I would get rid of the blue awning. I would look into replacing the garage door and front door to fit the style of the house. This style door would look great! Not necessarily the color but the style. Also, you could make the windows pop by painting the trim a darker color to compliment the light brick color.

Mid-Century Raised Ranch Remodel · More Info

Removal of the crowded/clipped/shaped shrubbery and awning would be a priority for me. New entry and garage doors in an MCM design direction and some exterior lighting would be a place to start. Keep new landscaping simple, more stark and light volume wise. I would darken the trim and windows a few shades. Do you plan to replace the drive?

I agree on no awning (if you need light control on those windows, there are other option that are less obtrusive/more in keeping with the house style). And trim back or remove the overgrown plantings - including the vine.

I would paint the garage door and all trim (including window frames) a medium dark color. My computer is not reliable on rendering colors so I can't make a specific suggestion to go with your brick. Think about a bronzish shade (Urbane Bronze is one of my favorites), or dark gray, brown-gray, or blueish - grayish medium black, or even a dark gray-green.

Yes. I would like to replace the drive too. Maybe with concrete slabs?

Some option

Like these?

Mid-Century Post and Beam · More Info

Lose the clipped shrubs, lose the awning, paint everything that isn't brick Urbane Bronze, put the other money in landscaping. New driveway is awesome but I just replaced my driveway with a super plain cement driveway (half circle) at it was 10K, 10K would go a long way with landscaping!

Black and cedar accents with your light brick would look great. Streamlined and minimal landscape as well. Here are some inspos for you, but I think black trim and cedar garage or front door with the opposite on the other, either way you go, it will look great and doors with the modern horizontal windows would be great on both.

I agree about not blowing the budget on the driveway. You could save that for another time if it still bugs you and concentrate on things that will have MUCH greater impact. Landscaping, losing the awning, paint.

Re: paint colour. Your house is definitely suffering from not enough contrast. The neighboring houses, which all seem to be in the same brick, seem to have some contrast but have gone lighter than the brick to achieve it. You could stand out a bit by going slightly darker, but not too dark. Although I am personally a huge fan of contrast (think zebra!) and I get the suggestions for the dark colours, I think your house would look better with something in between. If the colour is too dark, you run the risk of having your fascia look more like a heavy brow. It also runs the risk of making your house stand out too much from the rest of the neighborhood. Take a look at the colour of your down spout, for example. That looks more like SW Porpoise than Urbane Bronze.

Good luck with your project. Cool house!

Just be aware that you haven’t got a ranch, and you haven’t got a post and beam. You have a brick house in the Usonian style. Look up houses like that.

Thanks all, these are awesome suggestions! I do want to add contrast to the home but I’m worried that black frame windows could be too much of a contrast for the light brick??. the cedar would def soften it.

And yea! the awning is gone.

If I get black frame windows, would I have to paint fascia The same black? I can see how that may feel heavy.

You don’t have to use black- there are many shades between the current blah and black (sorry!) That’s why I suggested urbane bronze- it’s a nice brown grey that might work well with your brick (obviously you would have to test it next to the brick)

Cant go by me though, all of my trim is tricorn black, as is my fence, as is my garden furniture. Don’t stand still too long at my house or you end up getting painted black...

Black windows would look great I think as in some of the inspo picture. The one has light brick like yours. And as @hallet&co put it, it doesn't have to be black you could have other dark colors just make sure they are in the right tone to tie into the brick and any wood accents you add in.

The only thing I would paint the brick color is that small piece of flashing or TPO where the porch roof joins the two story section- it appears white or silver in the photograph.

Yes a medium dark color, not outright black, would probably be best for your brick.

Your brick seems to me to be on the warm side of the color spectrum - if it is, that makes a starting point for narrowing down choices. You will want to choose a gray, brown, bronze, blue or green that are also warm.

Try uploading your good exterior house photos to one of the major paint manufacturer's color selection tool - there you can try out various colors to see which ones appeal to you.

Agree — I would go in a more earthy direction, not too contrasting and stark. I think you’re very wise not to paint the brick. I’m just horrified as I drive through my town and see wonderful old homes with the Paint Color du Jour glopped onto the formerly nice brick, with no rhyme or reason ... just for the sake of being trendy.

I like the darker roofline here, with a true golden tan (no pinkish cast), and front door in a different color. Minor changes that would make a big impact.

Very inviting and more natural in keeping with the style of your house:

Similar here:

How did it turn out?