Help! Need ideas on windows & exterior reno of 1980's farmhouse.
We bought a little coastal farmhouse a few years ago, (no view), and our tenant moved out so we have been starting to renovate it this year. While I have a lot of ideas for the interior, (it's already open plan,) I'm stuck on what to do with the exterior to make it the cute little house I know it can be. We plan on replacing the windows in 2021, and I would love to get additional ideas on window styles/colors, as well as any other design input for the exterior, and even the land around it. We were excited to buy it as it seemed like a "blank canvas", but now I seem to be stuck on the "blank" part. Help!
Comments (9)
Sammy
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Help... Ideas for dark farmhouse exterior color?
Comments (32)I'm delighted you will track down Alexander's book (A Pattern Language). You will find it has much useful to say about designing inter-generational living within the same spaces. It starts (at the outset of the book) to describe principles that apply to community and even regional planning design. It progresses steadily down to individual site and building principles, while relating them back to larger ones where necessary. I always suggest people read a few of the earlier ones, then skip backwards toward the level of detail that fits their stage in the process. The book takes a bit of mental effort to work out how it's organized, but it richly repays that effort. If I might suggest this: Get a copy of the book, and spend some time reading it before you go ahead with your current plans. .Just set aside a weekend to study it. If there are two of you making these design decisions, then get two copies so each of you can wander about in it simultaneously, if time is short. Many of Alexander's ideas are quite revolutionary - and hard to retrofit in a standard iteration of the city (or suburban) family-moves-to-the- country farmhouse design like you have posted. It's not that you won't wind-up with a farmhouse in the end, but it will be palpably different, and I think much more satisfactory to live in. Regarding sustainability: while I applaud anyone who is interested in producing some of their own food, don't confuse interest in your own flock and gardens with actual sustainability. It far too easily becomes a bunker mentality of we will have food, never mind if our actions have contributed to others' lack of options. Growing enough food for your own family is not the sustainable path. A sustainable life is more about making sure (in so far as humanly possible) that each of your personal choices does not over-consume the scarce - and growing scarcer - resources we have. It's a different set of choices for different people, in different stages of life and regions and circumstances. But it never is a unitary focus on making sure your family will prosper separately from the other families in this world. Sustainability is always about community. If you are nagged by your conscience about the size of your house, then shrink it. Or design it so it can be enlarged down the road if the initial footprint is too small. Starting too big is much more likely to curtail your choices in the future, than starting smaller and growing the house as (or if) needed. Your options will be more flexible, and more sustainable, with a smaller building. L ....See MoreExterior update. 1980s wide trims.
Comments (10)Like the idea of a pergola on the back -- something more structured ton which to hang your lights. The color blocking mentioned by Patricia Colwell Consulting -- sorta like exterior accent walls -- would certainly help break up the monochrome back wall -- perhaps the center part left/by the chimney and the chimney as well. Your house white with black -- black for the color blocking, trim and metal exterior lights could look really good (though I suspect the striking black garage door might work better on a lower level rather than up front and center on the main house level; however, I'm no pro). Perhaps someone in this discussion could photo shop a pic of the black/white options with a black garage door for you. (I really would like to learn how to do that.)...See MoreAwkward 1980s master suite layout redesign help!
Comments (2)Edit 2: In the 2nd pic, the 3rd idea about putting an office nook in place of the current closet would be similar to this: https://www.houzz.com/hznb/photos/my-houzz-1896-victorian-home-gets-a-contemporary-lift-eclectic-home-office-san-francisco-phvw-vp~20898749...See MoreLooking for help on our master bathroom reno - 100yr old farmhouse
Comments (20)Thank you both Valerie and Denise! I really appreciate you time and help and insights. For the water issue, I think I can add a vent in the ceiling in the room below for the vanity piping which could take care of that issue. Denise, would you be willing to take your layout and shift the 48x60 shower straight down to the bottom RH corner and make it an alcove style with a wall on the top? We have vent piping that goes through the roof in the upper right corner. and then create a cabinet in the space on the upper right corner that extends into the available space ~16". We will lose some floor space, but I think it would be a nice compromise to some of the work arounds. I just tried to do a bit with my snipping tool, so no clue on how it would actually "fit" in the space....See MoreLorie M
3 years ago
PROBeverlyFLADeziner
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoI agree with Sammy. Could be the photo but it sure looks as though your ridge beam is sagging.
Lorie M thanked BeverlyFLADezinerLorie M
3 years ago
Debra Evalds
2 years agoYes, it's a ranch, but I get you want farmhouse style. Personally, I love that teal. If you aren't replacing siding, I would consider a combo of cedar tones and white trim. You could also trim the windows black, which is on trend now.
I know the stylish chose would be to remove that deck, as it does cut the house up, but if it is useful, could you trim differently to make it work with house more? Not sure how far down the rabblt hole you want to go on an investment property. Thinking the cheaper fix is black or deep gray paint (complimentary to roof) and do windows to match, OR strip deck rails to natural and stain cedar. The teal, cedar, and black combo is a good one. You could do the entry cedar to match stairs with black door. If you are thinking of ditching the deck it wouldn't hurt to play with paint.
Pics below...The big porch on the white house below takes the ranch to farmhouse. White with black windows is the expected farmhouse look, but I see it overdone in my coastal town. It was something new in 2018, but predict it will be dated in 10 years. Personally, I like a modern exterior, with the decking in scale to your house, or go classic. Hard to beat a true farmhouse look of white with green or red trim and a metal roof. .
Red house is a cool look for a ranch if you are redoing total exterior. Would work with teal.
BeverlyFLADeziner