I have a pretty good idea of the price of windows. 8k cheap - 20k mid/expensive. And the roof would be about 7k shingles and (not entirely sure yet) but I think around 10-11k metal. Gutters will be what we put into them. But we need and will use windows and a new roof and a painted house. I mean, it will take a while to pay back in heating costs, but in the winter sitting by the front window, there is a gusty cold zone. And I'm in a mid-atlantic area, I'm not going to start covering my windows in plastic like my VT relatives! But the porch would just be cosmetic unless we actually put enough into it that we would actually use it. Heating, cooling, more windows, bug protection, lighting, finishes. And I'd rather have that someday in the far future if we ever choose to invest in it in the back of the house which is very private. Believe me, I know, before we even closed I had mocked up this but we tabled the idea after much discussion: And the typical simple extended porch you'd see with with a colonial doesn't excite me either. Sure it might not be that expensive, but why should I invest in turning 'bleh' (to me) into 'that's ok.' I'd rather invest in something I really like. I'm not investing in curb appeal for future buyers, but in my own home satisfaction.

I think you can do a gray, as long as it is a warmer tone (more taupe/greige) than a cool gray. I think you need to do that to help tie the siding color in with the stone color. I would vote no on white trim. With your contemporary home I would maybe lean more towards something in the same tone, just darker, as the siding. I would probably also look at pruning or removing the tree/shrub next to the stone. It's overgrown and hiding part of the window. With the recessed door I would look at a brighter color to make it more a focal point. If you're interested in seeing some virtual makeovers with new colors check out my website, Creative Visual Concepts.

Ok folks! An UPDATE! and call for more advice! After much deliberation we decided against painting the brick. Too expensive and too much work. We sampled several different paint swatches (some suggested by you!) and opted for a dark gray with a hint of purple (I know, I know, the majority said no to gray, but we really liked it with the red brick. And we are pleased!). We just purchased modernist light fixtures in bronze https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AINJ3F2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and plan on replacing the double doors with simple, full light ones that should line up nicely with the adjacent plate glass windows. The effect will be similar to the wall of glass that is the back of the house--so you can see right through from front to back! One of the biggest changes, however, is the elimination of the stone pillars in front! We just demo'd them and the difference is amazing. So much more light and the car port roof seems less oppressive. However, we need to clad the steel posts with something. Any suggestions? I was considering something much narrower than previous and maybe painted to match the house color? Would love to hear everyone's thoughts!

Your home is Contemporary, but not Colonial by any definition. All of your evergreens have hit their 'sell by' date. They are overgrown covering your windows and cannot be trimmed into any viable shapes. Look at Superdeck.com for Their Duck Back stains for your home. Here is the color chart I would recommend you select a weathered driftwood stain for your home and possibly consider a corrugated metal roof for your home. To complement the new stain I would recommend the driveway be overlayed with a Chip or Macadam stone driveway. The contractor sprays some tar on the existing asphalt driveway spreads stone like a pea gravel and then rolls over the stone to press the new layer into the tar. I think it could be a handsome finish to your home.