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Landscape Design The Old House Design Dilemma

Old Brick Cottage Curb Appeal - No room for shutters, green metal

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

We purchased a property with this cute 3 bed 1 bath cottage looking home. I can't change the roof color, but I would almost like to whitewash the brick or find a way to make it look less plain.

This is an older pic so the bushes are higher towards the window. I am not sure if there is something I can do to help it out - shutters would be adorable, but there isn't room.

I hate the colors, so I think that is blocking me from being able to dress it up.

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Comments (5)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
I would start by adding a nice front porch across the whole front of the house nothing says cottage more that that. Nice furniture on the porch colorful is good. The go to work on creating a cottage landscaping. Painting the brick would be my last choice.A walkway from the street to the front door with maybe a short fence on either side of an arbour. Google cottage gardens that is where I would go for the landscaping part.
njmomma
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Not a Pro.

The house nearby looks like it is a light color, why would you do the same.......

To me it looks a little mid-century modern. :-)

To help it look a little cottage. Add color.

I would add a small slate patio to the front of the home and add colorful patio furniture there. Making sure the cushions or the furniture match the green on the roof in small amounts. Maybe a lavender door, with two Green ceramic planters filled with colorful flowers.

A row of lavender instead of the green bushes will tie in the lavender Door.

I would not paint the brick.
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Pretty house. I would add trees and your yard looks big enough to support one or two large shade trees and some understory trees like Appalachian Spring dogwoods (they are disease resistant and the dogwood IS our VA state tree!) or some other flowering trees-can you tell I love trees? I just planted a Vitex (Chaste tree) which flowers in the summer and is oh-so-pretty. I agree that the columns could use some beefing up. You can do this easily by nailing up boards around the existing posts to form a larger box and then paint. To soften that huge expanse of white, maybe leave the edges white (you may want to add a wide trim piece across the bottom) and paint the center of the triangle a softer hue such a taupe or sage that is not a sharp contrast. I would also paint the door. Pick your favorite color! Then, after you live with that for a bit, choose your shutter color. I agree that window boxes are pretty, but they are difficult to maintain and I'm not sure they would really add to your house. One of the best things you can do is take your time. A lot of creative staring can help you decide what you would really like. It can also help you avoid impulsive mistakes and, believe me, I've made my share of those!!! Always remember, it's an adventure and you can go back and change anything. Have fun and enjoy your new place.
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I think a deep grape-purple front door would look great! Have you tried mocking it up using something like Photoshop? I find that a handy way to try out options - much easier than repainting things with a brush several times! I wouldn't be so keen on the picket fence - but that's partly because it's not part of the common venacular around here. I like the sweep of green but understand the urge to reduce the amount of lawn. I think, with a house with as much presence as yours, you should have an overall plan for what you want to achieve before you start putting things in piece-meal.
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Congratulations on the house. Wonderful tree. I'd start with a plan that emphasizes the tree and lays out other structure. Since you mentioned a fence... maybe a gate or trellis passage where the walkway dies off? Drop in some stepping stones between there and the road. Just to make the walkway ending like that be more sensible. I've seen it where there is just a bit of fence either side of the entry gate/trellis, but that partial fence relates to fencing on the side or in back. With back/side fence, tree, walkway and gate/trellis as the structure, coax grass along and plan out a few beds. Just a few to start. (We just pick a spot and lay a tarp down untill the grass dies off). Then dig in. Flats of annuals drop steeply in price partway into summer and will last a long time where you are. Snap up perrenials and other plantings when you can - ask friends and family if they need anything dug up and divided. Your tree deserves a wide circle of mulch (less grass to tend and makes the tree happy and healthy.) Our town has free mulch at the 'recycling center' aka the dump. I like someone's earlier idea of continuing the walkway around to the driveway too though.... hmmm. You may find it easier to tackle removing part of that 'walk to nowhere' than trying to work with it. A walk, even gravel, curving by the tree could be very nice.
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Wow, beautiful change! With the height you had to work with between the top of your doors and the sofits, you had plenty of options available. I like the porch you chose, and the bump-out on the bedroom windows. I find my eye first drawn to all of the light color paint on the bump-out, though, instead of to the porch. Would you consider using the trim color - the one on the shutters - for the body of the bump-out, and using the white or light color just on the triangle "roof line" and "belt line" of the bump-out, so that it mimics the garage on the other side, but does not grab the eye so much? Love the stonework, love the colors, and can't wait till spring to see the landscaping!
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njmomma
3 years ago
Looks how nice your home colors look with lavender. Green, brick, lavender.

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PRO
Yardvaark
3 years ago
I don't see anything objectionable about the brick color or patterns. It's a matter of choosing things to go with it.

I can't envision a porch across the whole front, so wonder what PCC has in mind for that. I can see a portico over the front door and window.

If there is a uniform hedge across that front, a window box below the small window would work.

Other than that, the whole yard needs to be looked at for landscaping potential. For the most part, it looks empty.
Katie B.
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
I actually really like your house colors. What about painting your window and door trim green? and of course landscaping will make the biggest impact.

similar post

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/4670102/what-goes-with-orange-brick

I don’t love the white soffit either, if you can paint that.

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