The all-white home appeals to me. Classic and timeless.

The most obvious element of Craftsman exterior style is a porch across most of the house. The porch usually has visually substantial support posts.

The second feature is an interesting roof. Roofs will have dormers with windows or vents, and the same is true for gable ends.

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Note how the above roof repeats the gable over the porch with a smaller version over the garage. That sort of repetition gives a continuity and balance to the design. Another feature is the use of brackets on gable ends as in the photo below. Make the trim pop with contrasting dark and light colors.

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Craftsman window trim is almost always done with the top trim covering the side casings and usually extending beyond them. It is also usually wider than the side casings, i.e. 1x6 vs. 1x4. Craftsman style puts the carpentry front and center.

So, to really give your house Craftsman charm you will need to add a porch and dormer(s). I think your house could benefit from the style used on the third photo above. These are major changes and you definitely need to consult with an architect. The additions need to be considered from the sides as well, and an architect should show you how it could look as you approach from down the street.

Craftsman????????????????????????????

The house is contemporary!!!!

I love the color of the first photo that Beverly posted. I think that would look much better on the house than the tan. I'm sorry, but your house is contemporary not craftsman and it's not going to be craftsman.

You have a lovely tree and hopefully some of the talented landscape designers can make suggestions. I think your house just really needs some amazing landscaping and paint. You could make that cute little courtyard under the tree be an amazing little seating area. And then add some interesting color and texture with plants.

Not sure those stucco protrusions aren't supporting the heavy roof! I would have an expert see if you might be able to remove the skinny one left of the front door and the silly little slice of roof that extends out above it. Maybe that and the area above the door could be removed to match the cutback over the slider on the left. If the overhanging garage roof could be cut back to match the right side, it might help reduce the impact of the big roof overall. Then you would know how much of the protrusions could be removed. After that, upgrade the landscaping.

I’m no pro, but I don’t see a way to make that Craftsman-like without a near total re-do. It’d be like making my Mediterranean into a Cape.

It’s a great example of a contemporary style of that era … I’d move and find another house rather than try to change that into something so completely different. This style house has become popular again, I’d embrace it and play up the retro look or sell. It gives off a slight, softer Brutalist vibe (not literally, of course, just an impression).

I get it, we don’t all love all styles. But that will never be a Craftsman. It’s a very distinct kind of architecture, with strong and proud features, I don’t think muddling it up with any other style is a good idea at all.

Keep in mind resale, too. This house would be highly desired in many areas, but not so much if it’s been Frankenhoused.

Research 1970’s and ’80’s contemporary homes and buildings, it’s interesting reading, once you get beyond the Pinterest and fad ”updates to make your house look like every other house” pages. You might find some inspiration, a new appreciation, and learn to love it. I think it’s fabulous. :)

(ETA: Great roof choice! Looks fantastic.)

I do agree with @decoenthusiaste that if it's possible to cut back the roof over the garage and the front window, that might be a nice change. That said, I think the skinny protrusion between the front door and the garage is to make a little opening into the little courtyard there. I think it might look better if it was flush with the skinny roofline at least, without the little extra bumpout beyond that.

I do still think it's an interesting and nice contemporary home.

This is a house that I think would look nice with a glass garage door and a mostly glass entry door (and a different type of door or window in the area to the left of the front door. That way the horizontal projecting elements would be the solid areas and then the recesses would have a lot of glass area. I don't think you could turn this house into something else that was very cohesive without a major renovation of the facade.

^^ That looks really good, Pal. Enhances the great architectural shapes and lines.

I think it was mentioned earlier, the middle area could be such an amazing and inviting little courtyard (which was common back then, we lived in a house like this when I was a kid). It’s a throwback to earlier modern homes built with keeping outdoor living in mind. My bedroom had sliding glass doors near the front door, too.

Could you put up a hedge or partial wall around that mini-courtyard ala "The Golden Girls'" house? Right now, having a slider right next to the front door seems odd and unnecessary.

