Updating exterior of 1960's ranch
We plan to update the exterior of our home: new siding, gutters, soffits, roof. I am looking for ideas to give it a fresh, updated look. I am also looking for landscaping ideas- we plan to do that as well in the near future. The windows and front door are new- and yes we will be keeping the storm door as we like to open the front door and let fresh air in! I have included pictures of the exterior of the house as well as our recently remodeled interior so you can get a sense of our style. Thank you in advance!
Comments (7)
PROYardvaark
5 years agoSome things you could do...
- get rid of diamond motif
- expand the stoop, possibly creating wraparound steps
- expand the walk
- get a taller pole for yard light (lamp must be at least 3' over head.)
- limb up the tree
- expand the bed below the tree
- use a consistent shrub below each window, groundcover between
- color by entrance
- colorful perennial bed at house corners
- others will say no but I think you need window trim, therefore shutters.
- add windows to garage door.
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Comments (18)Oh wow Doug! Thanks for all the detail. Not gonna lie though, the reason we only have bushes is because I’m scared I’ll kill off other plants/flowers. Were on top of a hill and it seems like the sun is extra hot! Also when planting, its hard to dig up holes deep enough since theres rock underneath....See MoreHelp my 1960's Ranch get some street cred! (exterior remodel)
Comments (18)Really nice house and yard. Agree ... don't paint the brick; do wrap the porch post and do darken the garage door (if painted, it should be one of the darker colors in the brick. If it is in your budget to replace the garage door and front door w/wood MCM doors, do. You might also consider a short wood privacy fence in the same wood finish on each side of the house set in a straight line with the front exterior wall with a gate for access to the back yard on at least one side. You might want to paint the downspouts so they better blend with the most dominant color in the brick. Don't clutter the house attaching a lot of trim without actual useful purpose. Don't clutter the wide open spaces of the front yard. Instead, create a hedge beneath the windows on the left side and trim the tops in a straight horizontal line beneath the window sills. Outline the planting area for these with pavers with their tops at ground level to make mowing beside them easier. You could leave the row of shrubs alongside the driveway and add a sidewalk straight forward from your porch alongside the shrubs (on the side opposite the shrubs), thus creating an outlined planting area for the shrubs. Unless you truly like doing detailed yard work in the summer heat and winter cold -- or paying someone else to do it -- then primarily focus on creating the most healthy lawn possible rather than adding a lot of other planting areas to be tended....See More1960s ranch style exterior update
Comments (7)i like the first pic Celery posted. With the panels painted to closely match the brick. A question...do you intend on keeping the blinds closed on the two rooms on the right side? The white of them, compared to the dark glass of the open windows on the left is off. I wonder how your house would look with all the windows (with or without shades) the same basic color. When the window shades are unapplied, i do like how the windows look with the roofing. And i think if you were to go with that slate gray theme a little bit more it could look pretty special. Nice dark green ...even blue-tone shubbery/planting would finish that look....See MoreUpdating Exterior of a 1960s Red Brick Rambling Ranch
Comments (8)I think the house is very attractive, but I would want to amp up the landscaping. Is that a circular driveway or just a walkway? I guess either way, I would add some dimension by landscaping this side of the concrete where the grass is. Not all the grass, but an area close to the concrete. Create a bed (a large one the length of the house at least) with berms and ornamental trees and plants. None of these is ideal, but just to give you an idea of what I'm suggesting....See More
Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
5 years ago
Bkob
5 years ago
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoSince you are replacing the siding, consider adding thicker trim around the windows as opposed to shutters.
I am not sure that board and batten siding will be an improvement. It is a siding that tends to be country to my eye, and your style inside doesn’t convey that at all to me. I would play around with a photo of your house to see how it would look. All the examples shown have some other architectural details that step up the interest such as a porch or dormers, and I think the board and batten may not give you the appeal you anticipate.
I like the idea of a more attractive door for the garage. Look at a range of styles; I have seen ones with windows in a column down one side that might suit your home, a single door rather than the two doors in the photo link below.
Front · More InfoConsider replacing the screen door with a different style. I think a single panel without the dividing line in the middle is a more updated look.
Intervale Place · More InfoOr alternatively, use a roll up screen that pulls across when needed and is out of sight when not.
Updated light fixtures will help as well, by the garage, front door, and on the post. The one on the post should be at the end of the walkway, which might benefit from coming down along the drive a bit so that if a car is parked in front of the garage, the walk is still accessible.
Once all the exterior fixes are done to the building, then widen the walkway and steps and center the steps on the door, being sure that there is a large landing at both the top and bottom. Remove the pots around the steps now since they are making a narrow space feel smaller. If you want a pot to either side of the steps, plan space for that when you are redoing the steps.
I would enlarge the bed around the tree as in Yardvaark's sketch using more of whatever the current plants are if they seem happy. It is difficult to get new plantings established under a maple tree due to root competition, so I wouldn’t plan to change out what is currently there. The beds along the front of the house are currently far too small front to back and so look pinched, and I doubt that anything currently there is worth saving. I would repost about the landscaping when the exterior work on the house and entry path is done. To get good suggestions for landscaping, we need to know where you are generally and your USDA growing zone along with your goals for the yard beyond curb appeal (if any) and how much you enjoy spending time gardening. Some photos of front plantings you find appealing will help as well.
Bkob thanked NHBabs z4b-5a NH
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