Why don't you take a cue from the Painted Ladies in Cape May or the famous Victorian houses of San Francisco.?

http://www.capemaytimes.com/history/victorian.htm

http://www.city-data.com/picfilesc/picc5487.php

You're lucky the siding is very neutral! Go crazy with your accents! Pick something fun and bright for the shutters and door! Painting the foundation something light would help brighten it up.

Well, first and foremost, I'd ditch the shutters. Shutters are a colonial style and not at all an authentic townhouse feature. Plus they just add to the sea of vinyl on the facade. Scrape and paint the brick foundation. You can play with some color here with two things to keep in mind: keep it fairly dark to "ground" the house, make it a slightly "muddy" or warmed version of the color (eg. no jewel tones).

Ditch the screen door and paint the front door a kicky color. A new mailbox, light and numbers will make a surprisingly big difference too. If you have the funds, I'd also replace the awning over the door with a built one that's more period appropriate and do likewise with the railing.

Good luck!

Maybe window boxes with fun flowers?
I saw something on "this old house" about vinyl trim that looks more like wood trim (instead of those thin metal things they use), that might look nice instead of the shutters too.
That dark brown trim at the top makes it look top heavy, just replacing that might make a big difference.

The color of the vinyl itself is not that bad. The shutters and top trim are. I would also considering getting rid of the shutters, or if not, painting them and the top in colors that pop against the siding instead of baby-**it brown.

I would not rip off the siding unless/until you are sure of the condition of the facade beneath.

Rebuilding the stairs and railing would also be at the top of my list, as would ditching the awning and screen door, then repainting the front door.

I have a white brick Victorian and I want my trim to be black real bad. Right now it's beige and light blue, which I hate.

If you have a housing association or you're in a historical district, just make sure they're not going to kill you before you doing anything drastic.

If they had any kind of historic board there's no way they would have approved vinyl siding.

What's under that vinyl? Have you looked? I'd be itching to tear that nastiness off!

My first house had vinyl siding, which gave the feel of living in a double-wide. When I finally got the nerve to start ripping off I found 4 layers of siding hiding perfectly preserved 1919 wood. It was like an archaeological dig through the worst siding choices of the last 75 years. One layer looked like kitty litter stuck to tar (trying to simulate brick).

Amy Faith's comment is BRILLIANT!!!!!! Listen to her!!!!!!

All the best!!!!

Ned

Vinyl siding usually includes vinyl shutters, and I don't think those can be painted. (They CAN be removed or replaced with a better color.) Check a lumber yard or two -- maybe you can find red or something fun -- I know they have black, which might be better on the beige than what you have.

I'd Photoshop a picture of your house without shutters or with different ones before eliminating them. Especially with all the neighbors having them (I'm guessing) removing them might not have the impact a stand-alone home would.

It looks like the neighbors have the same vinyl so, since you are attached, I'd not plan to remove it any time soon. (Besides, vinyl is low maintenance, but removing it is just another needless and wasteful addition to the local landfill unless you can find a way to recycle it. Once you have it, try to live with it.)

I'd agree with some of what Amyfaith says-- fix up the brick porch, paint the wood trim a better color, better door color. Depending on where you live, you could eliminate the screen door, but if you need it, maybe you can get a nicer looking one. If there is room on the sidewalk, and you aren't violating any rules, get a couple of good sized planters that coordinate with your new colors and load them up with colorful annuals.

Agree, what AmyFaith said, with one exception - it will be hard to find an awning to look right - I think when you look at old houses, you may find that something small that looks like sort of overgrown crown molding may be what's appropriate.

Also, though someone else said rebuild the stairs, I wouldn't if they were in good shape. You might want to replace the railing, but a cheaper option might be to dress it up a bit (think year-round xmas type garland ornaments wrapped around it).

Pull off the vinyl and go for clapboard or hardyplank, if what's under there is destroyed, when you have deep pockets. Agree with whoever said paint it a darker color - these houses look cool that way. You can go lighter on the trim around your newly un-shuttered windows, but you could also do a contrasting color in just as dark a hue as the paint for a great look. Look at pics of similar houses and you'll find what you like.

And it could be in a landmarked historic area, even with vinyl....the vinyl is fine for now if it was there before the landmark district was created....but you need to check any regs if you go to replace it (or indeed, make any changes to the exterior look of the house, as least that's they case in NYC.)

What's underneath? That's my first thought.

Very often, vinyl siding has just been used to slipcover the facade, and the original is underneath. Dollars to donuts, you will find wood siding underneath in need of some care -- scraping, filling, painting. It will be beautiful if you take it on.

Oh, and the "kitty litter stuck to tar paper" is called "insul-brick" and was meant to simulate brick.

Yes, I agree with Amy - ditch the shutters, paint the door and enjoy your townhouse.

Be very clear about what you are taking on if you think about ripping off the vinyl. The reason so many homeowners have vinyl is that it's a low/no maintenance siding. If you rip it off and find wood underneath, just know you are in for repainting every so many years. Not everyone is willing to commit to that.

