Need Advice/help decorating 1960 Brick Ranch home
dianelu
10 years ago
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Comments (24)
chucksmom
10 years agodebbie1000
10 years agoRelated Discussions
Need advice for a 1960s ranch - maximizing space!
Comments (13)Right Adam I am guilty of filling the voids too so now I try not to make them. The couch/love seat because I have had both at times on the one side of the table has worked out really well and it does give a nice sitting area for company while I am cooking and want them out of my way. It is also a nice spot for morning coffee. And always keep your mind open to making changes as your life style changes. When my hubby was sick I moved a table and chair into our bedroom so I could be in there with him but not in bed. I left it in there because I find I use it for morning coffee , my first cup, when I do have company so I do not have to face them before I am ready. LOL I did consider taking it out of there now hubby is gone and putting a nicer chair in there and I might just do that too. I honestly love to change things up. Shop my house to make it look different and new and fresh to me with out spending any money....See MoreNeed advice on upgrading 1960s Florida Ranch/Rambler? home
Comments (4)Removing chain link fencing is one good way to update it! Remove shutters. Paint the house create a defined entrance, removing the old entrance overhang and columns. A Metal roof would also be good. Be sure to check out your local Habitat For Humanity Re- store. note: cracking brick could mean foundation problems or something structural. Think Katrina Cottages...See MoreNeed help adding curb appeal on a 1960's ranch
Comments (14)I think that some of the suggestions wouldn't be an improvement and suggest that you think about whether those changes will enhance the home's appearance and period details. The dark stripes of the shutters add interest to the facade from a distance and I don't think I would change them unless you are going to add similar wide dark trim. The glass brick are appropriate to the architecture and were common in that time period, so unless you want that to be a window that you can look out, don't change them. Similarly, the wrought iron porch supports are typical to the time period, so unless they really bother you keep them. On the other hand, I don't like the jalousie windows and consider them to be more common on beach houses and back porches, not on windows to the main house, so I would switch them out. The low wall doesn't bother me since it is so low, but if you don't like it, I don't think removing it would be an issue as long as doing so won't damage the porch or house. I think replacing the door with one more in keeping with the house's architecture would be nice, and painting it something that contrasts with the masonry while still coordinated with the house would look good, so rich deep brown or black, or a shade like the brightest brown in the masonry, or even some shade of orange. The main issue to get an appealing entry is the plantings and walkway, both of which are currently narrow and cramped feeling. So I would move the walkway to a minimum of 5' from the garage so that you have room for a row of small shrubs underplanted with groundcover and a few bright flowers near the drive and where the walk turns toward the house. The walk should be at least 5' wide so visitors don't have to approach single file, and 6' would be better. You have a lot of different masonry surfaces going on already, so I would choose concrete to match the porch surface. I like the simple squared off shape of the walk and how it relates to the building, so I wouldn't change the shape or add curves. The current plantings seem rather random with regard to the architecture, so placement when you add plants will be important. Don't put plants that want to grow tall in front of windows, and center plantings with regard to architectural details instead of the current placement of being half in front of windows and masonry details. You don't say where you are in zone 6, and soil pH, texture, and moisture are different in Cleveland vs. New England vs. Oklahoma, so at this point it is difficult to make specific plant suggestions. You will want some evergreens for the backbone of the garden to provide year round interest. If your soil is acid and has reasonable drainage, look st some of the smaller and more densely growing members of the Heath family such as smaller Pieris or mountain laurel/Kalmia, heath/Erica, Heather/Calluna, or some of the smaller Rhododendrons. The Rhododendrons and Kalmia will tolerate a good amount of shade but the heaths and heathers like full sun. Other evergreens to consider with varying tolerance for shade include: Yew/Taxis which is your current plant, but has other shapes and sizes available and has the advantage of being very shade tolerant Junipers range from groundcovers to large trees and different cultivars have varying foliage colors, but like a good amount of sun Chamaecyparis has quite a range of foliage color and texture as well as plant size, depending on species and cultivar. Doesn't like all day shade, but tolerates a range of pH....See MoreNeed exterior design help for this 1960s split level ranch
Comments (5)Interesting - I like your theory about someone homesick for New Orleans LOL. As mentioned above, porch cant really be removed without leaving scars - and an overhang much deeper than the rest of the house, which would look funny. Can the balcony be used, does it make sense to open up a room to it? Part of its oddness is that its obvious that there is no door and cant be used. Whats going on under the porch, behind the hedge? Some kind of patio? You could remove the hedge, expand that and make it into useable attractive outdoor living space - framed in a border of flowering fragrant shrubs, 1 or 2 well placed ornamental trees (ie short, placed toward the side of the house), intermixed with perennials/bulbs. You could leave a few of the evergreens - its just the solid wall of them that is so unappealing. What are the rooms on the lower level - would any of those benefit by opening up to a patio? .... or maybe it could be an actual courtyard and by that I mean a professionally designed walled space which fits architecturally with your house.... not an ugly cheap privacy fence from Menards! But then that gets to be expensive too - probably more than just removing the darn thing! Otherwise, maybe just swap out the frilly iron work for something simpler/more linear, with strong horizontal lines as is fitting for this style/era. Also changing all the white to something less high contrast - would help de-emphasize it....See Moredianelu
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