Is your brick damaged? Can't understand cladding it in B&B and shakes unless you're striving for the Joanna Gaines farmhouse look, which is not suitable for the style of your home's architecture. Was the "little brick room" a breezeway before? Certainly looks that way to me.

It is actually the back of the house and most of the brick on the front is coming off for new windows. Also one window on the back/ street side has been boarded up so would have to be rebricked. im looking foa a kind of beachy look but dont know how to get yhere from here! Love farmhouse but also realize the house doesnt really suit it. I know how youd think it was a breezeway but it wasnt. It was designed as it is.

its a mud room. I say depending where you live if its damaged, then go ahead with your plan.

I think you do need to post a front shot of the house for context, if this is the back not sure much needs to be done so I am slightly confused.

If you’re removing the ramp, are the wooden steps covering the cement steps also getting removed? I’d focus on that…making sure there was a bigger, more ample way to step up to the screen door.

Im going to throw in my 2c, The brick is classic and an expensive material to build with, and it looks to be in good shape. You’re covering all of that up because it all has to be demo ed to replace windows? Then covering with B&B, which (again, non pro opinion) is a cheaper look and (unlike the brick) go out of style? I would rethink spending the money there. Im not a pro tho. Looks to be a cute home.

So basically the storm door was added to close what used to be an entry porch in. Is this closed in area still needed? Can the srorm door be removed so that this turns back into a vestibule entry? then just cover the concrete steps and porch floor with some flagstone to clean it up and make it look nice. Add some potted plants and your're done.

The second picture is the water side and will be mostly window so very little

brick left on that side.

Yes the screen door can be removed. Might get a bit of snow blowing in during the winter but not a big deal. Like the flagstone idea! Thanks

You might consider replacing the screen door and sidelites with an actual wood or screen door. Would also suggest you consider replacing the exiting garage door with one that has lites (window) opening in it. Nothing relieves a flat garage fascade like a garage door with some transparency. Good luck!

Garage door definitely on the list!

Instead of having your main entrance door hidden in what seems to be a hallway behind the screen door, can you replace the screen door with a real front door with sidelights and transom to make it look like the Main entrance to your house with a proper porch?

If you want people to notice the entrance in the first picture, perhaps make the garage door the same color as the house, and paint the entry door a bright color or otherwise highlight it with something (my choice is always plants, but things in pots need extra watering in the summer most places). One of the first things I will do next year (after I save up some money) is replace our current garage door that looks a lot like yours with something that looks like wood and has some windows in it - I won't be able to afford wood, but our metal garage door just stands out too much and it's dark in our windowles garage.

Definitely looks like screen door and side lights are add ons. If you remove them you will have a nice little porch to protect you from the elements, which I think was it’s intent. Definitely change out the garage doors as well. Then follow some of the other suggestions made by readers. I think it will look nice.

so you are saying the side with sliding doors is in fact the front, street facing side of the house, and the side with the garage is the back of the house? where is the street, I see a car parked so I am assuming its actually the side of the house you see from the street.

also the brick that gets demoed could easily be used to fill in the boarded over window. I too would rethink the money you are spending and how you could do so much more with it.

The front faces the water and will have large sliders but the driveway side is the main entrance to the house. I like the idea of taking the screen and sidelights out and and building a small deck that covers the cement floor in the vestibule area extending out to the stairs down to the driveway. Thinking a garden behind where the ramp is now.

I would not clad the whole house if the bricks are in good shape. You say you’re putting in new windows and most of the brick will have to be removed for the new larger windows? Why not reuse those “extra” bricks to fill in the missing window? If that’s not possible then I would pick a coordinating stone, perhaps a linear, thin, dry stack stone ( google: COUNTRY LEDGESTONE CULTURED STONE) and create a 6’ panel of stone (where the window was) going from the roofline down to the ground line. The stone will go with the style of the house and will save you lots of $$$$.

I guess I missed that it was a Lake House my first read through and that this is the front entry. With those in mind adding on to my original suggeston about flagstone and removing storm door I would carry the flag stone all the way acoss as a "porch". I would do a pergola but with pretty posts to serve as a "porch" top. Add some great potted greenery and seasonal flowers. Also if snow is an issue with removing the storm door I would consider placing an actual front door in its place that permanently closes the area in and making the vestibule your entrance. Remove the front door into the actual house and open the wall up. Most ranches like this don't have foyers and you just spill into the living space. This could be a great opportunity to create and actual entry foyer.. Here is a very very rough rendering. Because the home is going to all white I would do the garage door in a color. I chose a pale blue and a bit deeper pale blue shutter. Or they couuld be the same. But since you are on a lake its a nice color to use. I have pieced together some images on here so of course the scale is off etc and materials different but it would give you an idea. If the brick is in good shape and you are adding vertical siding to the home what about just painting the brick white or lime washing it? It would give you a visually nice mix of materials. Look at RomaBio for some visuals.

I agree painting the brick could be better than siding it. could you move the front door to the area the house numbers are in now?

I would replace the first exterior door (storm door?) with a solid lockable door. It appears a bit flimsy to provide any protection from someone trying to break into the house. A person could easily get inside the enclosed porch and would be hidden from view while breaking through the second door. Do you intend to change the steps? I would cover the porch with a different awning to provide cover on a rainy day.

Here are my suggestions. New white or pale grey siding. Difficult to say from the picture where the shingles you mention would go. Charcoal front and garage doors and trim. Since the windows seemed rather new in the photos, I did a black frame around the white windows but if you're replacing them, I would get black windows. At the front door, nice slate tiles for your porch and walkway. A long narrow flower box along the porch.

