Congrats on your new treasure, such great possibilities! Really like the portico idea. I think a new color would be grand but pros may need more details to offer on paint, like what kind of windows and color of roof are planned?

Thanks jackowskib- Everything is pretty much a blank canvas. Once a color is chosen I will special order the windows to coordinate with that and the roof can be anything at this point.

I’m kind of thinking possibly metal / copper for the side sun porch and new front entrance roofs- Again though anything is an option until work begins

Love your "cobbled together" plan. Given the non descript nature of the architecture any color combo will work. I would look around the area and chose a scheme not done in the area yet.

Depends on what you like, but I think white, blue or gray would work with a red or blue door, or taupe with a black door. There are so many possible combinations. Just please don't do modern farmhouse. :-)

Since it's a rental, no need to get fancy I guess. If you're replacing the front door, see what colors they come prefinished in and and pick a house color that will look good with it. You'll probably want a gray roof.

The vision photoshopped image looks great. I suggest making the entrance wide enough for a moving truck that will have to make a tough turn into the driveway or back into the driveway. A two-lane entrance/exit could be the right width.

Love the house and your ideas. One thing I like to do is search what colors were used the year(s) a house was built. It’s fun seeing the old paint brochures.

Benjamin Moore has a great line of historic colors, too.

A few articles with nice paint schemes:

https://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/exteriors/curb-appeal/exterior-color-combinations/?slide=slide_f942a97f-e0d8-4454-a31c-17ec968565c8#slide_f942a97f-e0d8-4454-a31c-17ec968565c8

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https://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/exteriors/curb-appeal/best-exterior-house-color-schemes/?

https://www.southernliving.com/home/decor/exterior-paint-colors?slide=427b5af1-f0a6-4926-b377-52a12eb43c83#427b5af1-f0a6-4926-b377-52a12eb43c83

I love colors like these together (The Penny-Belknap house):

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https://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/exteriors/curb-appeal/

https://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/exteriors/curb-appeal/before-and-after-small-exterior-makeovers/?slide=slide_bb67e432-ece3-43bb-9c85-2cdf7ef9f7a3#slide_bb67e432-ece3-43bb-9c85-2cdf7ef9f7a3

https://www.mydomaine.com/exterior-paint-colors-5180370

From This Old House

Love these warm neutrals (from same article above):

Loving this green:

Sorry, don’t know colors, just wanted to share black windows with green:

Some very nice combos here:

https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/15-top-rated-color-combinations-for-your-home-exterior-52142

I sugest getting the roof, doors, and window frame colours sorted out first. Paints can be tinted to go with any colour. The roof, door, etc, will be a bit more limited. The place looks great, by the way. It has so much potential. Have fun!

Also, esnure you go with vinyl or even fibreglass window frames. You don't want to have to be painting/staining the windows all the time. I have two wood frames windows. Every year, I am out there staining the sill. I can't even reach around the whole frame to stain that part every other year.

I did rendering for similar house. may be it can help you.

Even if you aren't installing them immediately, start by choosing a terrific but neutral roof and windows because they are larger expenses that you will have to live with for quite a while. (You will likely need that roof sooner than later.) If you plan on keeping the property for a long time, DaVinci Roofscapes has a synthetic shake that would be gorgeous on your house. They are a little spendy upfront but have a lifetime warranty. They resist bugs, fire, wind, vegetation, and take very little maintenance (just keep them clean). If you want an asphalt shingle then GAF HDZ is extremely wind-resistant. A light-colored or slightly reflective roof will help keep your place cooler in the summer, while dark colors add to heat gain in colder places with clear skies.

As to paint, color trends come and go. We love beige or greige with a smoky blue or green. You can try colors directly on your picture at https://bit.ly/see-davinci. Whatever you choose, bold contrasts will be more powerful than close matches.

An upgraded front porch would be very nice. Talk to an architect about the right shape, however. The one that was photoshopped in is more Federal/Colonial and doesn't suit the more flowing style of the existing structure. In changing the porch roof from shed to gable you want to budget for a big patch of siding that will need to be replaced. Confirm with local contractors if your siding can be matched; older wood styles may need to be custom milled. If you do all new siding, consider James Hardy for durability, perhaps with some DaVinci shake for accent.

Best wishes on your project!

