50's Ranch Curb Appeal
Our 50's added-onto-several-times ranch needs some curb-appeal help! It used to have blacktop up to the front door so last year we replaced that with concrete - vast improvement in functionality and looks. However, we can't figure out how to "ground" the house. The front porch roof definitely needs to be changed, and since we want the cottage look, we're thinking of something with brackets that attach to the house, using corrugated for the roof. Our dilemma though is the two different rooflines and how to do a porch roof that fits in with the bedroom sticking out. Our neighborhood has many homes with awnings, as does our end of town, and most look OK, but our doesn't. Also, I like window boxes, gingerbread trim, and wood shutters.
Was wondering what it would look like with a "sitting wall" in the front of the patio, with bushes planted against it?? I also like the "english garden" look and would like someplace to plant vegetables as part of the summer landscape, but don't want to have to bend over to do the work to maintain it! Any thoughts would be appreciated! We're also on a limited budget.
Comments (8)
User
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoJust a few basic ideas for beds ... I can’t do architecture, hopefully someone else will.
You said English garden and window boxes, so I tried to create that (my app choices are very limited). The first couple are more elaborate, but things you could do over time. I know walls/walks/borders can be pricey, but I’ve had good luck in the past finding free/cheap materials on my local Craigslist and other buy/sell pages (such as Facebook Marketplace). We once got a 3-horse stock trailer full of beautiful stone, from a stone yard going out of business and wanting it all gone. :)
These are just very general ideas, as I don’t know your growing conditions. I’d definitely try to find inexpensive stepping stones or pavers to have a walkway beyond your step. Click to enlarge.
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Comments (5)@visualizemaven Thanks for your response, and those photos are gorgeous! Love the earthy/industrial vibes and the stone. We might one day add stone to the bottom half of the exterior right below the midline trim, but it's looking like it's out of our budget for now. All we have planned at the moment is paint/roof/landscape. Metal roofs are very uncommon around here, but I'll look into it. Also appreciate your thoughts on colors; I'll admit that I'm a bit color-challenged. Any ideas on what would be better?...See MorePlease Help! Exterior update 50's lake ranch- siding/roof/appeal
Comments (13)Curious as to what you ended up doing if you happen to see this comment. I am in the same situation except my door is in front and I’m not on a lake. I also have 1/2 of my house front entrance to huge garage that wont be moved. Thanks for answering if you see this and have time....See MorePlease help me update my 50s ranch.
Comments (37)Instead of replacing the black shutters, you could leave them off entirely and create a trim color a different way: You might consider painting your fascia and gutter and soffit and window frames and door frames a dark color you like and then painting the rest of the siding all one color -- a different, slightly lighter shade of the SAME color rather than inserting white or off white to highlight the height of the windows....See MoreHelp with 50s ranch landscaping
Comments (14)@gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9) - unless you have some type of credentials declaring you the top expert in MCM architecture , stating your definition is simply your opinion. This home does not seem to fit your criteria. I can't imagine anyone stating that this historic home, built by Frank Lloyd Wright for Frieda and Henry J. Neils in 1950 in Minneapolis is not an MCM home. "The house was designed in Wright's post-World War II Usonian architecture, with the goal of "affordable, beautiful housing for a democratic America." The L-shaped, one-story home's floor plan features a dominant living room and social and spatial separation into "active" and "quiet" areas.[4] The short side of the L consists of the "active" portion, centering on a living room with 17-foot (5.2 m)-high vaulted ceiling and views of Cedar Lake; the "quiet" portion is the long side ending in a three-car carport and has bedrooms as well as a gallery leading to a hidden main entrance. Here is another home built by FLW - "The Malcolm Willey House was built in 1938 in Prospect Park, Minneapolis. It is a modest, single family home and is regarded by some as the prototype for Wright's notable Usonian style houses." Not everyone bought a home built in an Eichler planned community, but many people built homes during the post war era that utilized the organic architectural ideals that are the cornerstone of MCM design....See MoreUser
6 years agodmclendineng
6 years agoAmanda T
6 years agoThis pic shows a pergola over the whole porch area, that would be pretty. Also, adding a railing to set off the patio would look nice, as well as painting the concrete a neutral, but complementary color. Patio furniture and lighting will help a lot too!
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6 years agolast modified: 6 years agodmclendineng
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