Dancingpony, I will be honest. I have seen it in a house across the lake from me, a very expensive house and I don't like it. I also noticed right before they did the landscaping how very nasty the brick looked around the foundation when it had rained and dirt had splashed onto it. I suspect it is like my black granite (but my black granite is just a small area compared to a house) very difficult to keep clean and it does not have that look of bricks where you can see the grout that makes the house have that dimensional look.

dundas, Choosing brck and siding colour was very challenging for us too. I am not sure we got it right, but it might give you some ideas or help you see a red brick with a different siding colour. We chose Brampton Brick Crawford colour in small Queen size. We used a taupe (beige/greige colour) for the board and batten siding, with grey trim. The door is a fiberglass door stained to look like mahogany and there is real wood mahogany trim on the door (not fiberglass trim). Our house is not finished yet, but I have posted a picture where we used Photoshop to show the railing (imagine glass on the railing not mesh). The steps are stone steps and were not installed when picture was taken so we used Photoshop to show the steps too. Sorry, the picture is old, but it is the only one I have that shows what the railing will look like. Now, your brick has some yellow in it that our brick does not. So, I would not recommend the same colour siding as ours. You could do a beige, but not one that has hints of red undertones like ours does. Grey would also be a colour to explore. Best of luck deciding! You could also try looking at the Maibac website for ideas of different board and batten siding colours. Carol

I agree to remove shutters. Your house is not symmetrical so would be better not to do bookend bushes. On the left, place some multi-trunk graceful trees like a crepe myrtles in a deep bed sweeping from past the corner to past the house center. A smooth sweep, not the serpentine one will be easier to mow next to. The shrubs next to the walk look too close. Shrubs next to walks generally crowd it especially when it is the typical width that builders install.

Your current color looks good with the brick. If it doesn't need repainting, then invest in other curb appeal features: --new cement and brick steps using varieted bricks like the ones on your house --cedar stained railing --Remove shutters entirely --Deeper garden beds with new foundation plantings and perennials that produce dark red leaves and flowers, but use reddish mulch. Great landscaping enhances and extends the look of a house.