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I would paint the brick skirt a dark green. Then paint the vinyl siding a light pink with white trim. I would change the color of the shutters to rasberry. Leave the door black.
I would also change out the wrought iron railings. You can get wood looking rails at Home Depot or Lowe's. You should also put a handrail on the steps. They make premade railings and step rails that are really easy to install. it will add a measure of safety to the steps. Leave the porch rails and step rails white.
The siding can be painted with a good acrylic latex paint and it will last for years.
Put flower boxes on the 2 front windows. Make the boxes the size of each window...don't put one big one.
you have a craftsman style bungalow. check out the arts and crafts historic color palette at sherwin williams. using the online tool, i did this with your scene. bunglehouse blue and pewter gray. i like how the gray embraces the concrete porch instead of hiding it. basically it extends that color around.
also, i agree with the above poster - custom-width flower boxes would be perfect for those windows and really enhance your exterior. also, you very much need some foundation plantings. rather than the typical evergreen shrub, try something like rose bushes if you have the time for it.
i didn't mess with the shutters but if it was me i would do a coordinating navy color. also paint the window casings the same as the trim color. i just didn't get to that level of detail with this rendering
I'd paint the brick a brick color or gray. And I would leave all the other colors as they are. Landscaping and nice potted flowers on the porch is what I would be concentrating on.....
I would be careful painting the vinyl. The whole point of vinyl siding is to not have to paint. I know it can be done but unless you get a knowledgable professional to do it, you could end up with a big mess.
That said I like the white with black shutters. It is a classic look. The bricks though need help. I would paint them white too for a uniform look and then dress up the porch with nice plants and flowers. I know this sounds boring but it would look timeless. JMHO, Jay
Do NOT paint the vinyl siding! Vinyl gets waves and pits in it that are accentuated when you paint over them. If you must paint it for some reason, JayCT is correct -- unless you get an experienced professional to spray it with special paint designed for vinyl you will have a mess on your hands. Besides, what's wrong with a white house ... the president has one. If the white vinyl looks not-so-white (looks OK in the picture), power-wash it. It's unbelievable what that will do to improve things. Also, your brick may look better then, too, and you may decide to keep it natural.
If you do keep the naked brick, I'd go with another light neutral, compatible with the brick color, for trim and add a dark shade of that same neutral for the front door and shutters. There's also nothing wrong with keeping what you have in terms of trim and shutters. You can achieve your goal of making the house look inviting by adding a brightly colored bench to the porch, along with some window boxes and/or evergreen plants (topiary, boxwood, small pines) in big pots in the same color as the bench on either side of the steps.
When you have the cash, adding wood railings to your steps and replacing the skinny metal porch rail with matching wood rail would be much more in keeping with the architecture of your house and add a "welcome-in" factor. Look at a book on craftsman bungalows for ideas. The simplest style is usually the best for a cottage-type home such a yours (which is charming in my opinion).
If you decide to paint the brick, I'd go with a gray or taupe, paint the trim a light shade of some color you like that's compatible with the foundation color (steel blue with gray, sage with taupe, etc.) and again paint the door and shutters in a brighter, bolder tone of that same color.
Progmac is correct that Sherwin Williams craftsman colors would provide a good palette for you. Also, Benjamin Moore's Pottery Barn colors. They are perfect for the craftsman style.
You can do it -- remember, less is more and stay away from attention-getting colors that you will tire of and will hurt resale value. Good luck!
Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I think I will try a combination of the suggestions! Next stop is the Sherwin Williams store for some paint samples
I didn't think about a flower box (great idea!)
Have a great weekend
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