We need more details. What are the colors of the homes around it? What about the exterior do you like and want to keep?

Without knowing those things, I'll offer some suggestions:

The brick is nice, but very dark. If you can't paint the blue, I'd contrast it with a fire-engine red door and remove the screen door. I would swap out of the dark furniture on the porch and put something very bright there. I would plant bright flowers along the porch as well, to contrast the grass.

The windows are blending into the brick. During the day and from afar, it looks like the house doesn't have any windows on the lower level. If the windows have shutters, paint the shutters a bright color (the same color as whatever you choose for the door). If there aren't any shutters, you could paint the window frame.

Now it looks like that's a duplex, am I correct? If that's the case, you'll want to make sure your neighbor is ok with you painting your side of the duplex.

I agree with Pi. Also, consider painting the iron work the same color the house is painted.

I think the simplest and cheapest fix would be to paint the lower window's trim in a light blue that matches the rest of the windows, and then paint the door a bright color - green, blue, red, yellow - anything that will make it stand out. And if this is a duplex, I'd see if the neighbors would paint their lower window to match, and they can choose another color for their door.

The stone work on your house is gorgeous. And while I get that you don't like the color your home is painted, I actually think those colors match beautifully with the stone work. I wouldn't change the paint scheme. The one you have is classic.

I can see how you might want some more color around your porch and I would simply achieve that by focusing on filling in your garden with some more colorful flowering plants, and maybe hang a few black chains near from the ceiling of your porch near the railing and put some hanging baskets there. I think ferns would brighten it up without being too bright. I'd also go for deep reds and greens with your flowers. I appreciate the desire to add colors, but the stone lends such a historic feel to your house that I wouldn't go with bright anything - not bright plants, furniture or paint.

I too would swap out the screen door for one made with quality wood frames, or just not have a screen door.

Paint *is* the cheapest fix for your problem, as long as you do it yourself. Otherwise I would go with some annuals in the bed with the shrubs. Bright new cushions on the porch chair would be nice too. And maybe a decoration or wreath next to the door.

I'd remove the screen door, which can really make a home look dated. I also would consider re/moving the left hydrangea because it blocks a view of the door. (It's really beautiful -- is there anywhere else it could go?). Then, add some hanging baskets with white flowers, some porch furniture (Adirondack chairs and a small table?) in a bright color (like light blue or mint green). I'd then landscape in front of the porch using some lower perennials, perhaps even bringing the landscaped section out a bit, perhaps in a little curve for some interest. You could border the landscaped area with large stones that resemble the ones on the porch wall. Definitely paint the trim/window frames on the 1st floor windows to match those above. Finally, paint the front door a vivid, light, eye-catching color. Consider some pretty house-numbers (illuminated?). Good luck!

Wow! Thanks for the responses already!

Pi, to answer your questions: I'd like to keep the beige exterior, and for now the blue trim has to stay. The stone is absolutely my favorite thing about the house and I'd eventually like to paint the trim a rich chocolate brown to highlight it more. Houses in my area vary greatly as it's going through a transition- younger folks moving in and making modern upgrades. So the palette is infinite.

Would it look strange to paint the facia board on the porch a different color than the trim of the rest of the house?

I removed the ugly aluminum screen door, and it does brighten up the front, but the cream color of the door still leaves it looking "blah." Would a cranberry color on the door work with the blue?

@earthymummy - the door is cream?! I can't even tell! I think cranberry would be beautiful. I'd go with a more pink cranberry rather than a red cranberry, though.

I actually really like Benjamin Moore's 'tricycle red.' It's red, but it's fun and not as severe.

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/bmpsweb/portals/bmps.portal?_nfpb=true&_windowLabel=sidebarportlet_1_2&sidebarportlet_1_2_actionOverride=%2Fbm%2Fcms%2FContentRenderer%2FselectSideBarArticle&sidebarportlet_1_2np=public_site%2Farticles%2Fapplication_article%2Fapp_colorExplorerTool&sidebarportlet_1_2isNonSecure=true&_pageLabel=fh_explorecolor&cd=2000-20&col=CP

'Exotic red' is also a good choice if you want less pink.

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/bmpsweb/portals/bmps.portal?_nfpb=true&_windowLabel=sidebarportlet_1_2&sidebarportlet_1_2_actionOverride=%2Fbm%2Fcms%2FContentRenderer%2FselectSideBarArticle&sidebarportlet_1_2np=public_site%2Farticles%2Fapplication_article%2Fapp_colorExplorerTool&sidebarportlet_1_2isNonSecure=true&_pageLabel=fh_explorecolor&cd=2086-10&col=CP

Anything but barn red!

It just needs some plant love and brightening up. I agree with brighter furniture on the porch, and get some hanging baskets and a window basket for some flowers, even a couple of pots on the deck itself. We just did this to my exterior and it's made a world of difference, all of my neighbors have commented on it and I know we spent less than $100 on it.

I agree that the brick and the porch could somehow be highlighted and that entryway brightened up a bit.

The two shrubs in front block the view of the porch and I would consider moving them somewhere else on the property and planting low flowers in front.

I like the idea of painting the wrought-iron railings white, or a lighter color, and adding lighter patio furniture.

Could the ceiling of the porch (and maybe the fascia) be painted a lighter color to help reflect light instead of absorb it? I'd probably try to photoshop some other colors for that fascia to see how that would look.

You have a beautiful, stately home.

I would add color by replacing or boxing in the metal supports with columns )and adding a column if necessary to balance the porch). Then you could paint them whichever complementing color you choose. The supports are barely visible and having columns could add interest.

I'd save my money so that I could remove those tragic Mid Century "updates" and bring the house back to it's roots:

I'd remove the faux stone cladding, stucco, screen door and ironwork - and reintroduce wood clapboard siding to the exterior of the house, rebuild the original chunky wood columns that would have supported the porch - and contact your local utility company to see about removing the electrical wires that overhang everything and have your electrical service run underground...

