Stumped by 1970s Colonial. Help!
We had architectural plans for redoing the entire house, including adding reverse gables & a portico, but it turned out to be cost prohibitive. Now we are stumped as to what to do to the house to make it more attractive. The budget is healthy, just not limitless. We think we should do a new roof, windows, siding, trim, front door, gutters, soffits, column wraps to beef them up, porch (the brick is buckled up), new driveway w/belgian block edging, garage door, stair case to side door, & landscaping. If we plopped everything where it is now it'll look better, but probably not great. What bothers us most: the excessively linear nature of the house denoted by the pent roof, the way the front door/1st fl is buried under the large header, and the placement of the 2nd fl windows. We'd like the house to have more dimension/interest. I'm also not in love w/the shutters. Our style is transitional/modern farmhouse. Would black/bronze fiberglass windows (Marvin Integrity) paired w/red cedar polymer shake (Cedar Impressions) be out of place? Are there cost effective ways to improve the curb appeal and break up the long line of the house? Also are there any good apps or online designers/architects who will do a mock up to show us the potential for a reasonable price? I've only seen apps for changing the color. Thank you!
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1970s contemporary home help, websites blogs ideas?
Comments (13)Madelyna and olychic, then you know what im up against here! Daisy, leafy, pirula (is that a type of cookie?) Thank you for suggesting the pure style home blog, it's exactly the sort of thing that I was asking about! I will spend some time this evening browsing through it and the site you posted Awm, and the northcrest site, thank you palimpsest. Patty cakes, I have searched for 70s contemporary and 70s remodel on houzz, but had few hits, I'll follow your search suggestion and broaden my search a bit. Mj lb, my house is a two story with a walk out basement (so effectively three stories from the back) with some lovely : / diagonal cedar siding on part of the front with a small, slightly inset front stoop. I'm just flummoxed about where to go from here....See MoreHelp! 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 More1970s Main Floor Remodel: Kitchen
Comments (3)that is a heap of stuff. could you maybe break this into a couple of different questions? maybe it will seem less exhausting in the morning, but right now... maybe one thread per room?...See MoreHelp! Windows for Exterior Reno of our newly purchased 1970's Split
Comments (10)It looks like there is general agreement that the proposed approach by your architect is not the right one for this house. Without knowing more about what would be affected on the inside of the rooms whose windows are being changed, it is difficult to be very directive, but once again, the general idea here is to think about going wider not taller and keep the panes clear, not divided. In a bedroom, there must be an egress, so the style is somewhat dictated by fire code. You need a big enough opening for a human to get in or out. Budget considerations may affect your decision here. Bright white trim combined with your stone is never going to look right, so consider painting the wood trim that cases the unpaintable window frames a transition colour like BM Revere Pewter that will blend with your stone better and still be light enough not to make the white unpaintable parts look too stark. Some additional colour ideas are contained below. Re: your front door, I'm wondering if the sidelights are amber as many were in the 70s. If so, change out the glass first into an obscured but translucent option and see if that solves your lighting issue with the entry. If it still isn't enough, put a some glass in a new door but make sure it is consistent with the era of the house. (some examples shown below.) As others have mentioned, landscaping will also make a dramatic difference. I'm guessing you're in bug country or there would already be an outdoor patio on the outside of the sliding doors of your sunroom. If not, make sure that is part of your landscaping plan. Good luck with your project!...See More
PROPatricia Colwell Consulting
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoI love the long line of the house iy gives it presence on the property Awalkway to the house should always be visible to lead you to the front door even if it curves back to the driveway if it has to.Modern farmhouse is what you could do easily with this house I would leave the siding you have if it is in good shape aint it white add black metal framed windows, for sure get rid of all the shutters add windows on the 2nd floor if you want and then tackle the landscaping.
uesgrl thanked Patricia Colwell Consultinguesgrl
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
PROYardvaark
6 years agoI think there is not as much to fix as you do. The existing planting brings negative vibes ... especially across the porch where it helps make sure of the squinting appearance the facade gives. (I like a beefy header as I think it helps with the overall appearance of strength of the house.) There is not so much a reason to obscure the porch as there is to make it inviting, as a gathering place. As pointed out, a visible walkway (that allows plenty of space for foundation plants) would help.
Excuse the drawing as I had to do it with a mouse (yuck!!!!) It's just for the general idea of how a few small "trees" would help get rid of the long straight lines and add some 3-dimensionality. And how opening up the porch area would make it look more inviting.
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PROFelicity N. Davis
6 years agoThe landscape is part of the issue, but I think your biggest problem is the size and placement of the second story windows. Look at these farmhouse pics:
What if you got rid of the shutters and replaced the windows with more proportional ones:
or
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