I’d do white siding with black. Or navy.

I'd use a charcoal color taken from the bricks for the siding, with white trim. Remove the shutters from the bay windows, the two long horizontal windows, and the smaller vertical window on the front next to the 4 symmetrical windows. Or consider removing them all over and using wider window trim instead.

I would also do a charcoal or darker gray taken from a color in your brick. I also would do the white trim. I would leave the shutters, and either paint them. I do like them painted white and might just paint them white everywhere.

I like the color suggestions so far. I would remove the shutters. They are too small. You have nice large windows in the front that can stand on their own. If you do keep them, paint them black. The side windows and the bay should not have shutters.

Guide for pruning.

Thanks all, I do have to be careful removing shutters from the brick because I don’t know how the brick will look underneath from being covered since ethe 70’s. But I will definitely look!

I was thinking about removing the shutters from the paneled parts of the house, but my contractor told me that the Andersen windows we have could not be trimmed out (which I call BS on) and I think that they are too thin to stand alone.

I found these three inspiration photos, what do you think?

I love this color with brick and IMO all the shutters need to be removed or replaced with ones that are the proper size and never on a bow window s or double windows .

Are the windows paintable or are they vinyl? Of course you can add trim to the windows, it will involve removing a foot of siding all around the windows, then the new trim, custom flashing along the top, then replace the siding. Easy enough but labor intensive and lots of money. Adding trim on top of the siding is a sure way to direct water into the structure of the house which is why your contractor is advising against it. Yes people do it...

Take a close up of your brick that you believe accurately reproduces the colors. Take the pic to a major paint store and try to match the darkest brick in the pic. Looks to be close to navy or charcoal. That could be your siding color or the color of the shutters if you paint the siding white. Definitely remove shutters on all your wide horizontal windows, perhaps on the skinny window left of the entry too. Hoping the brick won't be too different a color behind them when you uncover it.

I would go with taupe.

Thank you all for the input! @HALLETT & Co., I appreciate the run down on what is involved with the trim, I had no idea it was that much work. Since we are at the end of the renovation that started in October, and they've already finished repairing the siding on the back, I don't think it is wise for us to start cutting up the siding! At least I know now to rule that out.

It sounds like re: shutters that we should remove them from the horizontal windows and bay window (assuming that the brick looks ok underneath, we shall see).

@Patricia Colwell Consulting and @houssaon, I'm curious what you mean about the size of the shutters? They are taller than the glass part of the windows, so I'm not sure how much bigger they could get?

Rachel, the shutters, including decorative, should be sized to at least look like they would cover the window when closed. That means each shutter should be half the window's width, along with the right height. The width can be problematic on certain windows, especially when very wide (such as the upper windows in your second photo). They make no sense at all on bay windows.

This link might help more, but of course it's up to you as to what looks good.

https://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/residential-architecture-101-shutters/

@chloebud thank you for the explanation, it never occurred to me about how they originally functioned, in which case you're right - they make no sense on a bay window! Whoever built the house must have loved shutters :P