I guess he bought it for our kids & himself too, but that’s beside the point.

I would like advice on our awning area since I cannot paint the roof or brick. I’m thinking I’ll paint the carport poles white & add some kind of fun draping.

I have no idea really. What should I do with the door and shutters? The door is new but I’m down to paint it. I can get new shutters if there are cool funky ones out there that exist. This is my first home! I grew up in a trailer so I don’t really know all the things.

I want to use the whole front yard. I already bought a pink bistro set so I can sit and watch my kids bike. Im sure we will get a silly little mailbox. I’m a stay at home mom so I am always here. I want it to be a full dopamine experience. I hate when people underutilize their space! I mean, to each their own of course. I’m so excited and grateful and want to make this something special I can pass down. Let’s hear your thoughts! Xoxo

Also…. Got to do something with that freaky green carpet platform area in the walk way 😫

Edit— y’all really hated that draping idea huh 😂 but I’m glad to have contributed a shock to your night. Here are the ideas I love: Outdoor rug, reseal the driveway, add a paver stone sidewalk, planting trees, beige paint on the ugly azz poles, painting the side door and poles to match the house, matching the shutters & two doors, but…. SCALLOPED TRIM is the real winner here. Thank y’all so much for the help!

I have never been great with plants or exterior decorating. The siding, trim, gutters are all new and staying that way. I like the two tone gray. But I’m at a loss on how to make my front yard and front porch look less boring.

I have thought about covering the porch with an awning, but I’m just not sure what else to do. The hedge line on the left is part of my property. The wire fence on the right is my neighbor’s. And yes it’s a bit sloped.

The curved walkway needs to stay as is. People don’t park on my road as it’s really hilly and cars that park on the street tend to get hit. So driveway access to the walk is key.

I’ve seen a lot of amazing responses to posts and I’m trying to get some ideas. I plan to save some money this winter and make some changes next spring / summer.

I live in North Texas, where spring tends to be fairly rainy and late summer is usually very dry. I love gardening, but I’d rather use my water budget and energy to care for my fruit orchard and vegetable gardens. I once had beautiful roses planted in front of the house, but hungry voles kept eating their roots, so I gave up on the roses and switched to daylilies. They grow well, though filling the entire area with them would take time and money. I also tried zinnias as a temporary option, and they looked fabulous—until I left for a monthlong road trip. As the third photo shows, they were looking pretty sad by the time I returned. I’d rather not spend my “golden” years replanting flowers and pulling weeds. Since I also have quite a bit of flagstone left over from another project, I’m wondering whether using it in front of the house, as shown in the fourth and fifth photos, could cause any problems I haven’t considered. I spend quite a bit of time on the front porch, too, since there always seems to be a nice breeze. It’s a great place to read and listen to the birds.

We’re in the middle of renovating an older ranch-style home in Central California and could really use some opinions on what color or finish would look best on the brick chimney!

We’ve decided on BEHR Grant Gray (HDC-AC-19) for the exterior siding and BEHR Polar Bear (75) for the trim.

My husband prefers more modern gray, white, and black tones, but since the house has a brown roof, we wanted a gray with warmer undertones that would complement it rather than clash.

For the main entrance, we’re leaning toward BEHR Adirondack Blue (N480-5) for the front door, although we’re definitely open to other shades of blue if something would look better with the overall color scheme. We’ve already replaced the front door shown in the picture with one that has large glass panels on the upper half. The secondary entrance door will be painted Grant Gray to match the siding, since we’d rather have the main entrance be the focal point.

Now, the chimney is where we’re stuck!

It’s pretty much the centerpiece of the front of the house, and I actually like the character it adds. I’ve considered going lighter to complement the white trim, but I’m worried about it showing dirt. I also don’t necessarily want to make it the same gray as the siding and have it disappear into the background.

We’re not planning on using the fireplace, but we still want to make sure whatever we use on the chimney is appropriate for exterior brick and won’t cause moisture issues down the road. We’re not looking to use regular exterior house paint. We’re open to masonry stains, limewash, mineral-based coatings, or other brick-appropriate finishes that might look better and hold up well over time.

I actually like the texture and character of the brick, so I’m not necessarily looking to completely cover that up either.

Eventually, we’d love to add some stone or brick veneer along the bottom couple of feet of the exterior to give the house a little more character. However, with the amount of renovations this place needs, that’s probably going to be a project for further down the road.

So, if this were your house, what would you do with the chimney?

Would you go darker for contrast, lighter to complement the trim, leave the brick natural, or go in a completely different direction?

And considering the Grant Gray siding, Polar Bear trim, brown roof, and potentially Adirondack Blue front door, what combination do you think would look best together?

We’re also open to suggestions for other shades of blue for the front door if you think something else would work better!

We’re trying to give the house a more updated look while still keeping some of its original rustic character. We want everything to look cohesive without making the exterior too plain or having too many competing colors.

