Help with exterior updates - 90's mcmansion

last year

Hi all,

My wife and I are looking to update the exterior of our home. We are looking at replacing the front door and painting the exterior. We really like the idea of going with a creamy white for paint and darker trim (black, charcoal gray) but need some professional advice. The first pic is the front elevation:

We like the color combos in this picture as an example, we like how the wood tones compliment the lighter siding color and darker trim.

City Modern Farmhouse Town & Country Charlotte · More Info

We also want to add some architectural details to the facade to break up some of the open space on the gables (see examples below

536 Ansley Street · More Info

Craftsman Farm House · More Info

Any advice/feedback would be appreciated!

Featured Answer

PRO

Norwood Architects

last year

I like your inspiration photos - especially the first one. Painting all your walls (sided and brick) should unify your fascade and downplay the difference between the siding and the brick. Good luck!

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Comments (16)

jck910
last year
Are you thinking of painting the brick? I would definitely remove the shutters. I would not add "architectural details"
Michael Day thanked jck910
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kandrewspa
last year
Painting the brick on such a large house is an expensive undertaking and then you have changed a no maintenance surface to a surface that will have to be repainted every so often until the end of time. Of course white houses have been around since the beginning of time, but what you're talking about is something akin to Modern Farmhouse and that house is never going to be a Modern Farmhouse, which is a simpler form. The current fad for painting brick will pass so just wait it out and save yourself thousands of dollars which you could spend on a nice vacation or something else you want instead.
Michael Day thanked kandrewspa
la_la Girl
last year
It is hard to tell how much brick there actually is - does it wrap around the whole house or is it just those front 3 panels? If it is just the panels, I would paint those in a heart beat - you will like find some good inspiration here: https://romabio.com/masonry/

(we have a painted brick house & been here 17 years and haven't done a thing to it)
Michael Day thanked la_la Girl
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
IMO painting brick is the fastest way to devalue your home. The brick is not the issue IMO with your house. The shutters have to go the siding should be painted for sure , a new front door much more contemporary and some modern landscaping all better than painting the brick. BTW never going to be modern farmhouse no matter what you do.
Michael Day thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
Bette P
last year
If you painted the siding to a deeper color, it would help minimize the difference of material. Is there more brick on the exterior, rear and sides? Remove the shutters, keep your windows clear of shrubs/trees, nothing above the sills.
Photo 1 &2, BM iron mountain on the trim and Amherst Gray in the gables. Love this one.
Photo 3, BM Copley Gray and Elephant Tusk trim. Nice gray/green
Photo 4, SW Status Bronze and Relaxed Khaki
Michael Day thanked Bette P
Bette P
last year
More Houzz pics
Sigrid
last year
Don't clutter up your house with "architectural details". Your house has enough interest in the massing of the forms. Looking a one spot, deciding it's bare and adding details results in visual clutter.

The first pic is pretty obviously photo-shopped. The second inspo house would be much improved by stripping off that silly thing over the window and the stuff on the gables. This kind of gew-gaw is the McMansion detail of today. People are going to hate it in 10 years.

Don't paint the brick, either.
Michael Day
Original Author
last year
The brick on the front is the only brick on the house. Siding on the front is cedar, it is vinyl on the sides and back. House was built in 1997. Everything is original.

I'm not trying to change the house to a farmhouse, I just like those color combos. This all started with us wanting to replace the door, the current one might as well be a screen door as wind just goes right through it. We don't want to spend ~$20K on a new door without having an idea on what we want to do with the rest of the house. We'll eventually replace the windows and the roof is less than a year old.

Appreciate everyone's thoughts, keep 'em coming!
Rehabit
last year
painting brick doesn't devalue all markets I know in the south painting limewashing the old mcmansion sales fast and flips fast
Michael Day thanked Rehabit
RNmomof2 zone 5
last year
last modified: last year
What are you going to do with the vinyl ? Something will need to be done to get it to match the paint. Our house is very similar to yours in style and color. We just got a quote to replace our old vinyl with new and were blown away with the cost. What is your budget for this project? It's going to cost a pretty penny to do all these changes and won't carry to the bottom line on resale.

Have you gotten quotes for any of this? We scaled back our dreams after we got ours.
User
last year
If it is only a brick front, then painting it may work. Mainly I think landscaping needs to be redone with a plan more thoughtful to sight lines. Remove bushes and trees blocking windows and use height to break up the mass of brick in the garage wing. Remove shutters or get appropriately sized shutters.
Lyn Nielson
last year
I'd replace the front door, paint the cedar clapboard siding and leave the brick as is.
K Laurence
last year
Paint the siding & trim, & remove the shutters, & leave the brick alone. Much better landscaping is where I’d spend my money. Painting it all white with dark trim will make it look like every other fliphouse I see on a daily basis, so sick of the look already ! ( and I initially liked it, but it’s been overdone )
WestCoast Hopeful
last year
I would paint it all. It’s your house and if you don’t like it as is change it. We had a house where brick was already painted when we bought it and we painted it again. Zero regrets. It too was only at the front but we painted the whole house and replaced the doors and windows and changed trim. We kept it to two similar colours for the house to keep it very cohesive. Brick was slightly darker than the rest.
WestCoast Hopeful
last year
Here is our before and after.