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Farm Life Design Dilemma

Boring ranch house, bad shutters, not many windows - help?

3 months ago

last modified: 3 months ago

This ranch house is boring with a ton of blank wall space and not many windows. The windows that exist are small. Many of them are close together or on corners, making shutters awkward. Time for an update.

I can choose paint color and paint (dad is a painter) - no problem - likely choosing a stormy or slate blue, foresty green...maybe a creamy white for a farmhouse-but-I-live-on-gravel vibe.

But what about all the stupid blank spaces where it's just a lot of siding?

Budget: $500-1000 (not including paint, which is already in the budget)

Context: house is on a working horse farm on a gravel road. I'm excellent at killing plants/ruining gardens with anything except hostas in them. I don't have time for extensive maintenance. I'm handy as heck (farm life!) and can do most of my own labor unless it's specialized work. Boxwood bushes will be trimmed...I know they're overgrown!

Limits: no rearranging windows/adding larger windows (likely out of budget based on labor), no expansive hardscaping/landscaping (see also: killing plants and not much time for maintenance), roof will be done next year so ignore roof color, no brick walls (likely out of budget).

Ideas?: adding a strategic tree to break up the visual line to the house, using appropriately stained and sealed cedar shake to a portion for visual interest, wood shutters and stop caring what the internet says about weirdly hung solo shutters and shutters that don't actually cover the whole window, a large trellis (risk of growth into the siding, though!), replacing the fence (and possibly wrapping it further around the front of the house?), some sort of sculpture/statue thing? I don't know, I'm throwing it all out there.

Very appreciated!

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Comments (14)

Natalie McLain
Original Author
3 months ago
Aaaand no matter how many times I hit the photo -> upload -> submit sequence, it won't upload...
w93639
3 months ago
Please add photos .. thanks !
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Random thoughts: - The outside looks neat as a pin. Clearly this house has been well cared-for, though I agree with the above poster that the landscaping is kinda dull. - The wall paper may or may not be a problem. When I moved into my current house, I immediately renovated the two bathrooms ... I pulled down the wallpaper from the large master bath in about 15 minutes, but I spent three days of misery in the similar-sized hall bath. Why? The walls in the master bath were "primed" before the wallpaper went up. ALWAYS prime your walls before painting or wallpapering. ALWAYS. More to the point: I hope your walls were primed. - I do like plantation shutters (and intend to have them in my new house), but they don't seem right for your 1970s ranch, and I don't think I'd like them in beige. I agree you should take them out ... but sell them on eBay or Craigslist. They're worth money. Don't bother painting them ... if I were buying, I wouldn't mind painting them. - As for the beige trim, it will be a monster to paint (or a monster-sized bill, if you pay someone to do it), but it's not hard work ... just tedious work. Since you're talking about color preferences, not functional needs, you don't have to do it all at once. - While you're painting things, I'd look at those dark brown gutter spouts. They seem to stand out in a bad way. - I like white-painted brick, and I think this house would look lovely if the wood trim above the windows were a light-to-midtone blue. - I'd think lose that wrought iron railing on the front ... maybe. I don't particularly like it, but it does fit with the house.
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It is a good house. Shutters would be totally wrong for it, though (and I am not one of the no shutters crowd). Perhaps you could have some simple brick mold trim added around the windows to define them a bit more. I agree that completely new landscaping is key here. Check your local garden center, they often have a designer on staff. The brick color is a hard one to work with (IMO) but you should drive around your area, looking for houses with the same brick, that have trim colors you like. Search houzz and BH&G for "yellow brick makeovers" also. It is hard to see the front door to be sure, but that might be a good change in the future - it seems to not match the style of the house.
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Rawketgrl
3 months ago
last modified: 3 months ago
WOW that is not a boring ranch. It is lovely and looks like loved home. Blue or white would be nice for siding colors. The white windows and railings would look great against blue siding. Eventually a charcoal colored roof would be perfect.

A big no to any shutters, your house does not need them. It does look like a mature rhododendron or dogwood or flowering type of tree/bush in middle of two story would be perfect. With your budget you can afford a few nice sized bushes or small trees to off set the parts of the house you feel look weird without windows. Or maybe save up and put in windows. I need to do that in my laundry room, it would have a lovely view but NO window. it's all just money right? A big hug and shout out to your painter Dad!
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Margaret Carroll Interiors
3 months ago
Agree with Rawketgrl! This facade isnt bad! Definitely NO shutters and so many options for paint! White, charcoal grey (will make it feel more modern!), slate blue, even a modern dark taupe. Can you revise the railing? That may be out of the budget for now but I think making it a black metal fence or sleek wood railing would be great! Can you add an outdoor sconce next to the middle window? Send an update when youre done!
turtlexings24
3 months ago
Pale blue with light grey roof would look classic and cheerful. Depending on where you live, light colors would also help keep your house cooler.
houssaon
3 months ago
last modified: 3 months ago
I don't think it is boring either. It is the farmhouse everyone is pretending they had these days!

I would get rid of the railing. You don't need it, do you?

Once you prune the bushes, I would add an ornamental tree, out in the yard centered between the two right most windows. You can make a beautiful garden of Hostas, if deer are not a problem. (They love them.) But there are other rugged plants that you can look into. Mountain Laurel and Rhododendron are hardy plants in the northeast where I live.

You house would look stunning in a dark blue green like this.
Walloon Lake Cottage · More Info
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
3 months ago
Great house and I agree a real farmhouse not some fake one in the city A nice color for the siding will make ahuge difference and then some landscaping . Windows can be enlargedbut we would need to know what is behind those windows firsr.
jck910
3 months ago
Was going to suggest remove the railing so love houssaon's rendition. I would also change the front to a solid one. I think all the grilles are busy looking. The Dark Harbor would be a beautiful color on your house.
everdebz
3 months ago
Going at speed on farm gravel roads can stir up dust clouds. I wouldn't even use white.
Jennifer Hogan
3 months ago
I had a bunch of overgrown boxwoods and other plants when I bought my home. Chained the boxwoods to a truck and pulled them out. Replaced with more interesting perennials and greenery that don't take any real work.

I don't know where you are, I am in zone 6. I planted everblooming lilacs, lace cap hydrangea, pacific blue juniper, coral bells a dwarf red Japanese maple and a Dwarf Golden Hinoki Cypress and a couple of hollys.

Here is a before picture

The area where you have the 2 boxwood and 2 windows would look nice with a single taller plant in the center and two lower plants on the two similar to my space with the 2 lacecap hydrangias and the Honoki Cypress.
everdebz
3 months ago
I like red-twigged dogwoods quite alot, and in the winter, nice against white snow.
Jennifer Hogan
3 months ago
Just looked up the red-twigged dogwoods. Love the color, but that gets big! For near the house I chose the dwarf Honoki because it grows slowly and has a mature size of 4' wide 6' tall and the roots won't bother the foundation.
Jennifer Hogan
3 months ago
I always love when the exterior of a home acts as an invitation or preview of the interior. What colors do you love, what colors are in the front entry, what color front door do you want opening into the house?

I have a purple, green and red slate entry inside my home with the same brick as the outside on one interior wall in the foyer.

I picked plants with the blue green, red and purple hues to tie the interior and exterior colors together.
Jennifer Hogan
3 months ago
I also think yellow and blues look so nice with lush greenery and having a home like yours, open farm land, would be the perfect setting for a bit of color.

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