Exterior facelift needed for our 60s ranch
We have a 60s ranch that needs an exterior facelift and I’m looking for suggestions. We definitely need a new roof and the shrubs pruned but wondering if anyone has other suggestions. I do not want to paint the brick. The gray siding can be painted or replaced. Side note, the house faces south and has a large white oak to the right of these pictures. The road is actually on the left side of the house and there is an ADU to the right.
Here is what I am tending towards with the dark gray replacement roof (option 1).
Here is a close up of the brick and mortar.
This is the house with the existing brown roof.
Option 2: brown roof
Option 3: black roof
Option 4: lighter gray, also matches ADU not pictured
Here is the house from the road, driveway on the right, ADU is white and in the back of the lot.
Thanks so much for all of your comments! I have the house schedule to be washed soon. I also removed the Japanese laurel to the right of the stairs, trimmed the rhododendron, planted a boxwood to the left of the patio, and trimmed last years ornamental grass along the pathway. It's starting to look better but still needs a new roof! Wondering if anyone is for or against a metal roof? Would this help it look more modern or confused?
Washed!! …
Comments (16)
PROBeverlyFLADeziner
last yearA gray roof looks like the right direction. Before selecting any colors though, I would have the brick washed and cleaned. You might be surprised at the actual color of the brick.
jonna393 thanked BeverlyFLADeziner
housegal200
last yearSome suggestions:
--Light charcoal/brown/dark gr roof which will harmonize best with your brick and front steps. Brown/taupe gutters and downspouts if those need replacing
--Sage green trim on portico and window trims.
Landscaping:--Right side: Lower your rhododendron to windowsill level and have that garden bed edged.
--Left side: Add deep curved garden bed all the way to bottom step to soften straight angles of the house. Use reddish brown mulch.
--Walkway--reddish pavers or bricks. Remove your plantings on both sides since they look unmaintained and ragged during cold season.
Traditional Cottage Garden Rancho Santa Fe · More Info
--Plant a reddish tree like a full size Japanese maple in a deep round bed on the left side in the middle of the lawn.Related Discussions
60s Ranch Landscaping Ideas Needed!
Comments (3)I see that there's a tree at the right and left but outside of the camera view. Could back up with the camera and take a picture that shows everything including those trees? Then, for the foundation planting, the picture you've posted is too distant. Move in with the camera to the vicinity of the yellow dot and take a series of slightly overlapping pictures, panning from left to right, that include all the area in the red rectangle. The neighboring houses should show up in the first and last picture. It's important that the camera merely pivot; it can't change position....See MoreNeed curb appeal help for a 60's ranch style house.
Comments (9)Could you add a couple of photos that show a bit more to the property lines left and right so we can see everything currently in the front yard? I would make the garage doors and all the trim around them the same color. You don’t want to be drawing attention in that area. The area around the front door I would make brighter with color and good lighting. The shrub in the lawn looks a bit unkempt and isn’t placed with any apparent logic relating it to anything else in the yard, so I would likely move or remove it. I would want something a couple of feet tall and rounded in the bed of purple groundcover as well as in a pot between the porch and garage.. The walkway and steps look pinched, so widen the steps and make the walkway wider. Change the placement of the walkway a bit to swing out a bit further from the house if you want to place a plant in the ground rather than a pot between the garage and the porch....See More60s brick ranch exterior update
Comments (5)Thats a nice looking ranch, I really like the roofline. I would paint shutters and door a darker version of the roof color (whatever it is- cant tell) for more cohesiveness. Id like this foryour door - it fits with and accentuates the horizontal lines of your house + windows: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Builders-Choice-36-in-x-80-in-Elite-Atlantis-Etch-Glass-Contemporary-Left-Hand-4-Lite-Satin-Painted-Fiberglass-Prehung-Front-Door-HDXD189450/300922903 Some other cool doors for ya: https://retrorenovation.com/2014/07/22/4-places-buy-midcentury-entry-doors-home/....See MoreHow to update a 60s Ranch Exterior
Comments (11)Where does each front door lead? To me, it looks like the door in the middle was the original front door and it would lead to living area. The door to the left looks like it leads to a utility area. Have you changed the interior uses? Agree with housegal that the landscaping needs to be trimmed way back, it is serving as a barrier now rather than an open landscape plan to bring people to the front of your home. The high contrast white trim on the doors against the red siding draws all the focus. Changing exterior doors needs to relate to the interior floorplan. Where do you want people to come inside? Most don't want to have the utilities areas front and center; however, the owners inadvertently lead people right to the utility areas by highlighting that entrance (such as garage doors and side doors). Right now, your utility doors are bright white against a dark red siding. You can change that by blending your garage door color with the siding or having it darker than the siding so it doesn't stand out to accentuate your garage door. Same with your utility door. Color works wonders. You can use an accent color for your intended front door. And landscaping that works with your home....See More
RedRyder
last yearpartim
last yearlast modified: last yearTo my eye, your porch roof is not in good proportion to the house. That could be fairly easily improved by adding some substantial foundation planting with evergreen shrubs, and enlarging the bed forwards. Nothing airy, some shrubs with visual heft like the overgrown shrub you already have, but shorter under the windows. Needs to be on both sides of the house. It would balance out the heavy look of the porch roof.
The porch roof is very substantial, and the metal railing is very airy, almost invisible, so it gives the feeling that the porch roof is not well supported. (I am sure it is sturdy, it's just the feel of it.) I would leave the railing as it is, but enclose the corner supports with some wood to give it a more hefty feel.
I think these 2 fairly simple changes would improve the proportions and overall look of your house.
la_la Girl
last year- PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year 
PRO
violetsnapdragon
last yearpartim
last yearsimplynatural
last yearIf you do consider changing the porch and its roof (and a reroofing project is a good time to do it), here is one option: a widened porch extending just beyond the center window (more seating without crowding the door) and a simple shed roof over it.
jonna393 thanked simplynaturaljonna393
last yearThanks so much for all of these ideas! I've already pruned the rhodo significantly and am working on the Japanese laurel (I think it will need to be removed completely as its base is only a foot from the foundation). Planning to add a box wood to the left of the door and do some edging soon.
@simplynaturalLove your ideas. Interestingly, there were blue shutters on the house when we bought it (see picture) but I took them down because I didn't like the blue. I agree the black looks much better, especially if we go with a gray roof.@housegal200We actually have 2 Japanese maples in the front! Old picture from the summer added to show the more mature one. Is this what you were thinking?
simplynatural