Me, i would keep it white and black. Its just a classy look on these older homes.

What region are you in? I live in the land of snow and long winters. The blues and greens suggested look great. Nothing is more depressing than a white house amid white snow and a gray sky. If you live south, likely not an issue and the white with black trim has a very traditional, homey feel.

I really prefer the slope/shape of the current roof overhang. The peaked portico just doesn't suit the style of the house. I would make the current overhang much wider and expand the current front porch significantly.

Color, either a very soft white on everything with a spiffy new roof (maybe metal? Or just metal on the new porch roof), or else dark dark blue-ish or green-ish, with off-white trim and dark roof.

I would significantly beef up the window trim.

The white would be timeless, can't go wrong. House is not huge, so another plus in the white column. Ages well. (Also, good landscaping)

The dark also would be nice. I would just avoid anything wishy-washy in the middle.

deco, that house makes me swoon.

Just be sure the roof color will go with a possible future color change in 5-10 years as the roof will last much longer than the paint. And consider a metal roof that would last forever. I would go with either a dark grey almost black or a dark brown roof and then there are many choices on color, and a simple white with dark grey trim will look as good as anything else - then pick a bright color for the door. What a fun project! And it will be beautiful - but will take longer than you think and cost more than you think - as it always does no matter what. Enjoy!

Hey, that's a beautiful house - but please don't use that front porch that you've photoshopped in! It's an entirely different architectural style (Federal) and would ruin the humble beauty of the original structure. You can never go wrong with a charcoal roof, cream body and white trim - then for the door either charcoal again or a pop of color. Or you could get more creative (just not too creative) - either way, I think a color body with white trim will look good.

(may be a duplicate)

Hey, that's a beautiful house - but please don't use that front porch that you've photoshopped in! It's an entirely different architectural style (Federal) and would ruin the humble beauty of the original structure. You can never go wrong with a charcoal roof, cream body and white trim - then for the door either charcoal again or a pop of color. Or you could get more creative (just not too creative) - either way, I think a color body with white trim will look good.

Why not build a porch from one window to the other? There is one example from the comments and also, the portico entrance does not match this house. I agree colors would be great but start with your roof color. Please do not do cedar shake. Maintenance nightmare. For example, if you choose a gray roof, go medium gray. Lighter colors get stained from leaves, berries, etc. I would choose a white house with accents from the door and the porch railing.
A gray/Smokey blue/Wedgewood blue for accent color around the windows/ shutters. The door could be stained medium colored wood chestnut color with a hint of red in the stain. Just my take on this beautiful house🙋🏻‍♀️

Way to go with the photoshopping! It is great to see what things will look like before you sink a bunch of money and don't like the finished product. Regarding the porch, I envision a long sitting country porch the full length of the front, maybe wrapping around to meet the side room roof; with a swing and some rocking chairs. To make it a comfortable sitting porch, be sure to allow depth to walk with furniture (I'd say at least 6 feet deep, more if possible). Regarding the landscape, I'm partial to rock and like the stone wall. However, with this nice country house, I'm thinking a split rail fence would set the ambiance maybe with some day lilies planted close beside. If you choose to go with a long porch and want plants in front, be sure to choose low growing so you can see out when you sit on the porch. You could incorporate stone in a flowing sidewalk (real stone or stained concrete), and possibly some boulders or bird bath here and there as planting focal points; or maybe stones edging cottage style planting areas; maybe as low end posts for the split rail fence at the driveway with a casual lighting feature. While the plants in your photoshop do provide a nice foundation anchor, in my opinion the arrangement is much too formal for a country farmhouse. I see many trees surrounding the property but the front yard has none. I'd like a large specimen with a focal bed around it on the driveway side of that front yard, especially if this is a southern or western exposure. Of course, if this is rental property, everything needs to be low maintenance. That should be the guiding force for many decisions. Colors are not my forte but I have discovered some paint companies have an online app allowing you to play with colors on house pictures to see what you like. When painting our house, I found other house colors I liked, purchased quart size cans and painted squares to see how they looked on my house throughout the day. I still was not satisfied so a paint rep came to the house. She saw what my goal was and offered a quick solution. So glad I did that. The resulting color was perfect. Many decisions lay ahead for you - keep photoshopping - enjoy!

Wow!!!
Thank you to everyone for the suggestions.

