Thank you for your comment! I really appreciate it! I'm not sure what we are willing to spend. We are getting ideas right now. Yes! I agree the garage and the 3 season room doors are a good start. I like your thoughts! I feel like the exterior does not flow and match the inside of the house. The inside was remodeled to a modern contemporary style. We were thinking about painting the exterior white, but I know there is no going back from that.

I would beef-up posts.

Updated? IDK what that means. But this is what I would suggest to make it look better:

Though expensive, I would put replacing those windows and doors on your list. I would get traditional simulated divided lite double-hung windows which will add dimension to the facade. I do not love the double-front door and would replace with something more traditional with side lites. I agree that beefing up the columns would help. I would consider a low stone or brick wall in front of the terrace/porch or a short hedge; if not that, put some large pots with plantings staggered in between the columns, with a couple of pairs of adirondack or rocking chairs if wide enough. Once you replace windows and doors, I'd get rid of the fake shutters as they do not add much. Or if you like them, replace with real paneled wood/Azek shutters with appropriate hardware and sizing for the windows. You have very little landscaping; I would add a tree in the lawn area to the left of your photo.

Right now the left 2/3rds is colonial style and the other third is modern. If modern is the direction you want to go in, wait until it's time for a roof replacement to remove the overhang if possible. I don't know if it is even possible, but the overhang is very faux plantation and will work against all your other efforts. In the meantime, remove the shutters, replace the windows and front door and remove the pediment over the front door. I agree with you about not painting the brick. You can't undo that and why would you want to ruin a no maintenance exterior?

In my opinion the garage doors are really not working with the style of the house. It looks like a take on a Colonial style traditional brick house. The garage doors look like they belong on a mid-century modern or other modern house. I also think a single door with sidelights would look better on that style of house and give more presence to the front door.

I'm going to make a frugal suggestion. I think the path to the front door needs to be widened and the path to the breezeway should be removed. You can use the paving stones from the one path to beef up the other. I would then cut back the garden bed to the edge of the house and grass over the rest. Only have a path to the breezeway from just in front of the garage. I hope I described that right. Otherwise I like the look of your house.

What you have is a raised ranch house (on a slab?) trying to look like a southern mansion. We have a whole development of your house in the next town. I think you might be interested in an older post:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5920490/help-with-exterior-renovation-options-for-two-story-columns

I would change the overhand so you have a real porch on the front of the house.

See below.

To line up the garage side, which is modern, with the main house, Patricia gave some good suggestions:

--Remove the shutters.

--Remove pediment frame on front doors which should match the garage doors.

As budget allows:

--Get professional landscaping for the entire front to balance out the bulk of the house.

The Green House · More Info

--Replace windows, or paint frames if that's doable, in black.

--Skim coat the driveway in black.

Traditional Exterior · More Info

--Install a beautiful walkway the width of the front doors, which should be black.

--Consider a seating area off the porch to make the house more inviting:

Lower Riviera Renovation · More Info

Take a look at the "after" photo.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5920490/help-with-exterior-renovation-options-for-two-story-columns

I love all of these suggestions! Thank you! Thank you!

Looks like a great house to have fun making your own!

The garage doors are very modern in style and would fit better on a 1969 home of more mcm design. I'm not sure going in that stylistic direction would fit.

If this were my home (its not so take what you like and leave the rest) I would change the garage doors to a less modern/mcm style. A more traditional simple or carriage house styled door would fit better with rest of house.

I would also paint whatever is currently black (?) a deep olivey sagey green. The black seems so stark. I would replace the shutters you currently have with ones that are much wider and actually look like they could close over window. The windows are relatively small for the overall size of the facade, so wider shutters would give windows more presence.

I would not paint the brick- it creates a lot of unnecessary maintenance and your brick looks nice. as is! I do agree that beefing up the columns would really give the front more oomph.

You might consider squaring off the trim around the door to a simpler and less neo colonial style. And paint the door a cheerful yellow or a pretty robin's egg blue.

Landscaping in front will also help immensely!

Love the porch idea Beverly suggested--really something to think about. And landscaping to enjoy from a couple rocking chairs on that new porch!

As referenced above,

BeverlyFLADeziner nailed it a couple of years ago: "This is one of those styles that can't really be updated. It can only be embellished with more details."

The garage doors.. they really dont pair well with the house, and the iddy bitty shutters. Landscape for sure, trim color and door color. just messing around with a few changes.

Yes! Yes! The black seems to harsh! I love the visuals you guys are sending! We are definitely doing more landscaping.  I'm really liking the browns and the greens. Good thing we didn't buy any black rocking chairs yet :)

I think the black is fine, although I do like green. I would paint the white trim a light taupe or a light tan.

I do like the black windows! Thank you for the visual! I like the taupe or tan trim idea.

Pesonally I think the black is too harsh, and ends up looking like you where trying to fit the trend. I would really consider replacing those garage doors or at least maybe painting them to the the faux wood look

Agree the posts need to be sturdier-looking. As they are now, they feel too slender for the density of the brick exterior. I'm not sure I would remove the shutters on this house because the posts negate the attempt to "modernize". Look at painting all the trim and shutters sage green.

1. remove shutters.

2. widen window trim.

3. remove colonial trim from front door. replace with similar window trim.

4, beef up columns...

Removing the dated Colonial trim from the front door will update the look of the house.