curb appeal help for this 1970s house
aimeemac
6 years ago
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Help! My 1970s home's exterior is having an identity crisis!
Comments (14)IMHO, the way to cure a houses identity crisis is not fight it, but let it be what it is! Which in your case is a handsome solid-looking midcentury modern... or lets say within the genre anyway, if not a prime circa 1959 specimen. Definitely has that cool ranchy kind of look and a lot of current fabrics, doors, furnishings, color palettes etc are straight out of MCM which means they would fit right in with your house. Not that you want to go over the top with making it into a time capsule or shrine to MCM style, but just let it influence/inspire your choices. This door fer instance : http://www.homedepot.com/p/Builder-s-Choice-36-in-x-80-in-Atlantis-3-Lite-Clear-Glass-Painted-Fiberglass-Prehung-Front-Door-with-Brickmould-HDX162460/204843729?&cm_mmc=Shopping|THD|B|0|B-BASE-D30+Doors|&mid=ex1mxG05|dc_mtid_8903vry57826_pcrid_73667292101367_pkw__pmt__ Sorry, but adding early 1900s craftsman brackets and other elements would add to an identity crisis, not cure it .... As for color, people were not afraid of color then! OK, so you might not want to go vibrant brick red, or avocado green, or chocolate brown but even if you prefer something more contemporary, ie really grayed out or neutral, at least go darker and richer to give it a more solid look as well as fit in better with your beautiful woodsy natural setting. Re symmetry, agree its not necessary..... but it should and I think does have a well balanced look. as I recall from (long ago) design courses there is formal balance and informal balance - both are good, and again I would just go with the original design intention.... if it works, why mess with success? The garage on left nicely balances window arrangement on the right, IMHO....See More1970's ranch with little curb appeal
Comments (28)Your house is nice looking. It does need better landscaping. More on that later. As viewed from the street your roof is prominent. That means you can't go cheap on roofing. What you have now is not attractive. I don't know how many more years it will last but when it needs replaced I suggest architectural shingles in a darker shade.It will make a big difference. At that time you could replace the gutters on the front. They just don't look right. If you think you might make changes to the roof line that would be the time to do it. Actually I do not suggest making changes of that sort unless done for a functional reason. It is not a cost with good return on investment. Looking at your stoop I have to wonder how risky it is to change the bulb in the outdoor light. It needs to be wider as mentioned above. A path to the door would be very appealing. It looks like you live in a semi rural area with no sidewalks. How often would the path be used? You will have to decide if it is worth spending the money. I would make an enlarged stoop a priority over the path. What you have now is small enough to look ridiculous. It looks like you have some nice plants. They are not placed well and are possibly too close the the house. Relocate them spacing as suggested by Yardvaark earlier. Perennials will help the bed look more filled in while the shrubs take the time to grow. Some conifers grow slowly. Don't plant shrubs in front of the stoop or next to the steps. Shrubs need room to grow and you don't want them crowding the entrance. It would be worth investigating the cost of a retaining wall on the left side so the lawn could be more level. In the example above I am picturing the top terrace as being your lawn. Here is another area with a patio on the higher tier and lawn in the lower tier. You would have real steps instead of the silly bits of lawn. ^last one You might want to remove the lawn from the area nearest the road. It looks dangerous to mow and would be more attractive with ground cover which can include prostrate shrubs. Here is an image I borrowed from another site. It looks to me as if you could get a wider door and have a solid window to the left of it as opposed to a prefab sidelight. In doing so the door is much closer to being centered. What you have now is nice in my opinion and suits the house. I only suggest if it really bothers you that the gable is not centered. I am not a skilled artist so my mock up is very basic. I see that I did not make the stoop wide enough. It should extend equally from center and I know a handrail is needed too. If no one else mentioned it, a larger light fixture would be a big improvement. It looks like you just have an exposed bulb right now. On the right side I have two recommendations. First that you plant a tree that will stay smallish about 15 feet off the corner of the house. I would also suggest a row of broad leaf evergreens to eventually screen the view of the neighbor on that side.They came out looking columnar which I am not suggesting. Choose any shape you like. Do not add dormers. Do not paint the brick. Do not watch Fixer Upper....See MoreIdeas to update & add curb appeal - 1970s home with neo-mansard roof?
Comments (7)Extend a welcome! Develop a planting bed extending from the front walk across the front of the house along the bow window. Include low shrubs, groundcover, and colorful perennials for year-round interest. Reserve a small area dedicated for flowering annuals for a pop of color (see below). Consider integrating an additional focal point near the entrance. For example, you could draw attention and enhance the arrival experience with a small bubbling fountain or lovely piece of sculpture. Add a bench or chair for a welcoming touch and a spot from which to enjoy your yard. Photo Gallery Layered plantings...See More1970’s Raised Rancher curb appeal help
Comments (53)Iron ore or even the urbane bronze will both look fine w/a brown roof because these are brown based colors wait and decide on a door color after everything is done. The hale navy would also be a great choice. if you do that, I'd pick a brighter green. that last green door color is as dull as dishwater! with the Romabio, you don't have to use the Classico. They have the Masonry 'paint' that you can have tinted to any color. it will give you a slightly heavier coverage than the lime wash so grab a sample of the classico, and and the masonry (have it tinted to whatever color you want or use the romabio standard colors,,,see chart below) and try them out to see what looks best. The masonry paint is permanent, but the classico can be hosed off within 72 hours. https://romabio.com/masonryflat/ I think they do have some of their stock colors though. This one is masonry Flat, and it's the Richmond White color This is the Beige on the Classico. I wouldn't use this color. it's too beige!...See Moreaimeemac
6 years agoemmarene9
6 years agoYardvaark
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoSigrid
6 years agoer612
6 years ago
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