Thank you! I really like the front flower box idea and the slate tiles for the porch walkway. It really changes the look of the porch and leads you into the door. I think you're also right on with the bench and decorative item above! The windows on the lakeside are going to be larger and the deck going across the front. The shake siding will be in the peaks of the house and garage if we can get them! Shortages are everywhere! The firepit with chairs looks great! thanks for your input! I will post some pictures when it is finished but that may take a while!

Looking forward to seeing the finished product, I'm sure it will look great!

Design Interior South :

I like the choices of the blue for the shutters and door as well as the pergola type porch over the walkway, stairs. The texture of the brick in white is a nice contrast with the siding too. I wouldn't mind painting the brick but (at this point ) my husband and my contractor both "believe" that the house should be all one material... I disagree!

RL Relocation:

I thought about moving the door totally at the beginning but it was very expensive and meant we would lose the use of a room inside , so, not a possibility.

Thank you for your input everyone! Lots of great ideas! I am very inspired by your comments and am taking them all into consideration, even painting the brick! (YES!) as opposed to Hardie siding as much as I love board and batten!

My 2 cents. The area between storm door and front door is your Boot/Mud Room - a casual spot where people need a floor mat to stomp muck off shoes, sturdy bench/chair/built-in unit to sit on to remove shoes, hooks to hang up wet overcoats, spot to leave wet umbrellas, baskets on shelf or drawers under bench to store gloves/mittens/scarves/knit caps, maybe woven basket full of ski lodge wool socks to wear indoors. Leave the floor “as is” if in Excellent condition and spend budget elsewhere, or paint with waterproof concrete paint, or paint grout lines to mimic cement flagstones, or add real patterned cement tiles or flagstones.

If you love board and batten, the Boot/Mud Room is perfect for that.

You don’t need a big budget to create a charming and practical Boot/Mid Room. Only splurge on built-ins and high end flooring if you have the budget.

Do not paint the brick because you will be spending hard earned money periodically to repaint it, when your money is better spent on landscape, indoor furniture, repair emergency fund, entertainment

I hope the narrow wooden steps leave when the ramp leaves. If the pergola and deck is not In your budget, great place to use flagstones is to cover the concrete steps, make steps wider so they extend to straight to lawn and to left side to driveway, and add railing for safety and charm

It believe it will help curb appeal to paint the gutters and downspouts same white color as the eaves and wood trim. The house numbers can’t be seen by guests and emergency responders, paint darker and move to over garage or brick strip between garage and house.

I love the picture with the b & w tiles but wonder if they might be slippery when wet? New house numbers are in the budget lol! I think those ones were homemade by a previous owner. Im hoping to return them to the family with a few other quirky but cool items we found that may have sentimental value to them. Thanks for the interior entrance possibilities and step ideas.

I would not want to make it any harder for a car to actually get in the garage, with the planter boxes there it might make turning in hard, I think having the steps come off the front like previously sugested is better, and yes I would not want tile, it also shifts with weather changes and cracks, I would do vinyl wood decking or treated lumber.

Is the cedar shake going in the eaves? Or at the gable ends? If the gable ends, keep in mind that with a low pitched roof, the affect will be different than with a high pitched roof.

i wish the gable end had more of a pitch and im just hoping that maybe all one colour siding will help and not break it up too much. i could do board and batten alll the way up.

My home has a low pitched roof also and when I was re-siding it, I thought about doing shake in the gable ends. When I mocked it up in photoshop, though, I realized it did not look right on a low pitched home. I suggest to get a mockup to get an idea how it will look ahead of time and be sure you like it.

I honestly think the home looks great as it is and it's nice how low maintenance it is. Some landscaping would enhance the curb appeal.

Use this on brick. Romabio is easy to apply, you can get the color and look you want. It breaths so doesn’t require maintenance like paint does. Do not put wood over brick near water. It’s a “buffet” for insects and termites. Lowes carrys this line. Watch YouTube videos to see how easy to work with. Super Lake Cottage look.

You can match texture of brick to fill in where needed when you do the new windows and Romabio will make everything look uniform. Leave as much space as possible for entering and exiting that garage. We have narrow garage doors now, and it is such a hassle especially exiting.

I agree with Marylut that you would be downgrading the value of your home (as well as adding maintenance and expenses for painting) by changing the siding, but there are other things you can do to add the kind of character you'd like to have in your home. The brick is actually a neutral. Things that are adversely affecting the curb appeal right now: The contrasting rain gutter/downspout (whose idea was that, why would you want to draw attention to it, you want it to disappear), the garage door (makes up a large space on the front of the home with a boring appearance), the front porch (an opportunity to add character, it's just purely utilitarian), the house numbers, and the cheesy shutters. Change these things out and add some arbors, trellises, and landscaping in the style you like, and you will be able to upgrade your home's appearance at less expense. I'm thinking trellises each side of the window or an arbor framing it would be an idea instead of those dark, narrow shutters. The mudroom is such a great thing to have, especially by the lake, it's something you will probably get a lot of use out of, and if you remove the door, you'll just have a long dark passageway on the front of your home. Perhaps there is a way to give that doorway a little more style and character.

replace stairs/ramp with much bigger landing made of matching brick or else stone/concrete (whatever looks best). add the stairs running whole width and length (= 2 sides of landing). Add big potted plants if landing is still surrounded with pavement.

Wow! thank you everyone! I am definitely going to look into Romabio!! I think that we may be able to get the look we want with the limewash and implementing some of the changes you have suggested, i.e., wooden deck and pergola, arbors and trellises, shutters. Brick can be beachy or at least much "beachier"!! Your input has really helped to change my contractors and husbands' ideas of what can be done andwhat they are willing to try, so, as of today, the brick stays!! Thank you all for your input! With all of the shortages these days, it will take a while but I will post pictures as things progress!!