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stacy_goldstein76

help with updating our Tudor exterior

Stacy Goldstein
2 years ago

We are renovating our home and need to update the look of the house. Our architect had zero ideas. We are drawing a complete blank on what to do with the front. The brick needs to stay. We plan to make the front door rectangular and add a portico over the front door. Can you guys suggest what to do with the stucco/stone areas. The sides of the house will be siding. What color siding, what color roof? All the bushes will be gone too. We are replacing all the windows. Not sure what grill pattern to use. The plans call for while windows. Help! :)

Comments (45)

  • pricklypearcactus
    2 years ago

    Is your goal to make the house not a Tudor style house? Your front facade around the door, roofline, brick and stucco exterior materials are all classic Tudor style. I don't love the door color myself but the shape of the door and the entrance are beautiful. Siding and porticos do not fit a Tudor style home as far as I am aware.

  • housegal200
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Except for the front door color, your house façade is beautiful--classic Tudor. Why did you buy a Tudor if you want to remuddle it with some very ill conceived ideas? Give the entrance a good powerwashing, trim your bushes, and create an Ideabook or check out Pinterest for other beautiful Tudors because that's what you have.

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  • housegal200
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    The rounded door is the very essence of the Tudor English style. People are reacting strongly to your plans (and probably your architect wants nothing to do with changing such a perfect example of this style) because the elements you want to remove (arched door; great stonework) are the kinds of details bad mega-mansion developers copy cheaply, and here you have a classic. Please do some homework on the baby you brought home, not the one you wish you'd brought home.




  • PRO
    Mark Bischak, Architect
    2 years ago

    Get a better local architect.

  • housegal200
    2 years ago

    If you don't have a positive feeling for any of these or other Tudors posted, then sell it.

    You, or the next buyer, could strip down the red door and stain it a natural wood like this:


  • claire larece
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    if your'e going to add siding to the house why not cover the stucoo with plywood and batten board. I also would remove some of the shrubs on the left hand side.

  • suezbell
    2 years ago

    Aside from this front bump out in the exterior wall, the rest of the rest of the house doesn't have a totally Tudor vibe? (at least not from what I can see).


    I'd extend the front "bump out" -- forward facing gable (Tudor) roof and side walls to create a foyer -- an entry room with that foyer's floor where the stoop is now located in front of your existing front door -- but with new flooring you like, of course.


    You could leave what is now the front exterior wall except for the door (maybe donate it to Habitat for Humanity if you cannot find another use for it -- but leave the opening where the door is now located in place -- even leave the brick -- keeping the two lights or replacing them with indoor sconces you like.


    Then beyond the existing stoop and new foyer, continue to extend the roof -- but only the roof and not the sides -- for about six more feet as you create your new front porch/portico.


    As you recreate the front wall of the bump out at the front edge of the existing stoop, use whatever exterior material you like and use whatever front entry door you like to create the look for your home that you like.


    Recreate the walk path from your new front porch/portico to the driveway, perhaps having it pass in between the trees on the left side of the front yard near the driveway.


    Additionally -- and do seriously consider this IF you are willing to remove most of the shrubs immediately in front of the house: You could create the new foyer and portico/porch but instead of a small portico sized porch, don't extend the forward facing gable roof beyond the new front exterior wall at the front edge of the raised stoop. Instead, create a shed roof for your 6' deep porch and create a deeper porch on one or both sides of it by continuing that shed roof. Do keep the entire front porch one porch with the side(s) of the porch deeper than the porch in front of the new the front entry. Don't block either side with your posts as the porch in this pic does:


    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/275845545904094451/

  • houssaon
    2 years ago

    How much of the house is brick? How much is stucco? Is there any clapboard siding? When was your house built?

    I would get black windows, because originally the windows were most likely iron casement windows. I like the look of 6 over one, if you don't do casements.

    I would keep the arch top door. It is a signature piece and I bet it is a heavy piece of solid wood. But the color is all wrong. Peacock blue was a typical accent color on old Tudor revival styles. Benjamin Moore's Aegean Teal would be a good color.

    If I were you, I would get the stucco stone cleaned and then paint the stucco a creamy tan.



  • houssaon
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Here are some other examples.

    Trestle Glen Whole House Restoration · More Info


    Maybe you can do a slimmer version of this type of portico:

    Stained Knotty Alder Arched Top Front Door with Eyebrow Dormer & Cedar Post · More Info




    Wright Street Home · More Info


  • Stacy Goldstein
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    Only what you see is brick and stucco and the rest is regular Tudor brown vinyl siding. The stucco is in terrible condition and rotting off the home. The previous owner was not able to care for the home and it’s in complete disrepair but the brick is in amazing condition. The wood door is rotted through.

