Please help me update my rental home’s exterior!
We live in a rental home and after 9 years we’ve finally gotten the go-ahead to make some changes to the exterior. Unfortunately, we can’t paint the brick; just the trim, door, and shutters.
I’m leaning towards a sage-ish gray with white trim. A few that I liked include Comfort Gray, Escape Gray, Svelte Sage, Softened Green, and Acacia Haze. (All SW) But I’m new to all this and it is not my wheelhouse at all. So what would YOU recommend to give the front of this rental home a face lift?
Comments (17)
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Please help me with an exterior update including paint!
Comments (3)Thank you very much...some pretty colors to think about! I'm also really hoping someone with remodeling knowledge has some ideas for changing the look of the house itself a little. I just keep looking at it and can't seem to think of what could be done. Anyway, thanks again! Really appreciated....See MoreExterior Update {Help Please}
Comments (10)There is a big difference between updating -- upgrading the look of something to contemporary standards -- and "modernizing" -- changing the look of something to a modern style. Given that the house is more or less traditional, I'm thinking that you're after updating, and not modernizing, as the former is more or less tweaking, and the latter, in this case, would be radical remodeling, i.e., expensive. I disagree with your dislikes. From what I can see, the siding color is decent ... decent enough it could be worked with. Likewise on the stone, there's nothing seriously rubbing me the wrong way about its color range or the particular style (unlike many poorly installed, orangey "flagstones.") The roof looks aged but that's not something most people want to run out and change for cosmetic appearances alone. Usually, one would wait until it's time for re-roofing and then change to an upgraded look. Do whatever else you do based on a new, future roof selection. The landscaping sucks. We can only see a portion of it and don't know if the arborvitaes continue across the front yard. If they do, the intention of creating privacy in the front yard is apparent. If it's your doing and you wish to continue that scheme, then you've automatically got strikes against improving the street appeal -- how the front yard appears to those who arrive and to those who pass by. I'm thinking maybe the screening was installed by a former owner since you seem to be dissatisfied with the overall street appeal and unwelcoming quality of the home. The screening would be part of that. If you maintain screening, you need to more or less create a new outdoor "entrance" and make it look inviting and welcoming. Then, you need to lead people from there to the house entrance via an inviting path. While they are not clearly shown in the picture, it seems that there are low branching trees smack in front of the house. This is sure not going to look welcoming. It's going to look neglectful. You've got to limb them up so that there is a view beyond them to the house. While the very large rocks are nice in and of themselves, they are not appealingly used. They need to be incorporated into a new scheme. The gravel mulch is not pretty. I'm not saying that gravel mulch can never be pretty, but the way it's used here is not. It may be useful somewhere in a new way, but not as a border to the concrete drive. Through a side glance, it almost looks as if it's where the edge of the drive busted up to the extreme. It should immediately read as something more distinctly intentional. It looks like it could be a cute house. I would start by changing the cold, battleship grey of the garage door to a tone that is more or less the overall tone of the stone wall, trying to make is fade in rather than stand out as a separate element. I would still use the white trim, though. Also, I'd upgrade the top panel of the door to one that had a bank of plain windows across it. It would get rid of it's "military installation" look (too much plainness.) I can't give you any graphic feedback based on the picture as it is not centered and of the whole front yard. If it was, there would be far too many things in the way of the view....See MorePlease help decide how to update our exterior 1964 side split
Comments (20)I think a regular shingle roof would be more appropriate for the house. Metal is kind of country and more expensive. I think if you do a garage on the side, the roof line has to stay in concert with the house too....See MoreNeed help with exterior style and color updates please!
Comments (2)Do you like a front patio I would not . IMO a new garage door in wood with windows , I like grayed / greens with brick this is one of my faves for color anew front door to match the siding and you could do something like the garage door in the pic I love a walkway from the street to the front door and in your case it would be awesome through those trees . Then a new landscape plan and I would not do a front patio and my bet not HOA approved either...See MoreRelated Professionals
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6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago- 6 years ago
Lovely house! If I were doing this house, I would just remove the shutters. Paint the front door a glossy deep navy. The foundation plantings need to be cut back to below the windows.
HU-113831419 thanked houssaon - 6 years ago
PROHU-113831419 thanked BeverlyFLADeziner- 6 years ago
It’s like the Houzz magic fairy read our comments because my landlord sent power washers over yesterday! Here is how it looks now:
IDK why the pics are zoomed in and cut off but hopefully you get the idea. While it does look cleaner, the difference in color isn’t that drastic, at least not to my eye.
- 6 years ago
How about a deep glossy red door? I would still like to see the shutters gone and the foundation hedge cut back by hand at least 6 to 8 inches. (It won't look good at first but it will grow in fine and show more of the window.)
HU-113831419 thanked houssaon - 6 years ago
- 6 years ago
- 6 years ago
Here is a mock-up with sage. (Benjamin Moore has about 15 colors they call "sage.")
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoI also vote no shutters.
Please don‘t take what I’m about to say the wrong way : ) ...
Yes your home is old, and all the other homes in your area may have shutters....however your home was never designed to have shutters. You can tell by the placement and design of the windows. While shutters can act as eyebrows for your windows, the original purpose was to “shutt”. If visually you can’t shut and open the shutters it will look off, and therefore, wrong. Bellow I illustrated what your shutters would need to look like if they propperly fit your windows:
See what I mean. Every shutter needs a window, but not every window needs a shutter.Your home won’t look “off” without them, they will look right. Your windows on your first level are wood, leaded, and original- let those shine!
Now, as far as trim and door color...I’m pegging you home between 1910-1920....possibly early 1930?? When choosing trim and door color, go historic. I went and did some quick research for you on archive.org. You can also find historic colors at any local paint store. If you design your homes exterior in the era it was intended, it will never look dated.
Yes, many of these colors seem bright (not everything was pastel back then as we usually think...)
Also remember that your colors will be outside, bleached from the sun. Always go darker and more colorful than you think. Choosing your color outside will help :)
1920https://archive.org/details/TheMuraloCompanyInc.C1920
1910https://archive.org/details/RuekelBestQualityMixedPaint
1930This one is for galvanized iron, but it could still easily be applied to your door and trim.
https://archive.org/details/GalvanumForGalvanizedIronTheOneOutstandingPaintNotedForItsAbility
Here are two examples of historic homes with proper color pallets, see how they come to life!
Notice while this home from 1929 has shutters, visually they can all close.Hope that helps, and good luck!
HU-113831419 thanked Lucy- 5 years ago
BeverlyFLADeziner