How to modernize and update exterior

last year

last modified: last year

Help! This home in the South was built in 1962. It has some original mcm features inside including a wood-paneled den and original blue tile bathrooms. I am keeping as much as original as I can. Where I'm really struggling is with the outside. I only intend on staying here around 5 years but the exterior needs a major face-lift.
Without spending too much money, how can I transform the exterior so it's more appealing and has a more modern look to it?
So far my thoughts are..
- I removed the shutters.
- Paint!! This is an obvious first step. I'm thinking a blue/grey which I don't think will clash with red shingle roof.
- I really want to replace the round columns. But with what?! That's a pretty big DIY undertaking I think.
- New lights and removing the lamp.
- New numbers.
- New mailbox.
- Updated door.
- Landscaping.What do I do about gable vent? Paint colors? Should I add wood accents? Should I even try to modernize it and risk failing or should I keep pretty much as is and refresh with paint and lights? Thoughts?
Ps- Still working on interior as well. Paint, fixtures, artwork, furniture, etc. The interior pics where taken before I started any projects.
We used to live in a wonderful mcm Charles Goodman Butterfly roof home and I'm really longing for another modern gem which I know this won't come close to touching on that. But hoping I can make it appeal to my tastes more.
Thanks for any and all advice.

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Comments (10)

spammie
last year
Photos???
S H
Original Author
last year
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S H
Original Author
last year
A few interior
kandrewspa
last year
Since you're only going to be there five more years I wouldn't try to change the house's nature too much. You're pretty far away from MCM here. If you go in that direction but can't get 100% there you're just going to alienate people in both camps when you go to sell. I would focus on sprucing up the landscaping and I think I would stay with a cream exterior. I don't know that I'm feeling a blue-gray exterior. The roof looks brown. Does it look more red in person? Leaning green might be an option. A new front door would be a good idea, just don't go too modern. You could have a more interesting color or a wood look. When you go to sell if the exterior looks like it doesn't need any work people it will put buyers' minds at ease since they won't have to spend money on the outside. Is there a garage on this house?
Sigrid
last year
Power wash the house, paint the door frame a cream that goes with your brick and add some foundation shrubs to the right. Pick nice ones, not boring yews. I'd also put some pretty plants in the space between the patio and the house. One nice flowering bush like a hibiscus if you're not into gardening. A flower garden if you are.

You aren't going to get MCM with any easy or cheap fix.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
The xterior is far from MCM along the line someone already ruined that. As for the rest IMO if 5 yrs is the plan I would be upgrading the kitchen and bathrooms before selling. The exterior will take big bucks to really do much I think a huge plus would be removing that ridiculous portico then see what you are working with
PRO
lisedv
last year
last modified: last year
Your home might have a MCM indoor look but the exterior certainly doesn't. I would go with a black & white scheme such as illustrated below. You can paint a checkerboard pattern or other stencil pattern on the front porch to make it interesting, install larger sconces (should be 1/4 to 1/3 the height of the front door), and paint the front door the same colour as your storm door (if you really need to keep it). If you want square columns instead of round ones, perhaps you can cover them with wood and paint. Your screened porche in the back you be done in black. Most of my suggestions are only paint as I don't think there's anything you can do other than major work to make it look MCM and certainly not like the MCM Charles Goodman homes.
decorpatti
last year
From the limited pictures, the only MCM I see is the paneled den with the white brick fireplace. The bathrooms may be from the mid-century, but don't look MCM. I DO like the color of the light blue tile and it looks like it is in good shape, but I would change the fixtures to white, get a new vanity. The rest of the house is traditional. It seems best to invest in paint and landscaping, then look hard for a home that meets your design aesthetic.
worthy
last year
last modified: last year
A Southern Gothic cottage mated a retro home and begat....

Should be one or the other.

At least you're not dealing with Retro lavender.

But with a five-year time span, I'd keep the retro baths, update accessories and put the rest into spotless condition.

Whatever you do, the next owners will more than likely make a tasteless mess of it anyway.
Jennifer Hogan
last year
If you are planning on staying in this home for only 5 years you really need to be thinking about what will increase the value more than it will cost.

You just bought the home.

Why did you buy this home instead of any of the other homes you saw?

What spoke to you when you walked through the home?

With every renovation you plan think long and hard and determine realistically how much more you would have spent to buy the home if this renovation was done. Then find out what the renovation will actually cost.

Reality is that price is based on location, square footage and overall condition.

You can't change the location. The old saying that the three most important things to look for in a home are location, location and location is because location has the largest impact on a homes price.

In most cases changes to square footage costs far more than it adds to the value of the house. Midrange additions have an average of 30% ROI. Spend $150k and the price of your home will go up by $45k.

Cosmetic changes is the only thing left, and other than minor cosmetic changes they usually cost more than they increase the sales price.

https://www.remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2023/

Anything you spend that has a negative ROI means that in 5 years you will have less money to spend on your next home than if you hadn't renovated the last home.

The best thing you can probably do are those things that are mainly based on sweat equity.

Cleaning the entire house inside and out.

Creating beds around the house and buying just a few plants that will fill in nicely. Buy tiny plants this year that will mature by the time you move. You have 5 years for them to fill in nicely.

As you are cleaning look for anything that needs repaired. The post out front with the lamp on top - the lamp needs to be straight, Does it need a coat of spray paint. Will it look prettier if the post is painted yellow and the light is painted white and with a bed of brightly colored annual flowers below and two flower pots hanging from the post or maybe train a flowering vine to go up the post? Paint the front door and replace the light fixtures so you don't have bare bulbs at the front door. The ones that are there make the home look like it wasn't well maintained.

You will have plenty to do over 5 years just fixing up anything that should have been better maintained by the last owner and making this home look loved and well cared for.

Invest your time in improvements and invest most of your money in things you can take with you. Nice indoor and outdoor furniture.