    We do love a traditional Tudor, our previous home had beautiful Tudor details. This one does not. We don’t see a clear way to add traditional Tudor details so we need to work with what is there to give some character.

    We wanted to add a 6 foot porch as suggested above but it would be a lengthy variance issue with our town because of front setback issues. We may tackle this down the road. So we plan to continue the gable off the front door to create a covered area over the front. I like the wood accents suggested here.

    There is one other house in town that is a “twin” to ours. It is 2 blocks away. This is how they redid their house. They covered almost all of the front brick, where we want to keep ours. We don’t love how choppy theirs looks. A significant portion of our house will be siding too and we need to tie the brick and siding in together. Any ideas for siding color that goes with the brick?

  • apple_pie_order
    2 years ago

    Roof: brownish blend such as "weathered wood". Siding: brick color. Door: custom door, same shape. Stucco: rich cream color. Portico: not on the front door, put one in the back. Shelter over front door: look at custom canvas or glass awnings.


    The blue house is a perfect example of what not to do.

  • housegal200
    2 years ago

    apple_pie_order: you have the most attractive, practical suggestion that honors the house style yet spiffs it up. That blue house? Ugh, with those white lines segmenting everything. We don't know what that house looked like before, but if that's an improvement, don't be a copycat!

  • PRO
    Joseph P
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Lose the word ”update”. It’s a synonym to desecrate and destroy in most instances. The house is perfect as is. Do not ruin it. Use the words ”repair” or ”restore”, in all of the full intent of making it gloriously original.

  • Stacy Goldstein
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    Housegal200: the blue one looked exactly like ours. Brick front, and Tudor brown siding on the rest.

  • housegal200
    2 years ago

    Thanks for the info. As you see, multiple pros here (I'm not a pro but interested in architecture), really dislike the blue house--no harmony, no character, just an attempt at a cookie cutter house, segmenting its Tudor features in the most garish way instead of unifying them. I'm sorry we're all piling on you, but it's because we see a beautiful house possibly on the verge of being remuddled instead of restored with money spent on redesigned landscaping that will really show off the house. It has so much character. The blue house reminds me of an ice cream cake.

  • cpartist
    2 years ago

    Please don't remuddle this wonderful old house. I would look up online old house plans and you'll probably find the blueprints for it.

  • partim
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    I am glad to hear that you like Tudor style. I have one too and love it.

    I suggest that you stick with dark brown ("Tudor brown") for the siding at the sides of the house, and for your roof.

    Dark windows would look much better than the white ones you have planned. Any style that has small panes would be authentic, since large panes of glass were not made in the olden days. I have a preference for diamond patterns but they can be an upgrade.

    For the stucco, I would replaced it with new stucco. It looks very good on your house. I like the contrast of cream stucco against the darker Tudor colours.

    If your budget stretches to replacing the curved door with a new one, I would go that route. Solid stained wood would look wonderful. The door curve is one of the most attractive aspects of your house.

    I like the more modest portico suggested by @houssaon above, rather than extending the roof line. Maybe a metal awning - copper or bronze?

    I would remove all the pots from the front area and walkway. They make it looked cramped and take away from the attractive lines of the house.

    For landscaping, a bed of hydrangeas would look good. They come in every height. Easy care and long blooming.

  • nan-nan
    2 years ago

    I have always adored the fairy tale character of doors like yours. How rotten is it? Could wood epoxy rescue it?

  • Therese N
    2 years ago

    .

  • ker9
    2 years ago

    I love your front door and the color!

  • starnold
    2 years ago

    The house seems dark almost gloomy. The first thing I would do is power wash all the brick and stone. I'd opt for a light color roof with some zinc strips installed to prevent moss growth. Tudors can be dark inside so a front door with some glass.


  • Stacy Goldstein
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    Theresen - yes. We are thinking something along the lines of the brick and brown square door with the central light, just a little bigger to protect the Amazon deliveries.

  • Stacy Goldstein
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    Starnold: it definitely is dark and gloomy outside and so is the front inside. The house gets tons of natural light from the east and south (back) so we plan to open up the floor plan while still maintaining defined spaces to allow the light to travel throughout the home. What shade of light roof do you think? I’ll have to look up sink strips. This house was bought from someone in bankruptcy - it hadn’t been cared for in years and years.

