Thank you Palimpsest. The house was built in late 60’s and the stone is only in the front where you see it in the picture. It is actual stone. I am not sure about the stucco. You are correct in that the stairs are as you open the front door but not exactly in front of door but more to the right (when looking in). We will be expanding the hallway/ foyer about 2-3 feet and building new stairs set back a little from the front door. Currently it is a traditional center hall colonial with a FLR on one left side and DR on other side. The house will be expanded in the back about 15 feet (upstairs floor plan will be changed). We are undertaking a pretty big whole house renovation and replacing roof/ HVAC, flooring, windows etc. We will also move out while the work is going on. That is why we were thinking while we are doing all this work, if it is better to change the front too. Is it cheaper to change whole house to hardie board? Is there a way to do that without taking out the stone? $100K just for that is obviously a lot so if changing the look is not possible, does anyone have a recommendation? I like that symmetrical look so much. So would like to hear options.

I agree w/ tozmo about disliking black and thinking that a creamy color would complement your brick and stone better. Re window boxes, I'm in z5 so they're planted from the end of May until the frost kills them (usually Sep or Oct). One year I decided to fill them with stems of silk mums for autumn, then switch to silk poinsettias right after Thanksgiving. I didn't anticipate the mums being frozen solid in the soil until late April. LOL!!! Fwiw, I now use fresh cut evergreens for my window boxes in the winter and love the look.

The roof looks dark blue to me, so I'm going with blue for siding. Weston Flax for the front door. For the thin veneer foundation stone, you are living in the right state! Check out some of your local stone yards for Vermont limestone. Lots, and lots of colors. For instance, if you painted the house blue:

What exactly are you trying to "Design" Painting? New siding? New windows? New front door? Landscaping? Budget? DIY or hiring out? Help us help you. Siding looks the same on the two elevations you posted. I would replace those front steps with something a little more inviting and wider for starters.