Want exterior update while maintaining brick...feeling overwhelmed
Home in need of trim paint for maintenance purposes...want to enhance the home without painting the brick even though seems to be the trend. Current trim color is SW Accessible beige. Morter a deeper beige. Dislike front entry garage doors and would like them to disaapper, but struggling to paint dark without adding some dark into windows. Existing window/trim are kind of skimpy so feel like needs to be one color. Do want to darken gutters/downspouts.
Will be removing "dental moulding" on front door cover...have considered removing colums too and replacing with something more interstesting. Need more intersteresting lighting as well. Open to all suggestions.
Comments (48)
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Floor Plan Update - Hubby wants a 2-story, but I hate stairs...
Comments (16)I'm a dissenter. This plan is NOT functional. You've got too much wasted space, and too much walking around. You can function better in a much smaller house if all the walkways are cut short. If I were you, I would find another plan and adjust it. -stairs going straight up are a pain for someone who doesn't like stairs. In your previous plans you had those nice split stairs with a landing in between( much better for going up). -why don't you find a plan where the garage is closer to the kitchen? Perhaps, in front of the kitchen?You have quite a walk from the garage to the kitchen. -The washer/dryer. Trust me, you don't want a long dryer vent. -Although pretty, corner FP is a beotch to decorate with furniture; it limits your options if you get tired of the same furniture placement, or if you want a sectional couch etc....That's what I have now and I would NEVER dot it again. -I would find a plan with a Great Room having some kind of a wall where the TV can be placed so that the people sitting in the GR are FACING the kitchen, too, so you can talk to your family while cooking. Plan with "options" to move your furniture around. Placing a TV on top of an FP is wonderful, but the warranty is null and void if it gets overheated from the FP. It may be too high if any of you ever have a neck injury. -I would put a PANTRY in the corner of the kitchen and squeeze in a closet into the room in the front, and move the door closer to the entry (if you go with this plan). Typically corners in the kitchen are kind of a waste, and corner counters are pricey because they take up a lot of space, so if you can place a pantry in a corner with a pretty door, it enhances your kitchen. I don't mean to sound harsh, but I find that many times people mean well and go along with you without pointing out the "obvious" problems. If you've read my previous posts, you know that I've had 5 homes built in my life...and found mistakes after the fact. The architects went along to get along ;) Take your time finding a plan close to your needs. Building a house depends your YOUR lifestyle and personality. I'm always in a hurry, I like things close at hand, and choose function over form....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 Morenew garage door and exterior updates
Comments (9)This is exactly the same as my brothers house except he just had a carport under the deck . I would not lose the door to the basement for a wider garage door I think you will find that door very handy. Removing all the over grown shrubs and trees would be my first thing, a new MCM door in a fab color like maybe lime green. A wood garage door stained to match the wood you have that needs stripping and staining would be great.That fence and all that paving needs to go. As for the other material it sounds like stucco mostly used in the 50”s with the bits of glass in it.I have a MCM house with that type of stucco only mine sadly is not white and I have been advised that painting it will result in a huge never ending upkeep job. As for your design loves IMO MCM and Boho really don’t play well together but the scandanavian and MCM are great together. Maybe do a bedroom in the boho style for some fun.I love natural wood and dark gray together so maybe check out that stucco and see if that could be the dark gray then strip the wood and get the garge door and that wood as close to natural cedar as possible.I knoe tis is not your house but the color combo is waht I was thinking....See MoreOur exterior brick house needs to get her groove back *Updated*
Comments (54)Update: We painted the gutters and soffits Benjamin Moore Dragon's Breath and the columns and windows the same color, but desaturated. Changed out the lights, updated furniture, removed shutters and added horizontal fence/gate. We ripped up the hedges in our beds and planted birds of paradise, gingers, a banana tree and vincas. Over time they will fill nicely. Our beautiful oak tree's roots are right below the walkway, and we decided it wasn't wise to mess with it. The week we finished, our dream home down the block went up for sale, and we made an offer. Thankfully since we have invested so much time and love into our home (with a lot of guidance from Houzz) and it sold within 24 hours. So we passed the "finish line" for our current home, and will thankfully we able to admire her beauty when walking the neighborhood. Thanks everyone for your input, and I hope the pictures help others looking to update a side century ranch home!...See MoreLiz Jamieson
3 years agoLiz Jamieson
3 years ago
housegal200
3 years agoThat's a beautiful house. What about keeping your front door but matching the garage doors to it, i.e. wooden doors? This isn't red brick but same idea. If paint trim needs to be done, then a slightly darker shade of the current one would add more depth, assuming you get wooden garage doors.
Texas Southern Charm · More Info
Pergola over wood door garage would be an elegant touch.
Lake Washington Residence · More Info
Thank you for not wanting to whitewash the brick. Your house has character the way it is.Liz Jamieson thanked housegal200Liz Jamieson
3 years agoLiz Jamieson
3 years agoLiz Jamieson
3 years agoLiz Jamieson
3 years ago
decoenthusiaste
3 years agoBones are good but basically it is not balanced. I would go for an Italianate look. Pull off the bulky Greek pediment and build a triple opening loggia across the entire door and window facade, repeating the shallow arches of the garage doors. Here's a good example of a loggia, although it is much more ornate than you would want and a look for the doors to consider. Do some research on Italianate architecture (American and European) to get familiar with this style and see how it may fit the bones of your home better than what you have now.
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Royal Palm - Mediterranean Custom (2) · More InfoLiz Jamieson thanked decoenthusiasteLiz Jamieson
3 years agoHU-187528210
3 years ago
Bev
3 years ago
chloebud
3 years agoThe trim color from Beverly is really nice with the brick. Here's another photo showing how a sage green trim works nicely with brick.
Liz Jamieson
3 years agoLiz Jamieson
3 years agoLiz Jamieson
3 years agobtydrvn
3 years agoLiz Jamieson
3 years agobtydrvn
3 years agobtydrvn
3 years agoLiz Jamieson
3 years agoAmy Lynn
3 years agoI was thinking of something like aged copper or bronze/iron would look so good, especially if you went with the green trim!
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3 years ago
PROLiz Jamieson thanked Celery. Visualization, Rendering images- PROLiz Jamieson thanked Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
decoenthusiaste
3 years agoHere's an American Italianate home with triple arches. You could do similar ones spanning the front over to the garage, although you might beef them up a bit so they could stand up to the weightiness of the brick and the volume of the house. If you want to take on such a project, you should find an architect to work with you to get the proportions right and compliment the garage and windows.
Liz Jamieson thanked decoenthusiaste- PROLiz Jamieson thanked Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
houssaon
3 years ago- PROLiz Jamieson thanked Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
Liz Jamieson
3 years agoWow Celery...your renderings are very cool. Definitely helps to visualize. Love the look over cover above but regretfully conflicts with the window over front door and as much as I would like a taller door, cannot change this at this time. I would like to remove the oversized columns and free up some space on the bricked patio...add planters left and right of door. I love Amy Lynns suggestions for new lighting. Attaching a photo of corbels that I thought might be workable with existing cover minus the dental moulding that is there. Either these or squared columns cut in half against the brick to free up some room on patio...maybe keeping trim lighter in color except the darkening gutters and downspouts...partly to keep cleaner looking...they get sooo dirty..thoughts?
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
3 years agoThis is by far my fave brick and paint combo I will just repost it here and IMO perfect for your house.
Liz Jamieson thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting Liz Jamieson
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3 years ago
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