Sorry, lglossner , but your sketch is way too symetrical and too many materials. I would stay true to the original design and keep the existing siding. Why waste money and add to the landfill? Same goes for the brick; no reason to replace with stone which is now a days is usually faux. Houzz has some great examples of lakehouses for inspiration. Put the ones you like in a Houzz ideabook with notes why and what you like or don't like. You can check out the ones I put together for myself. The point is, that these ideas you collect will be very helpful when you are working with an architect or designer. (I would not wing this without professional help.) Start with what speaks to you. This color would work with your brick.

@Indecisiveness there will be windows lower in the bedrooms on each wing . We have one side that will open to a courtyard. so this won’t be in any comparison to a basement- that’s for sure. im Sure that was a fun experience! Basement living And a father who did it all himself. That was my life too (minus the basement). My dad would buy and sale quite a lot and we lived in many unfinished homes . He loves those fixer uppers and living in them until they sold. 😂 @Mark Bischak i do understand the garage statement . But having it away from the home gave us more space inside and more light. Would be open to any suggestions for sure. @ourfarmhouse- yes this home has very tall ceilings . Always wanted a two story feel in a one story home. The living room will have metal beams and lined with a light colored wood. The fire place will have a whole wall of rough white brick . @ourfarmhouse at the front of your renderimags- to the left of the orange door. What would this be? Kind of curious. I have already printed them out and wasn’t sure. as for the garage. It just wouldn’t fit pulled into the house now that we’ve added a mud room . so you like that flat roof wirh breeze way. Or do you see a different design maybe with some pitch to it? thanks again for your time (and everyone else’s)

I would buy your house in a flash as is, and the only things I would want to immediately change are instantly getting rid of the 4 carriage lamps (round globe lights might be fun near the door , but I think I would do flowers or art rather than lighting at the street level). Second thing I’d want to do immediately is something different with the left window.. I’m not sure what. I wouldn’t paint the brick but I would paint the siding and the concrete (not necessarily the same color). Then after that I’d possibly paint the metalwork railing upstairs as well. I’d have loads of flowers and trailing vines coming from the upper railings, New Orelans style.

it's a really cool door! a little too "flower power" for such a sleek modern exterior, but painting it will make it look better and be a nice holdover until you could afford a new door. (and keep the old one, I really do love it. maybe it could be repurposed somewhere else.) I'd suggest a new handle set too. updated but not too modern (anything too hard edged might look odd with that flowery design). such as this one from kwikset? I think it comes with a keypad version too if that's what you want. you can always relocated it to the new door when if that gets replaced.