Kathy

- I would stick to basic updated colors. I love Alexandria Beige (Benjamin Moore) for the exterior walls and clean white trim. If you had garage doors, they could be white too. A black roof, front door and light fixtures would look great with this combination, but I am not sure to what extent you are remodeling. You could also put a black urn planter on the porch. If you have to stay with the gray roof, then I would double check your color choice against the roof to make sure it looks good because you may need to select a more gray/beige color.

- Are you changing the porch? You could update the front pillar, so that it is larger. A white square pillar would be nice. If you are keeping the concrete, I think there is a product you can brush over it to make it look like stone (it might be called stone effects?). I have not tried it, but it may be a quick fix for older concrete.

- Landscaping - I would remove the grass by the house and make mulch flower beds, with some small shrubs. I would also plant something a little larger at the left corner of the bed to hide the air conditioner from the road. I also think planting some boxwoods down the curved side of the driveway would look good.

I always find that neutrals look the best together, with a splash of color (which you can do with your plants), and are always in style.

Good luck.