Tell me what you think...

12 years ago

What do you think this house would look like if the one face with stone was just stucco? Does the stone add anything?

We are building a house that will look very much like this one. It is what many will consider a "McMansion". It is not my dream house but I hope to love it. In fact, I love older homes with their character and charm but the oldest neighborhood in our district is 25 years old and we just sold our house in that neighborhood. I will miss it but we needed a bigger house and didn't want to move the kids to a different school (because we're in the best public school in the district in one of the best districts in the state and nation) and to get a bigger house and stay in this school this neighborhood was our only option. HOA regulations dictate much about our build. I'm ok with that. The house is built so the style will not change. What I can change is whether the exterior has stone or not. I noticed today that I really prefer the houses that are all stucco and only have stone along the bottom (around the entire house). I don't like the houses that have one or two faces (if that's even the right word) of stone up to the roof. I like consistency. It's the same feeling I get when I see houses with grids in the front window but not in the back or brick in the front, but siding or stucco on the sides and back. It just gives me an unsettled feeling.

So, would I be crazy to remove the stone and do all stucco (except for the bottom)?

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Comments (14)

abdrury
12 years ago
I think it would look fine.
mydreamhome
12 years ago
I'd actually prefer it all stucco with the stone at the base.
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mojomom
12 years ago
Funny, I usually gravitate towards stone and away from stucco, but I think this house would look great all stucco, with stone only along the bottom. It would also give you a bit more of the older house feel that you crave.
mjtx2
12 years ago
Concur. I love stone but in this case the all stucco would be great. Add a couple of diagonal wood trim pieces if you want to change the look a little, but it'd be just fine the way it looks now with all stucco.
chicagoans
12 years ago
I think it would be pretty. Here's a rough mockup. You might still want brick along the very bottom (like under the far left section under the windows in the original.)

{{gwi:1404839}}

HTH
Missy Benton
Original Author
12 years ago
Thank you all so much. I feel so much more confident telling my builder to go ahead and remove it. I think he thinks I'm crazy :-)

chicagoans- An especially big thanks to you! That is just what I needed to see!! We will be carrying the stone along the entire bottom of the house (I think they call it the water table) just like you suggested. Can you tell me how you did this? Thanks again.
nini804
12 years ago
It's going to be lovely! Enjoy!
chicagoans
12 years ago
cbus - you're welcome! I just did alittle cut and paste in Paint (comes with Windows.) It will be a lovely house.
dominos
12 years ago
IMO I think it is much more elegant and classic without the stone. The newer built homes around me have some faux stone facades that I think could really date them in the future...Congrats on your new home!
mjtx2
12 years ago
That mock up really helps. And I think it looks so much more individual without the stone. Beautiful house, truly.
Missy Benton
Original Author
12 years ago
Again, thank you all so much for commenting. It makes me feel like I can trust myself when making all of these never ending decisions!
mjtx2
12 years ago
Just one more idea for you that some here may love and others abhor ;) but I'd grow either climbing roses, like New Dawn or Awakening, or a nice trellis plant around the front door, to frame it and make it pop. Just a thought - I really love this exterior, especially without the stone.
Missy Benton
Original Author
12 years ago
mjtx2-I love the idea but I don't have too much faith in my green thumb when it comes to roses. I keep trying but never have too much success. I'd be nervous to try them around the front door (which is west facing) but I have a little "courtyard" on the north side of the house which could be perfect. Would that be enough light? Guessing probably not???
User
12 years ago
It might be difficult to match the stucco color so you should try a sample panel first. To me the new stucco in the photo mock-up looks oddly blank which is probably why the stone was used in the first place. IMHO you should either put a window there or leave it as it is.

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abdrury

mydreamhome

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