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Remodeling Design Dilemma Paint

Boxy 80s Colonial. Help!!

last year

We moved in about a year ago and just don’t love the front of our house. Would love to hear any thoughts on how we could up the curb appeal and modernity. Contemplating painting the siding and brick sooner rather than later, but also open to any gable, portico, etc. ideas that would give us some dimension. TIA!!

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lisedv

last year

last modified: last year

Took the dark charcoal colour from your brick to paint the siding. Left the shutters because if you remove them you'd need to enlarge the white frames around all the windows, So white shutters, white windows, white front door and all trim in white.

Here's the look, the charcoal brings it all together.

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Comments (9)

emilyam819
last year
Brick on one half of the façade is very strange. It’s flat, correct? The brick part doesn’t protrude further than the sided part? I think the easiest would be to remove the brick and re-side.
cat_ky
last year
I also agree, the brick is strange. The house itself is very nice looking, but, the brick throws the whole house off kilter. I would also remove the brick, and side it like the rest of it. I think a small porch with a roof over the front door, would look, very nice too. Once that is all done, then a brighter, color for the door would look nice.
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In my illustration I'm not attempting to re-landscape all of your plantings. Instead, I'm showing how a couple of small trees added could help alleviate some of the dullness of the central part of the structure (where there are just two windows) and how moving the tree on the far right corner would be more reasonable, giving it some space to grow and adopt a proper scale with the building. Trees will help keep the building from looking like a big box sitting on top of the lawn. As it stands now, my general impression is that all of the plant material is plastered flat onto the house face and is much too close to the wall to allow for realistic growth. (There should not be any plant centers closer than 3' and 3 1/2' would be better. Trees, especially, should be farther. Seems like a bit much material, too.) The conifers flanking the door will work there if you don't let them grow at all.
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I am a HUGE fan of Timberlane shutters in PA. The quality of these shutters is extraordinary. I have had them on my house now for 16 years - had them painted by my local painter, still look great. My DD got them about 3 years ago and they now offered the color she wanted in a factory paint job. The rep told me that these same shutters had been on the outside of their building in PA (harsh winters there!) now for 19 years and still looked great. One of the things they offer is copper guards that slip right on top of the shutter. Shutters tend to rot from water getting into the seams where the shutter dowels are held. This prevents that from happening. I think this is part of their success. Yes, they are expensive, but they will last for many decades with little if any maintenance required.
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Your home is Contemporary, but not Colonial by any definition. All of your evergreens have hit their 'sell by' date. They are overgrown covering your windows and cannot be trimmed into any viable shapes. Look at Superdeck.com for Their Duck Back stains for your home. Here is the color chart I would recommend you select a weathered driftwood stain for your home and possibly consider a corrugated metal roof for your home. To complement the new stain I would recommend the driveway be overlayed with a Chip or Macadam stone driveway. The contractor sprays some tar on the existing asphalt driveway spreads stone like a pea gravel and then rolls over the stone to press the new layer into the tar. I think it could be a handsome finish to your home.
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I could certainly live there -- it's lovely! My first question of the OP is whether there is some personal connection to those wonderful front doors. Sure, they do not go with the style of the house, but then again, a house should reflect the owner's style. Between the doors and the foo dogs, I wonder whether the OP has travelled a lot, or lived abroad. IF the doors are driving the style, then possibly removing siding and replacing with a stucco or stucco-look might be an improvement. Definitely remove the Craftsman style light fixtures at front door. If the doors will be replaced, then all the advice above makes perfect sense, including the more naturalistic landscaping.
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littlebug zone 5 Missouri
last year
last modified: last year
I believe there’s too much contrast between the brick and the white siding. How about painting the siding green like the shutters, and then painting the shutters white or black?

A portico roof over the front door, similar to the roof just to the right, would add interest. A much wider stoop could give the front door more importance. Maybe pave it with brick? And a wider sidewalk.

And then rip out the tired, overgrown shrubbery and start over. Choose things that will not grow taller than the bottom of the windows.
houssaon
last year
Nice house! Congratulations.

I would paint the brick to match the siding using paint formulated for brick. Paint the shutters a darker green or a navy.

A portico would be useful and add to the curb appeal.

A few of the bushes can be removed because they are just too big. Prune the others so that the are not taller than the bottom of the window. Looks like you have some interesting foundation plants, which is a good start.

The roof could be cleaned.
la_la Girl
last year
^^ I agree with painting the brick to match the siding, I don't love white on houses and think a matte griege (SW Tony Taupe is an oldy/goody) could look nice with the roof (is it black?) - black shutters and a nice pop of color on the front door
decoenthusiaste
last year
Siding where the brick is and reducing the clumpy landscaping that is crowding the entry would do wonders. Here's a nice direction for you.

Sudbury Colonial · More Info
houssaon
last year
I really like the charcoal with the white shutters and door. I think it looks great!
B Shel
last year
🥰 thank you all so, so much!!

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