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Exterior Landscape Design Design Dilemma

In need of some curb appeal suggestions!

5 years ago

Considering repainting our shutters and front door, replacing the lights fixtures and possibly updating the garage door in some way as well... Struggling to choose colors. Repainting the siding and the brick is NOT option at this time. This particular picture is a few years old. Those two bushes in the front are no longer there. We removed them and leveled out the ground to plant a garden of some sort. As of now that area of space is bare with just dirt. Open to any and all suggestions! Please and thank you!

Featured Answer

PRO

Yardvaark

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

Expand the walk. (If it has sunk, raise it so the step is not so high.) Plant a tree, a shrub and some groundcover.

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Comments (10)

PRO
Creative Visual Concepts, Kevin Strader
5 years ago
I immediately thought the shutters need to be painted the color of the front door and the front door needs to be painted the color of the shutters. You could also paint the garage doors the same color as the shutters, but leave the trim around them white, since the rest of your trim is white. I would remove and not replace the shutters on the double first floor window. Structurally it's not needed but an additional column on the front porch would look good. I would also add a bench, rocker, etc. to the front porch to make it look more inviting.

There are numerous other color schemes that would work. If you are interested in seeing some virtual makeovers of your home check my web site, Creative Visual Concepts
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This home needs curb appeal - suggestions?
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Comments (14)
forever I think the home has plenty of potential for exterior charm I would suggest: Remove all the shutters they are just the wrong dimension for the windows, they appear to be cheap & poorly installed as well the first level has 3 arches above windows & door perhaps an arched portico http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.finalarchitecture.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/elegant-portico-with-brick-walk-up-porch.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.finalarchitecture.com/entranceway-design-collection-from-colonial-remodeling-project/elegant-portico-with-brick-walk-up-porch/&usg=__VUutID-HZcCjwrx5bsZK-sV3F-w=&h=319&w=500&sz=83&hl=en&start=0&sig2=x4xhpisErBFcIm6OscckQA&zoom=1&tbnid=tDPG5NJXxW1k7M:&tbnh=128&tbnw=178&ei=1KOHTNXpM8H6lwe8xrixDg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbrick%2Bcolonial%2Bwith%2Barched%2Bportico%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1016%26bih%3D509%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=695&vpy=82&dur=5603&hovh=179&hovw=281&tx=188&ty=126&oei=1KOHTNXpM8H6lwe8xrixDg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0 Another portico http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://blog.redfin.com/washingtondc/files/2008/04/ramsgateroad.jpg&imgrefurl=http://factoidz.com/knowing-the-architectural-styles-for-remodeling-a-home/&usg=__znfWpicXIH5FcMQKQif8Qap8U2c=&h=300&w=400&sz=56&hl=en&start=0&sig2=ce1aqBvojfvdh1fTdD7dgQ&zoom=1&tbnid=Y7ikaaXsxk2lcM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=145&ei=1KOHTNXpM8H6lwe8xrixDg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbrick%2Bcolonial%2Bwith%2Barched%2Bportico%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1016%26bih%3D509%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C102&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=253&vpy=215&dur=895&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=133&ty=130&oei=1KOHTNXpM8H6lwe8xrixDg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0&biw=1016&bih=509 brick w/black front door & black shutters http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://philly.brownstoner.com/decbrickwork1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://philly.brownstoner.com/preservation/&usg=__Tlm_qAa7t1gfk7SifSv8Ac1OCP4=&h=364&w=500&sz=196&hl=en&start=348&sig2=iosMnAug8v-qHVYP7Wr-wg&zoom=1&tbnid=X_M8-ms_v5O2pM:&tbnh=174&tbnw=247&ei=iaaHTMmEIYPGlQf9p_iKDw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbrick%2Bcolonial%2Bwith%2Barched%2Bportico%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1016%26bih%3D509%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C17833&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=475&vpy=201&dur=3102&hovh=191&hovw=263&tx=121&ty=110&oei=1KOHTNXpM8H6lwe8xrixDg&esq=43&page=46&ndsp=8&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:348&biw=1016&bih=509 Remove the evergreen to the right - at least part of it, the part that is eating the house -is there house behind that? Trim the evergreen on the opposite side, it is now encroaching on the house. Someone decided to plant a tree way to close to the house in front, that soon will be eating up the front of the house - I would move that before it gets to large to move Make beds in front of the house with some mix of small evergreen types rhododendron, azalea and perennials Perhaps some type of facing over the existing front steps w/stone - if the concrete base is in good condition and install nice black wrought iron railing - Other black accents may work well too - urns - perhaps painting the front door black & then consider installing proper shutters best of luck
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Looking for some curb appeal, design ideas needed!
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Comments (3)
That's awesome! What do you call the plants beside the sunflowers and zinnias?
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Needs ideas for painting my garage door. Need some curb appeal.
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Comments (4)
Add some color to the entry of your home. Maybe even something under the windows to the left that are colorful, warm, inviting. The potted plants (the pots and the plants) on either side of the entry could bring some color and make things seem more inviting. Colorful pots near the garage entrance??? I agree with not changing the garage door. Does it need some more hardware to add some character (I can’t remember the details of the garage door at the moment)?
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Suggestions for giving this house some curb appeal
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Comments (5)
Landscaping would help a lot. You have a nice big area with some shrubs all bunched together on the right side near the garage. Depending on what they are, I'd remove them or at least some of them. I'd plant some additional flowers and or low growing shrubs there instead of the grass. I'd also plant some small flowering tree to mask that expanse of brick on the left. I'm guessing there is a matching window that we don't see. I'd get rid of the shutters on the larger windows. They are too small for the window size. Do you plan on painting the siding? The white really contrasts with the brick in a not good way. I'd paint the siding a different color that is more similar to the brick and the garage door the same color.
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littlebug zone 5 Missouri
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
How clean and welcoming Yardvaark’s mock-up looks! I’d follow his/her advice, and add a big pot of colorful flowers just to the side of the door.
Kate E
5 years ago
I think painting the front door to match the shutters is a great idea!
PRO
Norwood Architects
5 years ago
Garage doors with glazing (glass windows) always seem more appealing that those without. So, if you could replace the existing garage doors that should help. Is that a light fixture above the garage door? If so, replacing with something more appealing is my suggestion. Painting the front door is a good idea as right now it's not really visually present. Landscaping will certainly enhance. The porch column seems way undersized. It should be a relatively simple process to replace it with something more substantial. The span of the porch roof seems a bit long for just one column. Would suggest placing a second column that falls between the window and the entry door. That should help increase the prominence of the entry.
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
5 years ago
I would expand the walk as far as the side of the window nearest the door and replace the scalloped edging with a flush masonry mowing strip, brick to match the house if possible.

