I would use a paint color that better coordinates with the brick. Choose a shade from the bricks. Then you can determine if the red door is suitable. I would remove the shutters. Nice light fixtures, planters, and landscaping would make a big difference.. Try to add some interest to the landscaping by curving the planting areas, choosing plants of varying sizes and heights.

A lot of people paint the brick white but they're often advised not to because it requires maintenance. However, you have a small amount of brick and it's sheltered from the elements so that's less of a problem. Black, white and red is a classic combination. Like a newspaper, if you know that old joke. ;)

However, the white doors against the black makes the garage the focus of the house. I might paint the brick black (more of a charcoal) and paint the garage and house section a light-colored neutral or a color that coordinates with charcoal. The red door would still look nice with the charcoal.

This is from This Old House. It's a black paint with a matte finish.

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/painting/21017777/9-surprising-ways-to-decorate-with-black

Get your landscaping in first and see if the brick is less bothersome when there's plants to distract the eye. You can make a garden all along the curve of the driveway and add foundation shrubs to the bump-out section. In front of the brick, you'll want large ceramic pots with leafier plants to hide some of the brick. Or build a wooden planter. We built a 40 x 16" one for under the window on our front porch. It has three ornamental grasses that prefer shade. You can give it a farmhouse vibe with weathered wood, barn door cross pieces, etc.

The brick is fine. It's the black that is the problem. It isn't on speaking terms with the brick, so the whole thing comes across as tar paper - unfinished. The amount of shade the house gets doesn't help.

There is an ongoing issue between houses from the 1950's and 60's, and the humans who post here, where the original details and even designs of the house do not work well with the current trendy trends.

I see absolutely nothing ugly. Just poor taste in colors, and lack of nice curved landscaping. The black is too black, it doesnt go with the brick, and the white garage doors and entrance door stick out and not in a good way. Nothing is cohesive on your house. Pick a color from the brick (darkest color, if thats what you want), and paint the rest of the front of the house, including garage doors and entrance door the same color. Hopefully, your new concrete will start aging in a bit, so it isnt so stark. Leave the brick, itself alone. Call in a professional landscaper, to take a look, once you have painted the front of the house. Have them draw up a plan, that can be done all at once, or can be done little by little, as budget allows. I should have added, once y ou have the entire house painted, then decide on a nice bright color for the front door, and add some pots the same color with either flowers in them, or some type of greenery.

I like the current color, it looks Charcoal color and I like the brick.

I would paint the garage door and front door a rich Chocolate brown.

Paint the small door the same Charcoal as the siding. Downspouts in Charcoal.

A long wood planter on the porch in a Charcoal stain to match the siding.

Russian Sage plants in the planter and in pots.

I added a new porch light.

Lose the shutters.

Gorgeous...

I don't think the house needs to look exactly like the barn and shed.

To my eye, what makes the house look "old" and less attractive are 1) the small windows, framed with shutters that don't fit the style of the house and make the windows appear even smaller 2) the glaring white trim, downspouts, and garage doors 3) the mismatch between the warmth of the bricks and the cold siding paint.

Steps I would take, short of either painting the brick (use something made for masonry, like Romabio) or the siding (which I would do): 1) remove the shutters and beef up the width of the trim (there are exterior trim pieces made for this purpose) 2) Paint the trim a buff with a bit of a gray tone or gray that leans toward brown, that works with both brick and siding - this will take a bit of leg work to choose. 3) paint the downspouts to blend with the siding 4) Paint the garage doors to also blend in more with the siding

Have you power washed the brick?

Power washing brick (or stucco) isn't recommended - but a gentle wash is fine.

Here is the brick with the limewash. Very nice. If you are tired of the black paint this would look good in a medium blue/gray.

Vivid coral red is nice for the front door.

You love the red door and like the black so I'm going to work with those colors with a gray house, black shutters and a red door.

You bring in black with the shutters and paint the brick the same gray as the house, or go darker gray than the house, as dark as charcoal. The red door pops against either color. The white is important too, so you keep the white trim and perhaps the white garage door. But the garage could just as well be painted gray to match the house or perhaps even black.

I am not against shutters like so many on Houzz. Millions of homes have shutters that aren't functional and wouldn't completely cover the window if they were. But would you remove the shutters from this house? No. They add color and interest.

Thank you Eileen:

Thank you for doing that, tracefloyd. Though I do like the darker gray you used in your second rendering better, the gray brick probably requires light gray siding.

I kind of like how the gray makes the entryway recede. It makes it feel cozier than the white, and porches should be cozy. I don't know if anyone mentioned putting seating there along with a few potted plants, but a bench or porch chairs would make it more inviting.

James, you might want to change your lighting to farmhouse style. It'd be nice to put one on each side of the garage as it would provide some light for the side door too.

Just found this. I love the black garage with the black farmhouse lights against the lighter color house. Good motivation to change the black paint you have now!

I have to disagree about shutters, "farmhouse style", and some colors.

You have a mid century modern ranch. To make this look its best, you need to lean into that, not muddle it with elements of other styles.

Add color and interest with good landscaping and precise color selections (if you like cool tones, everything needs to be cool tones. Same with warm. Some of the examples above mix warm brown with cool grays and blues - these fight with, not enhance, each other.)

You likely going to have to paint something, either the siding or the brick. Although it still seems that you could find a trim color that can bridge the two. Black and tan can look good together in other contexts - it just might be the bright white throwing it off, or that particular shade of black.

I suggest that you take your good photo of the house, go to a website of your favorite paint brand, and upload the photo into their color visualizer tool (they all have one, and so do the major siding brands). That way you can play with different options - find a color that goes with roof and the brick, or combos for painting the brick.

Many paint stores also have color designers/consultants available to help.

I would look first at a warm dark gray, or lighter greenish gray, or dark blue with the natural brick. Maybe warm black (yes there is such a thing LOL) for trim.

Do consider beefing up the trim widths after removing the shutters. You'll be amazed at the difference - it makes the entire structure look more 'finished'.

Shutters have to go. First, they are vinyl and so faux, do not fit the windows, and a mid century style home does not have cottage shutters. Paint the trim black...not red for the front door.

Time to discuss shutters. Shutters are architectural not decoration. Stay true to the design of your home.

https://midmod-midwest.com/shutters/

I agree with floraluk, it's the black that's ugly along with the bright white garage door and trim. It's the black that's making this house look old. That small amount of brick isn't the problem, everything else is the problem. You could make this house look great with the right colors. I don't understand why people purchase older homes and then complain because it looks old.

I’m a simple girl. I would whitewash the brick and add a simple ( no back) red bench with red flower pots in front of the whitewashed brick. That will make a nice focal point along with your door. If you can, plant some white daisies.

I’ll add my opinion too - the shutters are obviously fake as they are tiny and most likely plastic. I understand the theory behind them adding color and interest to a home, but that isn’t a good thing on YOUR house because your windows are also tiny. Drawing attention with contrasting-color shutters also draws attention to your small (and presumably cheap) windows.

Your house looks clean and well-kept (judging from the pristine new driveway), but you’ve received lots of good advice to make it even better.

James, any colors you're leaning towards? Is the house painted yet? Would love to see the results.

Not painted yet, hopefully in August-September when I get some time off work but making a plan and getting ready. Thank you all for your input!

Please come back and show us when you have it all finished!