Ranch House or MCM? Facade needs help to improve curb appeal
We have a SoCal 1970s single story house with what I think is called a skillion/shed roof over the garage, dining room, and kitchen; and a gabled roof over the bedrooms and most of the living room. The house also has board and batten siding with bricks around the base and on part of the facade. I think the house has no curb appeal at all, but we bought it because it's in a great neighborhood for kids. We really want to improve the facade, but don't know where to begin. I've done lots of research, but I still don't even know if our house is a ranch or a midcentury modern house because of the skillion roof. It seems like a weird combination of style elements to me. And I personally think it's just ugly.
I would love any suggestions regarding how to improve the facade. We won't change the roof line or roof color (new roof and solar two years ago), but would consider painting the house, painting the bricks, pulling down the battens and stuccoing, removing/replacing the column attached to the exposed rafter tails, moving/adding window(s) to the gabled side (two bedrooms are behind that wall), adding shutters, etc. I'd love to figure out some way to visually attach the two "cleaved" halves of the house. (It looks like it was cut in half when looking at it from street level; this photo is elevated.) Others with our floorplan and roof line have cut off the exposed rafter tails, but I don't think that alone helps much. I'd like to have a new paint scheme that adds interest (accents and maybe multiple colors for the base). You don't really see our front door from the street, which doesn't help. We will definitely replace our ancient garage door, but the design we choose will be dependent on how we change the facade. We want to work with experts to nail down the design, but want to at least educate ourselves on what options might look good. New landscaping will be next after the house is done.
Also, how would you describe our house? L shaped ranch? U shaped ranch? Why the skillion roof with a ranch style? Thanks for any help or advice you can offer!
Comments (22)
PROGravitas
3 years ago
kendallinsd
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Need curb appeal help for a 60's ranch style house.
Comments (9)Could you add a couple of photos that show a bit more to the property lines left and right so we can see everything currently in the front yard? I would make the garage doors and all the trim around them the same color. You don’t want to be drawing attention in that area. The area around the front door I would make brighter with color and good lighting. The shrub in the lawn looks a bit unkempt and isn’t placed with any apparent logic relating it to anything else in the yard, so I would likely move or remove it. I would want something a couple of feet tall and rounded in the bed of purple groundcover as well as in a pot between the porch and garage.. The walkway and steps look pinched, so widen the steps and make the walkway wider. Change the placement of the walkway a bit to swing out a bit further from the house if you want to place a plant in the ground rather than a pot between the garage and the porch....See MoreHelp needed to improve curb appeal for my new house!
Comments (14)I love your house. I imagine it is quite old since it built so close to the road. I like the shutters on either side of the door, but would get larger lanterns. I would remove all the foundation plantings along that front side of the house so you can have a nice wide walkway. Then I would add steps to the right side of the entry so you can walk straight to the mailbox. Instead of the iron railing I would do a Chippendale wood one. This company fabricates them. Here is a modified one with square spindles. I can see your house with color. These are from Benjamin Moore's Colonial Williamsburg Collection"...See MoreHelp need ideas for curb appeal for my modern midcentury ranch
Comments (15)I would change the siding to horizontal (to echo the lines of your house - I think vertical just would not look right except a small area around the front door to set it off) When you re-side, look at adding a little bit wider framing around the door and windows. You will want to paint the trim, downspouts, gutters all the same color - black would look good, white will work also. Pick a bold color for your front door (storm door too) although black is good there also. For sure, take out all those shrubs. It looks like you could keep the stone walls, but perhaps add a smooth top, like large cement look pavers. Or if it is even possible, once all the other changes are made and then you don't think the stone looks right, add a cement paver facing to the front of the wall. Low growing, ground cover juniper or similar evergreens would look good behind the wall. What am I seeing at foundation level on the house? Are those windows?...See MoreHow can I improve curb appeal on my funky ‘60s ranch?
Comments (28)I like your house. The landscaping is something you can do yourself if you are willing. It does not have to be complicated. It needs a deeper planting bed and I suggest another tree. The shade provided by the current tree is good. I can't tell if it had grass or groundcover beneath it. There are some plants that work in dry shade. Here is where I suggest another tree. Crape Myrtle would be good there. Some get large so be sure of the cultivar if you like this idea. When you can I suggest extending the steps at least on the left side and all the way across if you can afford it. If you don't love the iron supports remove them. Perhaps you can use them indoors if you like MCM. Otherwise find a home for them. They will be wanted. As Simplynatural shows above there are plenty of plants that can live and be attractive in your setting. What is show is just a suggestion of where plants could go. You need at least two shrubs. Regarding shutters, it may be true they are not part of MCM design and yet many of the houses in my neighborhood had them where I grew up and they were custom homes. If you heart is set on shutters then have them. I reconsidered the path to the street when I noticed you have no sidewalk. I think the money is better spent on enhancing the entrance landing or apron, not sure what it is called. I have no skill at images but I hope the descriptions helped. I almost forgot, do you have a porch light or over garage light?...See Morekendallinsd
3 years agokendallinsd
3 years ago
Daisy S
3 years agohoussaon
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoI like you house and I think the style is very MCM.
How about painting the siding a color that is close in value to the beams and brick? I did a mock-up in brown, with super dark brown on the beams, but it could be any color.
One example of a garage door.
Midcentury Home · More Info
Another garage door.
Martis CAmp Lot 584 · More Info
Yum, this is a striking blue, slightly purple.
Balmoral House · More Infokendallinsd thanked houssaon
Katie B.
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoYou could easily live right by me. I have a few neighborhoods of homes like yours nearby...I love driving through to look at the transformations. People have done every style you can imagine...cape cod, farmhouse, mcm, modern mediterranean, etc. etc.
There‘s one where they removed the rafter tails to open it up. Some engineering was involved, for sure. It looks kind of like this:
Two big pillars and one cross beam (probably not the correct terminology).
kendallinsd thanked Katie B.kendallinsd
3 years ago
PROBeverlyFLADeziner
3 years agoI think this would be a good example for siding and color for your home. The plantings around your home should be more casual in appearance though. Lots of Agapanthus & other perennials.
I'd consider limewashing the brick so it appears less heavy visually
Garden and plants like you see below.
Katie B.
3 years agoMe again!
Love what celery and Beverly posted.
here’s another I’ve seen that was an impressive update of your style home. Sorry for the weird photo...I had to try to photoshop two poor driveby phone photos together. But you get the idea. This might give you some ideas for your entry and mending the roof.
you also mentioned windows...you could add a second window on the left side...modifications like that start turning into $$$ though.kendallinsd
3 years agoKatie B.
3 years agoYou can do board and batten with cedar plank. I’ve seen this in my ‘hood as well.
Or incorporate it with your doors
User
3 years agoit's MCM for sure, and that roofline has a really great shape. I love it.
I think a new coat of paint and a new garage door would go a long way. maybe wrap the brick pillar under the pergola with wood (or if that brick pillar has a veneer: remove it).
do that and the new landscaping, and I think it'll look really great!
bonus points: what is that front room? putting in a giant floor-to-ceiling window would really give it that midcentury wow factor, but of course that would be impractical if it's a bedroom.
if it IS a bedroom, what would you think about replacing the window with big sliders and adding a small seating area there?
kendallinsd
3 years agokendallinsd
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoKatie B.
3 years agoUser
3 years ago
Celery. Visualization, Rendering images