I've tried for the past few weeks to get used to the awful brown mortar on my flagstone, but I just can't live with the mortar......I've had multiple contractors come out for various things unrelated to the pool and 3 have commented on the "odd", "strange" mortar color without me even mentioning my opinion of it. Very shocking but really why was I surprised. It's kinda nice to finally realize I'm NOT crazy for hating it. It toned down slightly as it cured, but it's still hideous. :( I'm going to start working on a resolution, going to be a pain but I just can't live with this color......infurates me that my PB picked this color for me without asking me what I'd like. I'm sharing all of this in hopes that it will save at least someone from getting slapped with a bad mortar color----I've never seen a pool as far as I can tell that didn't have buff or just regular light gray mortar----so I had no clue to specify especially when all my my PB's pools looked to be to be a buff shade of mortar. All of their gallery pics and the 4 pools of theirs I visited.

I'm with those who like the house color. It's mine, in fact. Regarding the garage doors, those are the trouble spot in the typical home. Ideally, the garage would be detached and hidden, your chauffeur would drop you off and then make the car disappear too. These days, instead of hiding garages discretely hidden behind hedges, we have big, klunky utilitarian garage doors trying to grab attention from what should be a compelling and delightful front entry. So, my recommendation is to not try to punch up the garage door in any way. THAT's not where you want people to look. Your painter had the right idea, but still went the wrong way in painting it the typical bright look-at-me white. I'd take the house color itself a shade or two two darker and paint the garage doors that color. It's so nice that you do love the front door color, which is lovely with the gray. I agree with Bronwynsmom, though, that more contrast would fix the washed-out effect you're seeing from the street. Just look to something else to add more. Flowers are ephemeral, so not so great to depend on even in the warm seasons and gone entirely in winter. How about establishing more permanent energy with a pair of large, decorative, winter-hardy pots? They could hold flowers in summer, seasonal decor in winter. Yellows-oranges-reds are across the color wheel from blue, and the complement would really make the door area pop. If that's too colorful for your tastes, you could add contrast in a quieter manner by going dark against the relatively pale colors, black, very deep green, eggplant, or...?

I don't think you're playing it safe. I think you're finding your style. We all mess up with our choices. If you take a look at the color tone of all your favorites and the one you installed; they are all light. So that's where you start. A light backsplash is definitely a perfect match for your stone. You cabs are darker and something light with some visual interest will be great. I think people find that visual interest in different things. Yours just happens NOT to be in tumbled stone. One is not "more right" then the other. I happen to find I'm always drawn to glass... it's just a matter where you taste lies. I can't wait to see it photoshopped. I have no clue how to do that or I do it for you!

I like oversized mirror. Here is some option to decorate.