Only after you've done all that would I think about colors.

Your house has been "muddled"; at some point, someone who did not understand or appreciate the charming architectural vernacular of your house introduced elements to "spruce it up" which actually destroy it.

Your house is a duplex variation of the traditional American Foursquare, which was popular between 1900-1930. Often, the homes came in kits from Sears.

http://search.tacomapubliclibrary.org/images/dt6n.asp?un=40&pg=2&krequest=subjects+contains+Tacoma+Building+and+Tacoma+&stemming=&phonic=&fuzzy=&maxfiles=

The stucco, the stone cladding, the arched windows in the attic, the arched door, the storm door and storm windows, and the metal porch elements are all elements which were introduced at a later date and which do not belong.

Although both sides of the duplex were done at once and are now mirror images of each other, there is nothing which says they must stay looking this way.

As someone has already said, removing the storm door will make a huge difference.

It would be interesting to find out what is behind the stone cladding (which is just a thin layer) -- is it wide siding? Clapboard siding? Insul-brick? Brick? To check, you can just pry up a small piece in a hidden area. My advice to you would be to check what you have underneath before you contemplate painting the current surface.

If you don't want to deal with the entire facade just yet, start with removing the screen door on the front door. If you truly need a screen door, you can have a nice wooden one made -- http://www.vintagedoors.com/arch_screen.html .

Next, either remove or paint out the stone cladding. Make it the same colour as the rest of the house.

And the other change which will improve your facade in a major way is to remove the metal porch posts and railings and install wooden ones.

A grey and white colour scheme would differentiate your house from that of the neighbours without being too jarring.

As for landscaping, you have a nice thing going with the white-flowered shrubs; why not have a green and white scheme? Very elegant, and simultaneously traditional and modern.

Good luck!

I would add a couple of hanging baskets filled with colorful annuals. Make sure you hang them with a chain so that they hang a little lower

I agree with others that some colorful furniture on the porch (maybe a porch swing?) would be nice. You could paint the fascia and the ceiling a sky blue color (which would like nice with a red door).

In the future, painted wood columns and rails would be lovely (and more historically accurate).

Your house is very nice. Nothing wrong with it. If it ain't broken. Don't fix it. Plant a few flower in pots outside and you are done.

I'm with bepsf and mschatelaine. They both had great suggestions so I won't make any. No offense, I can't believe someone called that flat faux stone applique "gorgeous"! I think you do have an adorable house, it's just hiding under those ugly updates.

Thanks again for the comments.

The house was built in 1908. Although it probably looks like stone cladding from the picture, it's actually not. The photographic records we have seen show the stone as original to the house. This is a common home style in the 'burbs of Philadelphia. The stone is actually quite pretty, but my photography skills are lacking.

I like the idea of sprucing up the porch furniture. I just planted a bunch of bright flowers out there, so that is helping.

I guess the paint trim colors are just my pet peeve. I love the Tricycle Red from BM! That seems like a cheap and easy place to start.

Oh and Pi, it's my fault you can't see the door color. I took the picture while it was open. Without a/c in this old house, that ugly screen door may actually be missed!

PSA: This house is actually a "twin". Duplexes are houses that contain 2 flats/apartments. I grew up in MD thinking this house was a duplex too, until I moved to Philly. They are very common in lots of neighborhoods and older suburbs.

"Although it probably looks like stone cladding from the picture, it's actually not. "

If the structural material of your house is something other than stone (looks like a wood frame house to me), the stone on your house is cladding by definition.

If the cladding were on the entire front facade -- i.e., the first two stories and not the attic -- or the entire facade, it would be less awkward aesthetically. However, with just that single-story strip, it is not integrated, and is very coarse in comparison to the other facade elements.

If you are intent on keeping it (just because some developers in Philly built it that way doesn't mean that this stylistic variation on a Foursquare needs to stay that way), you can integrate it more successfully by painting the rest of the house in colours which are part of the stone colourway, so that the stone blends better. In this case, medium-dark stoney grey colours. These can go as far as warmer, almost taupey, greys -- but test the colours first.

Different real estate markets use the term "duplex" to mean slightly different things. The most precise term is "semi-detached".

I think painting the exterior darker to match the stonework is the best and easiest fix you can do here. If you can't/won't do that anytime soon, than you need to bring more of the white color down into the porch area to balance things out.

Someone suggested painting the wrought iron white. I agree with that and also think that you should get white iron hanging baskets and white porch furniture, too. Whatever you can do to pull some off the white into the dark area will help immensely.

I really think that painting the body of the house a darker color (darker, not dark) would lighten the house. It seems bottom heavy with that dark stone.
Other than that, just a bright door and updated screen door... and loads of bright flowers.

When you are ready to paint, consider a warm creamy off-white instead of white. Door would look great in a taupe or yellow if you don't want to go with the red. You can have your current or a new storm door painted to match at an auto body shop (should last about 20 years that way) so you don't lose the energy savings provided by having one.
Consider a flowered vine growing up the railings and think about adding some architectural interest to the side of the house - perhaps even canvas awnings?
House would look A LOT better if stonework extended up the chimney. Perhaps you can have it faced to match?
Open up the porch as already said by removing shrubs and add a brighter colored bench or loveseat against wall to right of door if room (hard to tell as picture is too dark). I learned all of these tricks from an on-line consultation with a great decorator. If you are interested you can reach him through one of his websites:
http://restorationfabricsandtrims.com.

This house is in the suburbs of Philly? What neighborhood?!

jillelizabeth, the town is Lansdowne.

Thanks again for all the suggestions. I'll be back soon to post results.