I’ve tried to incorporate as much of the advice as is practical to give this structure a strong welcoming presence while at the same time keeping it functional as a multi-unit dwelling.

My original plan was an open porch across the front that tied to the enclosed side porch. The issue with that is which of the tenants has use the porch and also the potential clutter or unsightly “furnishings”. The small enclosed porch provides a covered entry and staircase that will not need shoveling in the winter and preserves the appearance of a single door entry as the separate entrances to each unit will be hidden inside of the structure. I did modify the roof to make it more in keeping with the style of the house.

The other properties I have in that immediate area are brown, white, blue and green all painted in Benjamin Moore’s Historical Collection Colors.

I’m working with The Town Highway & Zoning Departments about the possibility of adding a Circular Driveway in front the the house and a parking area in front of the garage for tenant parking and possibly converting the garage space to a small office suite for an Insurance Company but maintaining the look of a traditional garage structure possibly with Traditional Carriage House or Modern-All-Glass Garage Doors-

Here is what it’s evolved into so far-

Love the colors you’re considering, as well as the other ideas. Hope you’ll update us with ’afters’.

Not a fan of this color yellow or green. But hey🤷🏻‍♀️this is America and it’s your choice. I’d love to see a split photo of before and after! Best of luck 🤞

Love your choices. Beautiful yellow for the house.

Thank you again everyone. It is exciting to get this project underway.

Had a little bit of time to play with the garage and came up with this idea-

I did try out adding some trees to the front but I think it’s going to hide the house more than I’d like -

If it were me, I'd use the same color for the house and the garage so they look like they belong together and visual attention is not drawn away from the house Example: A log house in our neighborhood had a garage of another material and was painted a different color. They never seemed to belong together UNTIL the garage was painted to match the colors of the logs and trim. Now they seem to belong together. If you like the red, add it is a pop on the front door. so the eye is drawn to the house rather than to the garage. You could also incorporate splashes of red in plants and yard art, concentrating on the front door area.. Trees will be fine. Once they grow, trim the lower branches and the house will be visible through the trunks. (Make sure to choose wisely. You don't want understory trees that will hide the house when mature; and plant them far enough from the house so roots don't disturb the foundation and branches don't hang over the roof... (20-30 ft depending on the type of tree and the natural mature size of it's canopy). You could also plant them so a visual line of sight remains to the front door, maybe with a nice decorative walkway to pull the eye to the front door... so the tree trunks will come to frame the picture rather than covering it up.

Hey srg56

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I was thinking red for the garage kinda like a traditional barn more than because I like the color red. I choose to paint the sheds at all of the other properties that I have in that area for that reason.

I see what you are saying though- just got approval to add a tiny house type structure towards the rear of this property for one of my maintenance guys to use though so maybe I will do that in red-

As it turns out there’s way more space in front of the house than I was originally thinking so possibly a single honey locust tree could work and not overpower the property

Honey Locust trees are beautiful. However, need to be sprayed for aphids and as the tree ages, there are ground roots, making it difficult to walk under. My tree was 35 years old when I moved.

How about a full sized saucer cup Magnolia tree?

Hey Karen
I have a couple of Honey Locust trees at other properties so yeah I definitely get your points. I like that in the fall it’s easy to deal with their leaves as opposed to the Maple Trees and the beautiful Catalpa Trees already on the property. The Magnolias are aren’t too bad in that respect.👍🏻

The Magnolia might be a great alternative and of course would be spectacular in the spring set against the yellow house-

I checked and like the Honey Locust, Magnolias are also road salt tolerant which is a big factor as the house is on a main road that is heavily salted in the winter. Thanks for that suggestion!

🙋🏻‍♀️🐶🐾👍🏻

I really like the changes to the garage!! ... yellow to match the house and overhang spanning the entire width. - nice lines. I see what appears to be a circle drive way now? I understand if parking space is needed for tenants, and it is nice to be able to pull out forward onto the street. However, so much concrete especially in front and close to the house takes away from the residential curb appeal. In my opinion it looks more like a business. There may be plenty of room in reality, it just looks like a lot in the picture. If you continue with that idea, I would definitely plant a low visual barrier bordering the street side of the circle to hide some of the concrete (low shrubs, 2-3 ft high at most - You certainly don't want it to be so tall that it hides the beautiful house!)