The house looks too anemic! The roof is pale gray, the brick, pale pink. There is no color! I agree with the other posters; a)paint the trim around the windows and eaves making them stand out, b)paint the front door in a strong color, which draws your eye to the entrance. At the moment the two large windows on the right of the photos grab your attention (at first I thought it was one window), c)painting some of the trim between those two windows will also help d)the carriage doors add interest, (with or without windows)as the current garage door looks flat and bland e)I second, putting lights on either side of garage door adds visual interest as well as being functional,(motion sensor lights are great for that location). I can't help thinking that a covered stoop would have been nice for the front door, especially in winter! The landscaping needs some evergreens to give color in winter. Consider having a landscaper just do a plan for you and purchase and plant as $$ allow.

I think the easiest path to loading pictures on this forum is thru Photobucket.com. After you get your picture uploaded to your Album in Photobucket, which is easy because it shows you step by step what to do, you simply place you cursor on the picture and a little menu pops up. Click on "HTML Code" and immediately a yellow box pops up that says "copied". What you have done is parked your picture on Photobucket and copied the address where it *lives*. You can then open a "Message" window here on this forum and PASTE in the HTML Code which is the address where your picture now *lives*. Becareful not to delete any brackets or details from the HTML Code. Leave a couple returns (lnes or spaces) above and below the HTML Code. You can type your "Message" above or below the code. Or you can email me and I will post your pic here. It's not like who I am or my email is a big secret so here it is. :) lori@colorstrategies.net

Hi Sueb20; we're around the corner in MA on buzzards bay. Many newer builds around us use the pre-finished shingles,which in the long run are more economical than painting every few years. It boils down to putting up the $$ now to save later. I always take the easiest (and least expensive) road. Painting this house is so costly, and it's literally a money pit w/ one major thing after another...having to put in sewer; french drains for flooding; a leaky roof; and on and on. And yes, neighbors are another tricky issue.. Wouldn't want to "steal" their paint color! Me too...about a fun door color. Like the idea of teal blue to match the ocean...but would that be stealing an idea from you?? I'm leaning towards lighter colors for the house...maybe something creamy w/ a clean white on the trim. I have been inspired by posts here, and especially by the Lettered Cottage blog -- my new fav. addiction. Thanks for the input. I'd do raisin if i had a different husband.

I have a south-facing house, colonial style, with a cedar shingle roof. I am painting the exterior BM Newburyport Blue (classic navy). Not sure if I should go bright white for the trim, or something slightly creamier. I get overwhelmed with white choices. My house is on a lake, if that makes a difference. Thanks in advance.