I need help to update my home.

3 years ago

I am looking to update my home by bringing from the '90s to a more contemporary look. I want to repaint but I have no idea what color would look good to match the roof. I also really hate those fake bricks on all the edges of my house but had many people said it's too hard to take out to match the smooth stucco. Some of my friends suggest painting over the fake brick to match the new paint. I also want to spruce up the landscape but I really don't have a clue on what plants or layout would work.

Featured Answer

armchairshopper

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

I have given it more thought. Perhaps I misunderstood the use of the word contemporary. I thought you meant “contemporary architectural style”. Perhaps you mean contemporary, as in current styles. If you mean the latter, I suggest painting the house, the quions, and all the other stucco white. If you eliminate the contrasting colors, the quions will be less prominent.

I suggest painting your front door a rich chocolate brown. I misspoke earlier: the trim under the eaves should be rich chocolate brown as in the first photo. I am undecided as to whether the garage doors should be painted brown or kept white. It is a matter of personal preference. Before you paint the house, remove the old landscaping. After you are done painting, install new landscaping, similar to that in the photos below. New smaller plants makes a house look newer than old plants that have grown too large or been trimmed back repeatedly.

A few examples are shown below:

Carolina Circle NE · More Info

Villa Blanco · More Info

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Comments (9)

armchairshopper
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
The quions that are on the edges were very costly to install and are a classic design element. It would be possible to change your home a to more contemporary architectural style, but the cost could run into many tens of thousands of dollars. Consider whether you would be better off selling and buying a home that has the contemporary look you desire.
nickel_kg
3 years ago
I'm not a professional so take my suggestion with a grain of salt ... but what about painting the stucco a deep deep blue, or deep forest green, leaving the quoins and window surrounds alone and thereby emphasizing them. Deep blue is a very popular house color right now.
ironmanandbatman thanked nickel_kg
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
3 years ago
IMO those quoins are not even attractive and add nothing to the house except lipstick on a pig look. I would remove them and restucco for a cleaner look and also lose the arched windows and entry at the same time . No it won’t be cheap but the rewards IMO would be worth it.
ironmanandbatman
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks everyone for your honest suggestions. I would consider painting the house white and also talk to the painter on how hard would it be to remove the quoins and the rest to the trimming. I wonder painting over the trim would help.
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
3 years ago
Yes, just removing the quoins would be a vast improvement to the overall appearance. I'll bet the painter can pop them off. They might be stucco-covered foam.
armchairshopper
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
I am sure that the house is EIFS, exterior insulation finish system, which some might describe as stucco covered foam. However, there is much more to it than that. If you start to pry off those quions, how do you expect to repair the area? Do you or your painter have the skills and/or specialized EIFS training to make the repairs? If you don’t have the knowledge and the skills, I suggest you contact an EIFS contractor to obtain an estimate for the work.

The house is between 20 to 30 years old. If you do too much, you could end up over-invested for the neighborhood. It is very easy to say get rid of the quions, the arched window, and the arched entry. It is easy to say, but hard to do, and even harder to pay for. That is an investment that you would not fully recoup on resale value.

You don’t say when in the 90’s your home was built. Some of the early EIFS installations had a moisture control problem which caused the sheathing and sometimes even the framing to rot. Here’s a reference:

https://inspectapedia.com/exterior/Stucco_EIFS_Leaks.php

If you start tearing into the EIFS, you could encounter unanticipated problems.
Looki Lu
3 years ago
I agree with the previous comments about not messing with the exterior stucco/EIFS. Instead I would either embrace the house’s style and work with it or move if it really, really bothers you.

What I would do is leave the home as is and focus on other features. Consider replacing the garage doors with wood or a wood look and getting a new front door. Research options on driveway stain and maybe edging it with side pavers. I would drop some $$ on PROFESSIONAL landscaping and lighting. Landscaping and lighting when done right is one of those things that makes a house look money.
Belahn
3 years ago
I like the quoins, the arched windows and the color of the house. If you don't like the color, just repaint but what you really need is some good landscaping. Right now it is sad.