We lived in a 1956 ranch for 22 years and added a partial second story. The outcome looked a bit craftsman-ish......at least that's what people would to tell me.

The first thing I would do is remove or cut back the bird box returns. They are way to big for the gable. Craftsman have wooden shakes usually, and you could replace the siding with shakes.

Adding a pair of columns on either side of your garage door so that a trellis could go over the door will help soften that area. The post on the front porch would be replaced to match.

Replace the front screen door with a wooden screen door or remove both doors and replace with a new wooden front door with windows at the top.

Before - (small gable in the very center, top, is the playhouse in the backyard, not on the house lol)

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First Day:

After - house was built using old brick, so we couldn't match. Addition is painted cedar shakes. Roof is four sections, meeting in the center at chimney that was extended up. Back looks just like the front with two bay windows. The upstairs addition was MBR/Bath and sitting room. You can't tell it in the pictures, but the front porch post was wrapped in lumber to make square and the bottom was boxed in and covered with cedar shakes too. I might have a photo somewhere if you'd like to see. We built new home and moved over 2 years ago.

The first thing I notice about your house is the garage door. Because it's plain white and has no windows, it overwhelms your charming entrance.

Have you thought about painting it?

I see that it's panelled... if you painted the panels a different color, or maybe painted on some faux windows, it would go a long way to giving your house a charming facade.

Here are some inspiration pictures for you:

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Allison, your home redo is wonderful! What a beautiful setting. It must have been hard to move from there. I hadn't thought about a wooden screen door and rather like that idea - I'll have to look at what is out there.

mclarke, I have thought about painting the garage door,and I absolutely adore the inspiration pictures you posted, especially the bottom one. (I often think I bought the wrong house...I should have bought in an older neighborhood with craftsman cottage homes!) I had not thought about painting out the panels, but that is an interesting thought. I had entertained painting it out in the light grey of the siding. I agree it does overwhelm the house. I've just felt so stuck with what to do. I had wondered if I painted all the dark grey areas in white, if it wouldn't balance out the massive white garage door. I have difficulties visualizing whether that would be helpful or not.

thank you both for your responses - helpful considerations for sure.

http://www.auerjordan.com/arborcustomer.html

I googled trellis' over garage doors and came up with this...is this sort of what you were thinking Allison?

wigardenerwannabe: You do know that you can paint your rain gutters to match the gray, right? Your house is very pretty.
In addition to repainting the garage door, you can buy a new craftsman style front door, craftsman style numbers, porch light, screen door, front door entry set (oil rubbed bronze of course). And you can probably try to beef up the columns in front. I like alison's idea doing the garage trellis, but I wonder if the top panel of the garage door can be removed and replaced with a panel that has windows with stiles.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Craftsman Connection

Thanks. I actually had a wooden door built with an arch - to mimic upper window and arches on front porch. Here's a shot of it. We kept the wooden door so we would have privacy and more security when not home.

After driving by the house twice since we moved and being highly disappointed each time - they are not yard people - we drove by recently thinking the azaleas would be gorgeous. Not....They cut them with electric sheers at the wrong time of the year. Flat bushes. No blooms. AND the Zoysia looked dead. Never again will I drive by.

Going to post this then come back and look at the link you posted. Oh, and not so hard to move: 4.5 acres on a lake in a horse community. It's heaven. :)

Exactly what I was thinking. You could leave plain or plant something to grow over. What zone are you in? We had an evergreen Clematis vine over our last garage. No photo.

We actually have the middle photo garage doors on our new house but ours are painted all one color - they are Carriage House doors and don't go with a Craftsman look, imo. Either of the other ones would look good.

Here is a link that might be useful: Your trellis page

jerzeegirl, Thanks for the link - some nice screen doors. I need to better research painting gutters as I had done so with some of the replacement downspouts, but the paint chipped off pretty quickly. Since I have to replace them I also felt like I don't want to buy new ones that I then have to turn around and paint. Perhaps there's an easier way that I am unaware of. Your ideas about some of those 'simpler' changes are good ones - I was planning on changing out the lights, and address numbers, but hadn't thought about what a significant difference a door change/hardware could make. Because the house is grey, I was sort of thinking I would need to stay with black wrought iron...do you think ORB would look ok with the grey siding?

I also do love the idea of a trellis. I am in zone 5 so wouldn't have foliage in the winter here, but I think the trellis would add some nice architectural interest. I am definitely going to bulk up the columns in some manner, just not sure how.

Allison, how depressing to see the landscaping being neglected - what you had was gorgeous and inviting. Although it sounds like you did move to heaven, so it is probably best to just stay away from the old place.