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Design Dilemma Exterior

Need ideas on updating exterior of 1960 brick/vinyl siding ranch

last year

last modified: last year

I need advice on what to do with my outdated brick/vinyl siding ranch that does NOT include painting or staining the brick. I don't care for the brick but from my research, painting/staining it is not a great long term solution. Moreover, the yard's soil has a lot of clay. The house has brick only in the front and around the covered porch. Please help with ideas!

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PRO

Patricia Colwell Consulting

last year

I do not like gray or blues with brick and this is always one of my faves for color with brick and I aslo am adding some inspiration got landscaping .it also gives you some ideas for doors and garage door.

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Comments (13)

jck910
last year
What is your budget? Landscaping, walkway to doors & driveway would help. New doors. Interior window treatments need to match for a better look from outside
Angelica Wind
Original Author
last year
Thank you for asking, right now I have $25k in bank I can use but can get an equity loan.
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First remove the shutters they do not belong on any of the windows., IMO the brick is what makes the exterior interesting so I would choose a gray from the brick for the siding and no shakes anywhere. I think exterior work best with few materials As for the door I don’t think in this situation you need a storm door why not just a phantom screen for air flow in the summer. I would try to reside and see how you like it first I really discourage clients from painting brick , once done hard to go back .
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Since you are replacing the siding, consider adding thicker trim around the windows as opposed to shutters. I am not sure that board and batten siding will be an improvement. It is a siding that tends to be country to my eye, and your style inside doesn’t convey that at all to me. I would play around with a photo of your house to see how it would look. All the examples shown have some other architectural details that step up the interest such as a porch or dormers, and I think the board and batten may not give you the appeal you anticipate. I like the idea of a more attractive door for the garage. Look at a range of styles; I have seen ones with windows in a column down one side that might suit your home, a single door rather than the two doors in the photo link below. Consider replacing the screen door with a different style. I think a single panel without the dividing line in the middle is a more updated look. Or alternatively, use a roll up screen that pulls across when needed and is out of sight when not. Updated light fixtures will help as well, by the garage, front door, and on the post. The one on the post should be at the end of the walkway, which might benefit from coming down along the drive a bit so that if a car is parked in front of the garage, the walk is still accessible. Once all the exterior fixes are done to the building, then widen the walkway and steps and center the steps on the door, being sure that there is a large landing at both the top and bottom. Remove the pots around the steps now since they are making a narrow space feel smaller. If you want a pot to either side of the steps, plan space for that when you are redoing the steps. I would enlarge the bed around the tree as in Yardvaark's sketch using more of whatever the current plants are if they seem happy. It is difficult to get new plantings established under a maple tree due to root competition, so I wouldn’t plan to change out what is currently there. The beds along the front of the house are currently far too small front to back and so look pinched, and I doubt that anything currently there is worth saving. I would repost about the landscaping when the exterior work on the house and entry path is done. To get good suggestions for landscaping, we need to know where you are generally and your USDA growing zone along with your goals for the yard beyond curb appeal (if any) and how much you enjoy spending time gardening. Some photos of front plantings you find appealing will help as well.
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Comments (14)
I think Hale Navy would look nice. It's a cute home. The shutters, however, need to go, or bring in some made of wood (think cedar). the wood w/the Hale color and the brick would look nice. Hale navy would look similar to this. if getting new windows, then do something like shown here^, or look at some of the pics below. Since you have the gray roof, you can do other combos too. I like the Urbane bronze on the siding, fired brick for the door, and a soft gray or white for the trim If Grover comes along, maybe she can photoshop a new color and new shutters for you here are some similar homes just to give you ideas when you're ready I love this dark gray w/the brick. but the black trim around the windows (without shutters!) and darker garage door, really make this stand out. (I could do w/o the orange door though) this is more of a teal, but gives you an idea of how it looks w/those white shutters. I don't particularly care for this tone. the white is way too stark against the siding tone w/that brick. This would look better w/painted brick, or diff trim color. diff gray tones on siding
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Comments (5)
Interesting - I like your theory about someone homesick for New Orleans LOL. As mentioned above, porch cant really be removed without leaving scars - and an overhang much deeper than the rest of the house, which would look funny. Can the balcony be used, does it make sense to open up a room to it? Part of its oddness is that its obvious that there is no door and cant be used. Whats going on under the porch, behind the hedge? Some kind of patio? You could remove the hedge, expand that and make it into useable attractive outdoor living space - framed in a border of flowering fragrant shrubs, 1 or 2 well placed ornamental trees (ie short, placed toward the side of the house), intermixed with perennials/bulbs. You could leave a few of the evergreens - its just the solid wall of them that is so unappealing. What are the rooms on the lower level - would any of those benefit by opening up to a patio? .... or maybe it could be an actual courtyard and by that I mean a professionally designed walled space which fits architecturally with your house.... not an ugly cheap privacy fence from Menards! But then that gets to be expensive too - probably more than just removing the darn thing! Otherwise, maybe just swap out the frilly iron work for something simpler/more linear, with strong horizontal lines as is fitting for this style/era. Also changing all the white to something less high contrast - would help de-emphasize it.
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D Bee
last year
last modified: last year
A modest cost option with maximum results might be a quality paint job on the exterior. (The cost may still be shocking but a lot less than say recovering your whole home in fiber-cement board.) I am not a fan of painted brick but paint companies claim it is viable and will last. I would get three estimates and try to find a house painting company that has been doing good work in your area for years, with good references (that you need to check). Ya, its a huge project and time consuming but you don't want to risk a dollar of your $25K. A good panting company will have a complementary color/design consultant that will work with you. Those are my thoughts. Lets see what others think.
Angelica Wind thanked D Bee
Angelica Wind
Original Author
last year
I came so close to painting the brick white but with the clay soil, it would get dingy right away.
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
last year
I would replace the vinyl siding on the front with vertical siding- play to the mid century roots. Then decide on a paint scheme and landscape/ hardscape plan.
PRO
Sabrina Alfin Interiors
last year
Agree with @HALLETT & Co. That would be a nice upgrade and I might also beef up the entry with nicer steps leading to the front door. Get a larger, more statement-like outdoor light fixture, too.

This is obviously a two-story home, but note the siding and the brick planters that they created that lead into the steps to the front door.
PRO
Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
last year
I would paint siding. Taupe, muted green would work with your brick.
palimpsest
last year
Here's a sage green, could be a little darker or greyer if wanted
Angelica Wind thanked palimpsest
Maureen
last year
last modified: last year
1. Create a spreadsheet for a wish list: driveway on either side of house (if possible), landscaping (for sure), siding update (new or painted), front door/ landing or porch (big impact), new windows.

2. Look for ideas/inspiration on line and drive around neighbourhood.

3. Get multiple quotes on each and the pros will also provide you with ideas and possibilities.

4. Enter estimates next to each improvement and prioritize based on your budget. Remember, adding curb appeal can increases a home’s value.

With your roof, I think dark grey for siding with a black door would be a nice choice.
Angelica Wind
Original Author
last year
What color would you say that green is?
Maureen
last year
Could be October Mist, but be careful with your roof as one or the other may feel faded. You mostly see this combination with a darker roof.
D Bee
last year
Personal experience that just happened to me yesterday! The exterior color I had selected on the paint company's website turned out to be very different once I picked up the paint chips and held them up to my house. So, I have changed up my options and will buy test pots so I can do some samples on the outside of my house. Testing the color before you commit is worth it in my opinion. Good Luck.

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