Thanks everyone for the feedback! To answer some of your comments and questions: Those big boxy things at the top of the driveway are huge boxwoods, cut into huge squares. SO ugly! I'd like to cut them right back, almost in half, but I wonder if I'll just wind up with gaping holes in the middle that will never recover? I don't mind keeping all of the boxwood, but I prefer a less manicured, boxy cut. Any ideas of how to let them develop a more "natural" look? You cannot see the stairs because the shrubs are in the way, but they're bluestone. Prairie, I like red shutters too. Unfortunately, these are original to the house and although you can't tell from the picture, they're very faded and worn looking. Sueb, I do plan to replace the storm door with a full glass one which hopefully will highlight the freshly painted door. I like your idea about doing something with that area just to the left of the garage door...I'll have to think about that. Unfortunately, the garage door is fairly new so we're stuck with it. Thanks again everyone. I think you've confirmed that some of the ideas we've got will work. I'll post before and after pictures in a few weeks! Ellen

Hi Stefny, to post pics you must upload pictures to a place like photobucket..under the picture in photobucket there will be a list of code...copy the one that says html code and come back to garden web and paste it in the box where you type...then click preview...if the picture shows there it will show here. Ps..If I were you I would post this in the garden web forum home decorating..there are quite a few photoshopians there.

Well, I have been fooling around with colors. The darker SW Spalding Gray above & below looks great with the brick, it's darker than my mock-up but in the same chit. The problem comes in when I add more brown to it ( as to your request) .I have a problem with door colors jiving. If I add more brown and then a green door it makes the salmon-y pink in the brick POP out not in a good way. I'm not finding a way for it to work. It's so horrible I'm not posting it. There is a lady down my street who has Fred Flintstones on her front. She painted her house the most unlikely shade of chartreuse and it looks amazing! However, she has all your brick colors except the salmon-y ishy pink shade in her stone. if you go with the darker Spalding or the med tone Perfect Greige and do not like any of the warm door shades in above mock-up perhaps something in the eggplant color family for the door. Otherwise, a shade in the mock-up door works best. I realize the door above looks a tad too bright overall but there are some deeper less bright colors in there.

Thank you so much all the suggestions. The age of the home is 1989. I agree 100% that landscape with really warm up the home. I love the idea of framing the door with large trees. I purchased two large flower pots and will add them to the front porch. Thanks so much for the shutter feedback. I agree painting the home one single color will help. Almost every home in the neighborhood has window grills so I purchased some diy ones online however because the new windows have the low e glass and screens they were hard to see from the street. You had to get up close to really even see them and to be honest they looked cheap. Is there a company that offers larger window grills?