Thank you all for your input & great ideas! We knew the style wasn't compatible with Craftsman without a complete overhaul but were really struggling to envision how to make some improvements that would be consistent with the original architecture and help us appreciate it more since we're generally drawn to more traditional homes. Thank you for confirming our suspicions and pointing us in the right direction! The exterior not being our preferred style was what we compromised on when we purchased it, we love everything else about the home, especially the location :-)

Since we do plan to paint the exterior even if we do nothing else, any additional suggestions on color schemes that would complement the existing architecture and stucco? I'm open to white as BeverlyFLADeziner suggested but it seems everyone in our town is painting their homes white these day and we might prefer something a bit different.

The brown roof is such a prominent feature that it will limit your exterior color choices. The white Beverly showed isn't a white-white. You just want to tone down the yellow that is there now. The only other color I can suggest is green but it would be tricky to find the right green. It should be warm, not a blue green or gray green.

I see the first post was deleted by the person who posted it, which makes some of the replies confusing. They suggested the OP turn this into a Craftsman style house. That’s what started the Craftsman talk.

I really wish people would leave their posts, and just say they changed their mind or whatever.

OP, I’m so glad you reached out. It sounds like you’ll embrace this cool house and I hope you have many happy years there!

How many feet from front door to the end of that roof? How many feet from slider is the end of the roof? -- [directly above it]...

I am wondering what a slatted roof that looks like extensions of the roof rafters would look over the sliding glass door area. It would tie the roof lines together across the front while allowing sunlight to penetrate into the area. It seems like that bit of roof is “missing”. By reinstating it as open rafters, it might unify the facade a bit more. Just a thought…. (Perhaps someone could mock it up?)

@everdebz, from the front door to the end of the roof it is about 9 ft. and from the slider to the end of the roof directly above it is about 5.5 ft.

And I was talking horizontal plane [across, not up]... do you like the 9 foot look and use of roof [for rain for shade]? and what about the sliders - does it have any roof covering it, I can't tell. Someone said that the farthest protrusion seems odd... ?

This is messy but is this what has been suggested?

Seems I've seen that, but Idk what improvement it'd be.... ?

The OP mentioned that her dream house was Craftsman. Hate to break it to you but the only element of that house that could come close to Craftsman is the long overhanging roof, a signature element of Frank Lloyd Wright, considered by some to be the father of the Craftsman architecture movement. Paint the protrusion the same color as the body of the house and it won't be as noticeable.

Landscaping can make this house completely different. I happen to love the house but I understand if it's not to your taste so direct the eye to a great yard. Layering the landscaping is key. I doubt it's wise to grow vines on stucco but check with local garden experts in your area for ideas.

If changing out the garage doors is a budget concern, the other renovation ideas you've mentioned are far more expensive than that so work on the yard. Google craftsman landscaping. This is a good book that can be inspirational to you. https://www.amazon.com/Outside-Bungalow-Americas-Crafts-Garden/dp/0670883557/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1HM8VQYF1Z322&keywords=outside+the+bungalow+home&qid=1653389040&s=books&sprefix=outside+the+bungalow+home%2Cstripbooks%2C153&sr=1-3

The pic below says it's xeriscape so that might work in your area as you mentioned sun and heat. It uses a lot of native plants so find out what's native to your area and go with it.

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I can see that from the street your house must look like mostly roof. Painting it white would draw more attention to the lower portion of the house.

I also like the door color. I would add low plants with foliage in a similar color.

You have an excellent entrance path from the street. I find the odd bed edging the lawn on the left a distraction. I would return that to lawn.

I'd add colorful annuals to the bed that has the tree.

I'm also not fond of the two walls to the right of the door. A roofer could tell you if they could be eliminated.

I also like the idea of exposed rafters above the slider. If you want something like that you might wait until it is time to replace the roof.

I made a crude image of some changes.