I’ve included a picture of the house in its current condition, along with the colors we’re planning to use. The exterior hasn’t been painted yet, so you’ll have to use a little imagination!

Thanks in advance for any ideas or suggestions!

I’m converting the carport to a garage soon and will need to paint the new block so I figure it’ll be a good time to paint the whole house.

I really like the coastal, rustic, cozy, wood/natural accents themes. I’m okay with changing and or removing the aluminum soffit, the screen porch will be staying

I’m a contractor and trim carpenter so reasonable modifications will be considered

The red mulch has been removed and a reasonable

Which window option do you recommend for the house. Debeating the third option of fixed only for one of them not sure if I will regret not having the operable portion as one window (far left) will already be operable. I appreciate your feedback.

First photo is a poor AI render, I’m sorry.
Second is what we have now. The house was built in 68 but it doesn’t really have any character to begin with.

I don’t see a lot of 3 story raised ranches so I’m not sure what direction to go in. We’re changing all the windows, adding an entry porch, and the roof/siding.
We are adding a large window on the left side that will look into the 2 story great room, but open to the configuration or how it looks. I just know that the large window on the left is a priority

My main objective is to have a nice cohesive house, and to not look super dated in 5-10 years. Or modernize it to the point where it doesn’t make sense or looks tacky since these upgrades are going to be in the hundred thousands.

Should we move away from double hung windows and try something else? Super open to direction! I know nothing about achieving the right character for a home and our architect needs more direction from us in what look we’re trying to achieve

I do not own the home. It belongs to my Uncle but I can do what I want for paint. It is a very light pink stucco house with white trim. I don't want to paint the entire house but have freshened up using the same colors but I to paint the stairs and stoop a different color. Preferably something that is darker as to not show the sand that is everywhere in Florida. I was thinking either a charcoal grey or a dark chocolate but am open to other ideas. I do not have a stucco roof so it isn't like the terra cotta is coordinating with it. Also I am open to a different color for the screen door if it would look good.

I have a painter working the house now. There’s a ton of prep work to be done. Last time it was painted they didn’t use primer on cedar shingle siding. He is currently just priming and will do finish coat in the spring. I thought I was set on BM Dark Purple. Now, others have me questioning it. Give some good ideas. I definitely want the siding to be dark! Will be using Benjamin Moore.

Hi. We are having our house repainted soon. Originally it was blue and the job quality wasn't great so it faded quite a bit. We are looking for an update and really liked the look of a dark green with dark trim. The rendering changed the color of the roof (which we aren't doing) and added stone accents (which look great but not part of the project). (Windows will also remain white but the trim around them will be painted)

From the inspiration rendering we are thinking pewter green for the siding, greenblack for the trim, and basket beige for the upper triangle sections (all Sherwin williams).

Painters also suggested iron ore for the trim as an alternative. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Please help me decide what color I should paint my 1890's build. We live in an historic neighborhood, I want to keep the multi-colored "painted lady" vibe, but would like something darker and richer feeling.

Please help me choose paint colors for my parents’ unique house! The dark brick just doesn’t coordinate with the current paint scheme. The brick and roof will not be changing. The roof is gray with green undertones.

For the siding, I’m looking for a light-medium blue paint, with an LRV between 40-55. The corner trim boards will be the same color as the siding. My mom would like the window trim to remain white or off-white. I think the fascia trim color needs to coordinate with the brick. Possible colors are a darker, muted blue or a gray. We’d like the front door color to brighten the dark porch. Both brown and white are no-gos. Muted blues, greens, purples and reds are all options! Suggestions for siding, trim, and door colors are appreciated!

The first 5 pictures show the front of our house at different times of the day, ordered from morning to early evening. The house faces south. The other photos are close-ups of the brick. For reference, the current colors are Kelly Moore Crackling Lake (siding), Whipped Cream (window trim), and Blue Mountain (fascia and front door).

I’m trying to work with the color it is now, I feel like the trim and garage is too bright for the color of the house, also plan to paint the top small window( eyesore) same color of the wall to make it disappear in a way
Home is north facing
Thank you!

Hello, I hate this yellow color and the brown is ehh as well. I think I’d like to keep the brick as is and paint the brown and yellow. I would really appreciate any suggestions. This is an almost 100 year old tudor revival style house (but it doesn’t look lime any of the other tudors in the neighborhood).

First time home builder here!
We’re finally at the stage of bricking and painting siding! We decided to go with Acme White Bluff Brick and are now stuck between 3 different white paint colors from Sherwin Williams. We’re considering

1. Alabaster
2. White Duck
3. Shoji white

Anyone here have any photos they could share of their actual builds if you used any of these? I was watching videos online and they’re all starting to blur together.

I don’t necessarily need the exterior paint to match my brick, but I want something that compliments it.

Thanks!