Notice in Yardvaark’s sketch that the plants in front of the porch are low. On the porch I would want a bench, a couple of chairs with a little table or a rectangular planter under the window. To match the tree framing the house on the left side I would add a similarly sized one to the right Of the garage. Plantings in the front bed should be a combo of flowering plants and evergreens so there is something of interest year round.. Some plants can fill both roles.

Right now your house has white, brick, blue-green and creamy yellow, which to my eye is too many different colors, some of which don’t work well together. I would likely remove all the shutters or at least the downstairs ones, replacing the uppers with shutters that are half the width of the windows.

For the long term, plan on painting the garage doors a midtone brown that you pull from the brick so they don’t stand out so much. Start saving to repaint the house a color that works better with the brick, either the same brown as the garage doors or a sage green. I would also look into getting a wrap that makes the porch pillar look more substantial. When you decide on the color of the house and garage door, then replace the lights and repaint the front door in colors that will work with the new paint scheme such as a bronze finish.

You have a cute house, it just needs a bit of tweaking to bring out its best.
PRO
Dig Doug's Designs
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
some ideas:
Kate E
5 years ago
Doug - what if she also painted the front door black? Too much?
PRO
Dig Doug's Designs
5 years ago
Black or other color door would not be too much.
PRO
Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
My rendering. I would not make garage doors pop up.

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