  • houssaon
    2 years ago

    theresen I was looking for an example of the barrel vaulted copper awning on Houzz and could not find one. Thanks.

  • suezbell
    2 years ago

    There are a lot of outdoor delivery box styles. Our neighbor just bought an extra large USPS box and labeled it specifically for FedEx and UPS. If you don't want an outside box, then something to consider: where you have the window in the entry -- or even below it if you're willing to cut into the wall and create a backless lockable cabinet -- you could create a delivery box with lockable inside access. In a box = out of sight; out of mind.

  • suezbell
    2 years ago

    Really like the copper arc awning in the pics shown by theresen.

  • partim
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    A light coloured roof on a dark brick house will look odd IMO. Especially a Tudor. Add lightness with a light coloured stucco, as the original Tudor homes did.

    I had never heard of zinc strips on a roof. They will look odd too, and it seems they don't do much. https://westcoastroofcleaning.com/do-zinc-strips-work/

  • PRO
    BeverlyFLADeziner
    2 years ago



  • PRO
    Mark Bischak, Architect
    2 years ago

    I HIGHLY recommend you get a competent architect that is experienced in the Tudor Revival style involved in your project.

  • decoenthusiaste
    2 years ago

    You can save a lot of money by simply putting a nice large box outside labeled "Amazon & UPS Pkgs." That should work for now; lots of folks started doing that during Covid-19. I don't dislike anything about your home except the stucco parts and the clunky stone relief gable and trim. I would change those, power wash anything behind the shrubs that is mildewed or mossy and spend to restore or replace that front door with a replica. Have a pro get the overgrowth under control and maybe add some larger, new lantern lights.

  • fraker
    2 years ago

    Is the blue house an inspiration example for you? It’s TERRIBLE!

  • Stacy Goldstein
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    Framer- the blue house is what we want to avoid. But the front of our house is brick and the rest is already siding in Tudor brown. The Tudor brown is very gloomy on the entire outside. Looking for inspiration for colors that coordinate with the brick.

  • Stacy Goldstein
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    Decienthusiate- agreed. Looking for ideas to replace that yucky stucco areas. I think just plain beige stucco won’t look good either. We are removing all of the trees and overgrowth in the front. One tree is rotted, one already fell in a storm 2 weeks before we closed and the other is too close to the house.

  • cpartist
    2 years ago

    A square door does not go with your tudor house. That's remuddling.

    Opening up the interior is not tudor. It's remuddling.

    Please do research on those old tudor homes.

  • decoenthusiaste
    2 years ago

    Maybe start with cleaning up the landscaping so we can see the actual house. With a bit of power washing the brick color may come more true and better color ideas will emerge.

  • starnold
    2 years ago

    We choose a lighter colored roof for our Tudor style home. A simple google search "tudor house with light colored roof " will reveal many beautiful examples of how a lighter roof can update the look of a Tudor. It is of course a matter of personal taste, and there are many opinions, but there are no hard and fast "rules" about how this style home should look.


    BTW Zinc strips are commonly used in the pacific northwest on roofs and regardless of what the article says, they are effective at retarding moss damage to a roof. They are not easily visible and especially not on an elevation like that shown here.






  • J D
    2 years ago

    Do you guys think originally the small gabled area (entrance area) has Tudor revival wood elements that have been removed? If so, that would be nice to add back. Other than that, clean it up, paint front door, landscape. Done

  • J D
    2 years ago

    ^ Oh one more: paint window trim.

  • nhb22
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Here is a 6 year old post that could be of some help. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2968755/need-help-with-exterior-update-to-tudor-style

    Also, I do not think it very nice that you posted a neighbors home that is being critiqued. What if that neighbor, or someone they know, see's this!

  • PRO
    Mark Bischak, Architect
    2 years ago

    "What if that neighbor, or someone they know, see's this!"

    They would become educated.

  • Stacy Goldstein
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    Hi everyone - here is a cleaned up picture of the house. Again, looking for what to do with the brown stucco areas. White or black windows? What color roof? The rest of the house is siding. What color would go with the brick aside from brown. What color door?

  • apple_pie_order
    2 years ago

    Since the stucco is rotting and has to be replaced anyway, you can hose off the front gable, then paint it with any test colors you like. Start with a coat of whatever white you have lying around in the "old paint cans" if your seller left some. Once you have a good color, you can get new stucco. I would remove the fake rocks embedded in the stucco because they just look really artificial.

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