You can add gravel to the driveway if that's what is there now (I can't tell). We have a rural gravel drive that takes a couple to few hundred $ or so to replenish. I did some doodles. Gave you some grass. ;) (If you can grab some big bags of seed now and sew with some starter fertilizer, spring rains will give it a good start. I like Scott's Pure Premium. Or for rural I use Pennkote blend, Lowe's in rural areas, it's cheaper.) Added a little simple front landscaping in mulch. (You can get evergreens and perennials at WalMart, HomeDepot, and Lowe's and not pay a small fortune. Or check small local nurseries. I've often hit on unreal bargains at seasonal road side fruit stands of all places! ) My eyes are so bleary from taxes, struggled a bit to see what is going on in places. Hope it's correct! Kept it simple, did various combinations, particularly with the porch. I tried the porch as it's own unit, and then roof of porch blended with house, but pillars white. Maybe it will help you decide which you like better. I think the porch pillars and roof being all white brings it forward, adds more dimension. So many stains now come in a variety of solid colors, I'd personally probably go for solid stain for easier maintenance. I did more 'traditional' colors, but given the variety of stain colors available, I tried some colors with a cottage feel, too. Those that would blend best with gray roof. I don't generally like to throw in my .02, just slap various colors on since everyone's taste is different, and let the OP decide what they like. But I think your house pulls off cottage colors quite well, changes the whole look of it! Color names are for reference only. You can see a lot more at your album I created here. Here you go: I'm not lovin' a darker, contrasting trim. Here's a sample: Khaki body, Stone Brown trim Here's Khaki body + fascia, White windows + pillars And then Khaki body, White fascia, windows and porch Traditional Gray and White trim: Dry Riverbed (gray>green) with white trim Stardust body, porch, White trim & pillars Stardust body, White porch and all trim Peachy Cream (renders salmon on my monitor) and white a deep periwinkle, Purple Gray Body, white Porch, white trim Then Purple Gray body + porch, white trim Classic Navy & White (you can see contrasting trim on this one at your album) I'm liking these cottage yellows. ;) Here is lighter one, Beeswax on body and porch roof & pillars. Makes porch disappear, imho. Here's Beeswax with white pillars. (You can see Beeswax with white porch roof at your album.) Barnwood Red Body Porch, White trim Barnwood Red, White porch, trim (you can see a Cranberry Bog w/Khaki trim at your album, didn't do much for me.) Don't want to bog down the thread. I've put more at your album. See anything that appeals to you, or something else you'd like to see? Here is a link that might be useful: Kathi's album

I love the cedar color of the house, now, so I would keep that. The trim color could be changed though. I might pick a color from your brick for the trim color, probably one of the darker colors. Also in the picture your roof looks like it has a lot of charcoal color in it, that would also work for a trim color.

Because based on my research (reading and talking to Shweri Williams rep) paint tends to outlast staining? Maybe. Under ideal circumstances. But. Existing structure. No way to properly back prime the siding. No way to prime the cut ends of the siding. Stained siding breathes so any moisture that might migrate from the interior will evaporate vs getting trapped behind paint (leading to peeling paint). And your roof has next to zero overhang to help shield the walls from the elements. So, realistically, less than ideal circumstances for optimum paint performance. Before considering other variables like weather conditions during the job, painter experience & skill... No mention of the labor & material cost. To paint now, it is a minimum three coat job. Primer & 2 coats of paint. To repaint later will involve scraping, sanding, priming & paint. To stain now & restain later will require less material & a lot less labor cost. Agree with Cat and Roarah--I would go with a semi-transparent oil-based exterior stain.

Or keep the soffit shoji white and skip the urban bronze altogether?