it might be dressed with garden. :) Lush elsewhere, perhaps, but close in as open and airy as the interior? I'm really not crazy about brown in general, but even I think a brown reminiscent of wet tree trunks works wonderfully to accent and tie inside, transition areas, garden together. The previous property uses it also.

I am truly thankful for the ideas and suggestions. Decisions, decisions, decisions. @houssaon If I go with the charcoal roof, what color door would look best? Would it look disproportionate if the posts go on to the walkway since I don’t believe the top step is structurally sound to place the post. I may be wrong! @decoenthusiaste I like the look of the extended roof, since it will be unique to other homes in the neighborhood. My concern though is would I not have to extend the stair into a front porch to give it that balance? Could someone please share their thoughts on how I can layer the house, maybe adding trim or planters, window plant boxes,etc. anything that would give the house character/charm. Thank you all! Please keep the ideas coming.