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Kevin Wild - IBB Designer I honestly think that the best thing for you to do is landscaping. This is going to help the curb appeal so much!

Another idea is to paint the exterior a warm taupe color. A little lighter than your roof, then paint all of the trim and shutters white:

bslat Thanks for the suggestion, I was thinking about adding planter boxes under the three windows and removing the current shrubs and bushes. I just have to be somewhat careful with the landscaping as to not cover the egress grating for the basement. Plus with the house being in the desert sometimes landscape is tricky.

solraven I don't know why, but there's something about the front zero property line, that makes me think this house could totally pull off being painted barn red with grey trim.

solraven I just took another look and realized it's not a zero property line, it's landscaping rocks that are similar in color to the sidewalk. I would definitely darken those, perhaps to a medium brown, for contrast.

curacaoblue I think some good landscaping would have a huge impact. I would go for large bushes that stay green all year. I don't know where you are located though so I'm not sure what to suggest or if that is even an option.

bslat We are located in Northwest Arizona, so very little rain and hot summers. The sidewalk is actually just the leveled dirt between the road and the low lying brick wall.

curacaoblue OK, that explains the current landscaping a little more. Are you in a city or suburb? I have a close friend in Tucson and landscaping is very different there compared to where I live in the southeast. She used various cacti with rounded stone gravel, really embraced the southwest vibe.

bslat Suburb of a very small city. And the only concern with going desert mottif is that it would conflict with the tree in the front yard.

mollythecollie Xeriscaping, you can get help from local nurseries would make a huge difference. The thing that I really notice is your garage door, my eye keeps going over to it. You may want to consider adding color to your front door, so that a person's eyes are drawn to your entrance. have you considered adding a hand raiiing for the porch steps - not metal LOL as that would get TOO hot in the summer. Enjoy your soon to be new home and please post after pictures.

Bickhaus Homes I feel you could really step the property up by using this

Benjamin Moore Hampshire Grey HC101

Along with a deep burgundy for the shutters, and main front door.A deep cream for the trim. I'd use the Hampshire Grey on the garage door and service door as well....It will offer a visual flow from afar, and it wont look like there are multiple entries as if it were an apartment building. Hampshire Grey on the cinder block wall as well with a cream cap if you are keeping that.

Of course landscaping as stated above. Try to avoid evergreens, they tend to date a property. Talk to your local nursery. I'd suggest trees and bushes with a golden an red leaf tone. Go with a clear glass storm door for the front door. They come in burgundy as well . Lastly, updating outdoor lights to a more modern and larger scale does immediate wonders. I'd also seriously consider removing the light on the left side of the service door. Have 2 lights at the main entry and just the two lights by the garage door (one on each side). Be sure to keep clean lines with any pots you may put out. Just 2-3 large containers as opposed to lots of little things. Less is more rule. Have fun! And Congratulations on your new home.

bslat Bickhaus, thanks for the input but dont you think the hampshire gray would match too closely to the color of the roof?
Now, I do agree with the avoiding evergreens, not a big fan of those. And the lighting will definitely get updated as well.

libradesigneye If you are in the desert, this is the right time to plant! I prescribe natives and succulents - kangaroo paw next to the house where the flowers will stand out and low succulents between that and the curb / low wall.

Leave the house white so it can reflect the sun and you don't have to paint the chimney. Find a mid-tone native green for the shutters and eave trim and get the same color in masonry paint for the front low planter brick wall / side masonry fence. Go two shades deeper for all the doors. Paint out the security doors in the deeper green too.

On the side of the garage - you just have so much pavement - that is the place to cut out some of it, and put back some large scale agave and native flowering shrubs - they will get big over time. You can also rockscape on top with a dry creek bed in larger stones surrounded by small stones. Stick with buff pea gravel rock and add gray pebble accents in addition to any boulder work you do. Do not use white or gray gravel -

Here are some great greens for white in the desert. http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW6192-coastal-plain/
for shutters and eaves, and site walls
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW6194-basil/ for front door

Eventually, find some quartzite flagstone and do something with your entry stoop - since you have kind of a charming cottage, I'd pour a curve of all the stairs so it came out like one of those semi-circle stoops with larger circumference with each step. Then, face them with the quartzite.

On the back, enlarge the stairs out of the back door too, and consider a shade sail over the rest of the pavement back there - you can install eyebolts in your rafter tails at two points on the patio cover and one higher point on the back of the RV garage. Get a white or tan or green shade sail (even costco sells them) and attach it here for more shade, style.

Dee Gould Im looking forward to how you update your new home, think it will you will be able to create a really beautiful desert midcentury ranch
you are getting some really great suggestions...good luck

Bickhaus Homes I think you have to work with what you have, not against it. So, I feel the roof flows with the Hampshire Grey. Here is the link to the color.

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-your-home/color-gallery?cd=HC-101&col=HC

Remember, dress up the main entry only.

***I tweaked my first comment a little.

Manhattta Architecture, P.C. Landscaping is probably your best bet. In terms of repainting, you may consider the Benjamin Moore Color Stories line. If you select a main color for the house from that line, Benjamin Moore will suggest complimentary colors for things such as doors, shutters, & trim work.

janishill The biggest problem right now is that someone painted the garage door as though it were teh main feature of the house. The front door should be what the eye is drawn to, not the garage.

Kustom Kourtyards Maybe, Paint the walls white, and the ledge going around a slightly different shade of white.
Shutters- keep them grey
Trim around the garage grey , garage door white
Chimney- same shade as shingles (less noticeable)
Front door
Install two nice posts painted black on each corner of the top step
Replace the front door with a dark stained wooden door

The front curb- if allowed to, paint it a dark grey