Help!! Updating the exterior of this ugly rock covered ranch!!
Emily L
6 years ago
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Help updating the exerior of a 1951 ranch
Comments (91)Interesting thread! I have a 1951 ranch-style home (called bungalow where I live) but it's aluminum siding not brick. I like the idea someone posted, of planting boston ivy. We did that on our 1903 brick home, which was a big, solid-looking square - ivy softened the look. Another point - I LOVE to paint, and have painted the back of my home a different colour (grey/blue) than the front (taupe). So the OP could do different trim colour on the back to see if he likes it. I took the shutters off my house - although "period" for the time, they are not functional and I hated them. Finally (!) my SIL, who is a painter, suggested that I paint the eavestroughs the same colour as the roof, so they blend in. I also painted the downspouts, the same colour as the siding. White downspouts just make people notice something not decorative, in my opinion....See MoreNew Ranch! BUT ugly front porch awning.....exterior paint and col
Comments (34)Congrats on your new home! It will be charming. I think the awning spoils the lines of the house, and doesn't let you see the interesting angles of the brickwork. I would take it down. However, if you think it is really of benefit and you want to keep it, I would paint it the same color as the siding OR the same color as the roof. I would also paint the brown wood the siding color - it makes the front windows feel like they are sitting in a hole, and doesn't really do anything special for the house. I would also love to see you take out those bushes in front of the porch. They really date the house, and exposing that brick and stone would give the front porch more substance. A wider, curved bed in front of that with low plantings would be nice, and then perhaps a larger evergreen on the left corner of the porch. A second curved out bed in front of the left half of the house, perhaps a birdbath in the middle of the bed, and then a small tree of some kind on the left outside corner of the house, but a bit away and in the final curved planting area out even a bit more into the yard there. The ironwork is also a dated look, but I don't know if you want to replace that right now. Personally, I might take out the pieces in between the vertical posts, and open up the front porch even more. I think I would leave it white, like the rest of the trim on the house. Finally, I would think about a strong accent color for the front door. A rich navy would be very pretty, and a good transition between the cool grey tones in the roof and the warmer yellows and oranges of the brick and siding....See More1960’s Mid Century Ranch Update Help
Comments (7)On the exterior, I find the dark outlines around the windows distracting. Anytime you have stone on the facade the answer for a paint color is to choose one from the stone. That should give you many choices as natural materials have a variety of colors in them. If you want more specific suggestions you need to post a picture of the stone from a distance of 6-10 feet in good light. But I don't think you need to have multiple colors on the exterior. One color with the stone will be perfect. You can have the front door pop if you want. There are many interesting period appropriate colors you could use. On the interior, I think the ceiling will be more appealing once the walls are painted. They are a nice original feature. The wood walls on top of it were too much, so good call on removing them. The kitchen looks original (I lived in a house built in the '60's as a child and the cabinets were just like this), so leave it alone for now. If you need to replace appliances along the way I would buy SS to gradually replace the white ones....See MoreExterior Update - Gables on an 80's Brick Ranch
Comments (14)I don't see any new colors that I like better than what you already have. Part of the charm of your house is how it rambles and sprawls a bit, and the eye travels to take it all in, so I would be wary of drawing sharp accentuating dark lines on it. Definitely don't cut down those amazing trees, they make the house look modest, unpretentious and tied to nature, which another part of the charm of the house. Don't get shutters if you don't want them but if you ever feel they'd be an asset, functional ones would be the way to go. Yes, they would be irregular (on some of the windows I would only do one shutter on one side) but maybe you'd never, so.... I think the vast expanse of lawn is very nice for your house. I could see bluebells and wildflowers scattered throughout it, and a low key field of something at the right eide of the house, maybe something along the pathway to the garage (does that get any sun?) Ornmentals and foundation plants might compromise the relaxed simplicity of the scene and suburbanize the look You have a house under the trees in a lake of green.... Might be nice to define the driveway-end of the walk to the front door with a very simple lantern/post marker....See More
Jennifer K
6 years ago
PROWindows on Washington Ltd
6 years agobossyvossy
6 years agomainenell
6 years agosaratogaswizzlestick
6 years ago
Jane Gray
6 years ago
apple_pie_order
6 years agoEmily L
6 years agoJennifer K
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agohere's the original and then with putty and with brown:
I would change the white door and bench to something slightly warmer too.
suezbell
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agosuezbell
6 years agoEmily L
6 years ago
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