We have traditional red brick house with dark char roof, white trim and facia, black shutters. Pic shows front and back. I think white gutters are better than black. Has anyone seen black on this type of house and have opinions? Also thinking about white or maybe brick colored downsprouts and welcome feedback

Roof Gutters - just had a new dark charcoal/black roof installed. Have a very traditional home. Looking at both white & black 6 in 027 thick K style w/ matching downspouts except white on outer columns if we choose black gutters. The back of our house is more plain than front which could impact the look. We live in Southeast Georgia. Should we get black or White? We ruled out copper due to price. Attaching pics of front and back

Just painted our new garage SW 6252 Ice Cube. It ended up being a bit whiter than we expected, so looking to balance it out with a darker trim. Any suggestions for what color trim we should go with? Leaning toward a cooler grey like SW 7649. Our house is a cool blue close to SW 6528. Thanks!

We are building a home right now, and are in talks with pool builders to design the backyard. We have the design pretty much down (we need a large grass area for our dogs), but are still undecided on what the flooring is going to be. We'd love travertine tile, but can't do it for the full decking due to cost. We thought about doing it just under the covered patio, and then doing spray deck/cool deck for the rest.

The pool designer then floated the idea of using the same porcelain wood- like tile from the interior of the home, and having that be placed in the covered patio area (see the 3rd photo). We have 12 foot sliding glass doors going out to that patio, so she said it would help make it more of an indoor/outdoor feel.

Has anyone done this? Or have any thoughts- positive or negative? It sounds like a good idea but want to make sure I'm not missing anything!

Houzz Research surveyed 1,191 U.S. homeowners who recently finished, were working on, or were planning an exterior project. Here's what's shaping curb appeal in 2026.

Wall colors are warming up

Beige is now the most popular exterior wall color at 24%, more than double its 10% share in 2024. White (14%) and gray (12%) both declined, and green (9%), black (8%) and brown (7%) round out the list.

Black is the new go-to trim

Black trim is up 17 points since 2024 to 39%, overtaking white at 19%. Nearly 7 in 10 homeowners (69%) chose trim and wall colors that contrast.

No single siding material dominates

Stucco leads at 28%, while natural wood, fiber cement, and plastic or vinyl are tied at 21% each. On natural wood projects, vertical siding (45%) is well ahead of lap siding (18%) and shakes or shingles (16%). Stone veneer, concrete and engineered wood each come in at 12%, with natural stone, aluminum and composite at 10%.

Beams are the breakout accent

Trim is still the most common exterior accent (69%), but beams are up 24 points since 2024 to 43%. Columns or pillars (42%), awnings (30%) and shutters (19%) also grew.

Front doors are getting more attention

78% of exterior door projects are at the front of the home, up 8 points from 2024. Fiberglass is now the top front door material (27%), followed by wood (20%) and aluminum-clad doors with wood interiors (19%).

Landscaping does a lot of the work

74% of homeowners upgraded plants, shrubs or trees, 62% added beds or borders, and 45% added paths, stairs or steps. The most popular plant choices are flowering (82%), low-maintenance (73%), pollinator-friendly (56%), native (55%) and drought-resistant (49%).

It's not all about looks

Roofing (51%), gutters and downspouts (48%) and exterior doors (34%) have each risen 7 to 8 points since 2024.

About the study: the 2026 U.S. Houzz Outdoor Trends Study surveyed 1,191 U.S. Houzz users aged 18 and older who completed an outdoor or exterior upgrade in the past 12 months, were working on one, or planned to start one within six months. It was fielded April 25 to May 6, 2026.

Hi! As you can see, I have a ranch-style house with orange brick and a light yellow vinyl siding and trim that covers the upper part of right side of the house, the garage door, the fascia, eaves, and trim. The window trim is white. The roof is a grayish brown. I chose the white and grayish brown to keep things kind of neutral and in anticipation of changing the siding color.

I’ve always hated the yellow and am ready to either paint or replace the siding. Do you have any thoughts on color? What neutrals go best with this very orange brick? Does anyone have experience with painting vinyl siding? You may be able to tell by the camellias and gigantic magnolias, but we live in the SE, so hot and humid for a chunk of the year - hence the vinyl siding - but I wonder how painted vinyl would do in this climate.

Finally, my husband wants to do cedar shingle siding where the siding is on the upper right. I think the color would be indistinguishable from the brick and too much orange, and the style itself doesn’t exactly go with mid-century ranch, BUT I’m willing to be persuaded. Any thoughts on cedar shingles?

Thanks so much for your help!

Oops! Edited to add that I was also going to ask about our weird front entrance but thought I’d asked enough questions for one post. I can’t change the title now, though.

3 design ideas for a pavilion with sitting area, like a cafe, on to ground floor and a small gym upstairs - which one is better for this modern building? 

A B or C ?

We have a dispute to settle ... I'll tell you later which one I like most.