Exterior design dilemma; should garage doors blend/contrast w/ house?
I am remodeling a 1970's home. The house was not very attractive to begin with, but what's worse is that it was built perpendicular to the road (the "front" door is on the right side of the house in the photo).
Part of the remodel was cutting in garage doors into the existing full basement. So the part of the house facing the street is a plain A-frame with 2 garage doors on the bottom.
The plan was to go with a white or cream exterior paint color with some dark contrasting trim color, although I am not totally set on that idea. We just want the house to be warm and inviting.
I really don't care for garage doors right on the front of a house, but since they are there, I'm trying to decide if they would be more appealing if they were a color close to the exterior of the house to kind of blend in and be less noticeable. The alternative would be to have them a walnut wood-grain color to match the dark trim. The block foundation walls will get brick veneer that will be painted.
I thought I'd add some little pergolas over the garage doors at the end to hopefully add a little curb appeal, but any other suggestions on how to improve the "front" side of this home would be appreciated.
Comments (6)
PROPatricia Colwell Consulting
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Remodeling, please help design exterior of my house.
Comments (5)Wow, thank you little bug for the quick response! We're in Missouri too! Yes, the tree was leaning toward the house so we had it cut down right after moving in. I agree that the driveway is too much. We are hoping its in the budget to remove a large portion of it and create a c-shaped driveway with a landscaped berm in the middle to add a little privacy from the road. It is a private road with only a few houses, so not too much traffic! Thanks for giving your opinion on the gable, that helps a lot! We do tend to hang out in the back because of the pretty view. That's part of the reason for the remodel, to orient the main rooms more toward the back. It's south facing in the back and has hardly any windows on that side. Living room is currently in front of house, and bedrooms/bathroom on back side... Thanks again!!...See MoreExterior Paint Dilemma on '70s Tract home
Comments (35)@katinparadise the paint is finally complete! So below is the paint finish, but I still need a new door and lights. To be totally honest, I feel the body is a bit too light and the trim is way too white. I feel it should be somewhat creamier. But anything is better than what I had before. I’m thinking if I should have the trim repainted to not look so stark white... As for the door, I’m leaning on a steel foot that looks like wood. My painter suggests not getting anything dark as he says “will look like a big square dark thing”. What do you think? The carriage look is nice; not sure if I can pull it off since it’s wide for two cars. And I just went shopping for the light.... I think I’ll have a better idea once I install the door. thoughts?...See MoreBlending the house and garage exteriors
Comments (12)judfor1, what county are you in? I'm in Carroll. We have a lot of those garage additions which do not harmonize with the original brick or stone home (so much Butler stone around here!) The most successful additions have all the same roof color and similar features (windows, etc.) and a siding that is painted a color found in the stone. I like the suggestion of weathered gray. But otherwise, I would plan on Hardi and painting it a complementary color to the stone. I wouldn't worry about adding Butler stone to the garage. The only window that looks out of place to me is the large window on the right--it leans to MCM. If that is on the list of changes to be made, all the better. I like the 4 over 4 windows you have, it suits what I see in the older parts of Maryland. Classic door styles should be on the list as well--maybe even a Dutch-door. Good luck! We added a garage and LOVE it....See MoreExterior paint/ design ideas for traditional house w/ light brown roof
Comments (17)@calidesign Thank you for reference photos. I am such a visual person and those are so helpful. I hate the color of the rock, but at some point this home will become a rental, so I don't want to change things that don't need changing just to suit my personal taste. Appreciate your point of view. @misecretary Great and important question! Definitely more of a beige! I have added additional pictures above that hopefully give you a better idea of the color of the stucco and the rocks. The trim & windows are all the same color as the shutters. I am not sure if that should change in the future. @uoflcardfan77 Thanks Kevin! Great tip on the door. I will check your website out....See More
Denita
6 years ago
Denita