There are already some very good suggestions. I agree that losing the shutters would be a good start. The downside is that the vinyl siding behind them will not match the rest of the siding. Vinyl fades and as you can see in the pic, also stains (below the shutters). I personally would be a fan of removing the vinyl all together but as others pointed out, the maintenance isn't for everyone. One comment mentioned not removing it b/c of damage it may be hiding. If there is damage such as rot, you want to find it before it spreads. Also, someone mentioned painting trim on their home black. If you chose to use black or other dark colors for your exterior, be very mindful of the amount of sunlight you get. Wood (doors especially) that gets direct sun tends to crack and warp over time when painted dark colors. Also, vinyl siding can be painted. As I mentioned earlier, it fades. I've often seen it repainted after several years. It seems crazy to me. If you're going to paint anyway, why not paint real siding?

it's not great but it's not bad. spend the money on the inside instead.

Easy Peasy. Find a townhouse association with a website. Find out what colors they require on their units. In my case, the colors are Belmont Blue for the siding and Franklin white for shutters and trim. The colors are from the Finnaren and Haley Authentic Colors of Philadelphia.
You can check all of the color combinations from my association here.
http://weybridgeplace.com/paint.php
Not every house has blue siding and whoever did the coordination did a very nice job. Townhouses in this development are unusual because they don't look like the neighbor's unit.
Anyway, this is a no-brainer method of picking colors. So, if you don't want to overthink it, check it out.

While the siding isn't the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, its not the worst either. That said I would try to pick a color the will enhance the warm tones in the siding rather than clash. I would use a bright white for the trim and then pick a few favorite colors for door options. Definitely bring some swatches home and hold them up against the siding before deciding. Here's my list of things I would do...
1. Awning, shutters and ugly storm door... lose them.
2. Clean up the foundation. Either paint it a cleaner color or scrape the paint entirely.
3. Add decorative, period trim to front door and windows. Maybe even some great flower boxes for under the windows!
4. Paint the front door a brighter color (maybe a pretty blue).
5. Clean up and beautify the stoop including a prettier railing and some cute planters.
6. My last idea is something I'd imagine you would have to do down the road due to the cost... personally I would eventually replace the windows with some great double hung, mullioned windows.
Hope this gives you a couple ideas!

I dunno. Do whatever you want. I'm so jealous you own a 100-year-old Victorian townhouse that I can't be bothered talking to you.

;-) ;-)

Congratulations on your new home! It looks like it's got great bones.

All the above suggestions look good, but I would caution on one point: vinyl doesn't age evenly when portions of it is covered. Removing the shutters might reveal discolouration and/or fading, or worse, cracks and breaks. My best advice would be to concentrate on the interior, and the turn your attentions to working on the curb appeal. Exterior renovations can be very pricey, especially if you're having to replace/repair siding.

Other things: I'd would probably rebuild the staircase and porch/landing to reflect the style of the house. Maybe beef up the trim around the windows to give the facade some weight.

Did anyone else noticed the shutters "leaked" all over the siding? If you DO leave the siding, you'll need to clean that up! it makes the siding look rusty. I actually the shutters, but those colours make me shudder! I agree with new awning and fun door colour!!!

I was told you could not paint siding as to do so would cause it to bubble and heave. I took a big risk and painted siding and it turned out very well. I used "porch and floor" paint, an oil based paint not water based paint. It continues to look good four years later. I would choose a steel grey for the home to include the basement exterior and a new red door with brass fittings. I would then take down the piping hand rail and install a new set of wider wooden stairs, and a walk way that extends to under the first window on the ground floor.

I'd go with what Amy Faith said, too.

@ TiffanySeattle - I agree. A historical board wouldn't have let siding be put in...but with it being 100 years old, maybe there's a board now to rectify these problems.

Where is the house located? This looks so much like a Pittsburgh house. I'm in a similar situation in Pittsburgh and plan on removing the vinyl and repairing what is underneath.

Can I say I kind of miss having vinyl siding? Yes, it is unattractive but what a gift to live in a house for 18 years and never once think about painting. We almost didn't buy the place because of the vinyl, then thought we'd be ripping it off "soon." In the end I couldn't justify sending all that plastic to a landfill and we just relaxed and enjoyed the benefits.

I suggest living with it for a bit and see whether it continues to bother you -- swapping out the shutters with some you find more attractive is another good suggestion. Meanwhile look into changing the awning and refacing or rebuilding the stoop. Definitely replace the light fixture and mailbox, and put on some cute house numbers. Maybe a large planter out front.

We painted our vinyl siding with Sherwin Williams' VinylSafe Technology paint. You can choose virtually any color and the technology will keep it from bubbling and cracking. This is such an affordable option when it comes to changing the look of your house, and it opens the door to a million different color schemes! Our siding looks brand new with the paint, which has proven to be very durable. Have fun!

@chucka I thought the same thing! We have a (thankfully, un-vinyl-sided) Victorian rowhouse in the Burgh, and this looks like many around our neighborhood.