Curb appeal ideas

last year

Hello! We recently replaced our roof. But as always, when you do one thing, it can easily throw off the rest. Now we have a very black roof, creamy siding and very red bricks. It is very harsh and doesn't really flow or look too good IMO. Unfortunately, it's not in the budget to change the siding. Should I paint the bricks; or possibly lime wash? Add black shutters to just the top window? I definitely want/need to change out the lights to chunkier black ones. I like a modern farmhouse look, but a mid-century modern could be a possibility too. I live in a climate that gets all four seasons. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Landscaping ideas, too! (should i change the reddish bricks to grey ones?)

Featured Answer

mytwo cents

last year

last modified: last year

Big lanterns are so expensive I thought you might like to see a budget option.

https://www.lampsusa.com/collections/outdoor-wall-lights/products/designers-fountain-budget-cast-aluminum-3-light-wall-sconce-black-2952-bk

I hope your door is well lit at night, and the steps too. I don't see a hand railing on the steps, which I think would be quite nice and of course almost a necessity in a 4-season climate. I realize you probably never walk those stairs and enter the house through the garage, but I would still do it. Something very simple black wrought iron would be nice accent with the black roof. The braces could be simpler than this but I would keep the verticals far apart, not dense, and you only need one railing

Personally I would not spend money to paint over the brick, most of which is so far from the street it simply "reads" as a definiton of the space, and the house will look fatter in a color you aren't confident about. I don't think it will improve the appearance of the house and might hurt its market value. Ask a realtor before you do it.

if after you've hung the new lanterns on the garage you don't like the look of the brick under them, think about adding box planters and grow vines or climbing small flowers instead of painting

https://www.wayfair.com/Sol-72-Outdoor™--Savannah-Plastic-Elevated-Planter-with-Trellis-X112893530-L349-K~W001782429.html?refid=GX602165565825-W001782429_1769294345&device=c&ptid=902770416953&network=g&targetid=aud-976909297908:pla-902770416953&channel=GooglePLA&ireid=154281891&fdid=1817&PiID%5B%5D=1769294345&gclid=Cj0KCQjwoK2mBhDzARIsADGbjerqjEeOjDFpPs4tHbGc4ddb99P-ImfyCYhR4pvw2e0GLqVOjX5se5QaAu7DEALw_wcB

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Comments (12)

mytwo cents
last year
last modified: last year
I think you are being too harsh. I suppose if I was going to spend money I would consider changing the garage vent to an arched window, and possibly putting a vine pergola structure or some kind of beam over the garage door and do more substantial lanterns.

I would get rid of the meatball bushes and consult with a local landscaper about what grows best that would give you shape and structure making a path to the front door. I think the feeling of walking through a mini-arbor -- weeping cherries? -- would be nice, but a landscaper might have some perfect suggestions that deer don't like.

Otherwise you have a nice house sitting on a rise in the sun with pleasant ornamental trees/ What's not to like?
K Phillips thanked mytwo cents
palimpsest
last year
This house would need a major structural overhaul to either look farmhouse or midcentury modern. This is a neo-eclectic style house. If you are going to paint something I would consider painting the siding so it's not so bright, but I think this house looks like what it looks like more or less, because it's a certain style. I agree with getting more substantial lanterns and then as suggested above, I think I would landscape
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Definitely do the driveway. If you can add a bit more garden to the small one between the driveway and the door, I would do that-maybe extending it under the first of those three windows, so the door doesn't look so crowded. Do you need that fence for privacy or to keep a dog or children in the yard? If not (or even in the case of a dog/children), I would replace it with something more attractive or get rid of it altogether (but not if you have a dog of course-lol). What you have done so far looks quite nice and the house is pretty, too!
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This one is a challenge (maybe why no other responses?): to minimize the imbalance of door/windows, settle the high-set house into its site, and cover the bare legs of the rhododendrons(?). I played with a number of options, but this is the one I liked best. It removes the shutters and prunes the rhododendrons below the windows. (I read that late winter is the best time to do that; even though some blooms will be sacrificed, regrowth will have a better shape than if you wait until after they bloom.) I painted the door navy, as you suggested, substituted a larger light fixture, added house numbers, and removed what looks like stone veneer on the stair risers. Plants are: one Purple Pillar rose of sharon (the tall shrub rising into the empty space), four New Jersey tea (native) flanking the stairs; two white evergreen azaleas and two Elegantissima red-twig dogwoods at the corners; and Chocolate Chip ajuga in the strip between sidewalk and street. Spring bloom will be the ajuga (blue), azaleas (white), and rhododendrons (color?). Summer bloom will be the rose of sharon (light red-violet with a deeper center) and the New Jersey tea (creamy white). There won't be much fall color--but New England's sugar maples provide plenty! (You could substitute Little Henry Virginia sweetspire for two or all four of the New Jersey tea. That would give you earlier summer flowers and red/orange/gold fall color.) In winter, the rhododendrons and azaleas will be evergreen, and the dogwood's red twigs will show. Spring: Summer:
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To address some questions/comments. Radiant heat sounds wonderful as winters are snowy and icy. We already have radiant heat in our house. I wonder how difficult it would be to extend out to the walkway/patio. I love the idea of extending the porch and adding a gable. I am not sure if it is in the budget currently as we are working on updating the inside of the house too. We do have animals of ALL kinds. We have bears, deer, bobcats, coyotes, etc. Our 40 acres is covered in berries, apple trees, etc. But you are correct, I am not sure if I want them close to my front door. Bugs are typically not much of an issue. We sit outside on our open porch quite frequently. Ideally, I would like the large outdoor entertaining area to be out back, but I do like the small porch in the front with the walkway to connect to the driveway. My main focus on the house right now is the interior. However, these pavers are starting to rock back and forth and crumble. It is becoming a safety issue and I really need to do something with it sooner than later. Thank you for all your feedback. I will probably incorporate many of the ideas somehow.
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I’d start with removing the shutters and updating the landscaping. I love the idea of extending the porch too and possibly painting the trim and siding down the line. As well as new lighting fixtures and a new door. I mean options are endless. Again, I’d start with the shutters and landscape
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PRO
Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
last year
Your exterior not look bad. I would paint or lime wash the brick.
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K Phillips thanked Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
chloebud
last year
Larger lanterns, for sure.

You might also consider garage doors with windows across the top since the garage is so prominent.
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K Phillips thanked chloebud
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
modern farmhouse or MCM are not going to happen with that house, unless it came with a really big money tree.IMO the brick lookd glued on and not very attractive so agoinst my usual comment I wou\ld paint the brick the same as the siding and go to work on some much better landscaping and if you want to keep the brick then a much different color for the siding like a gray or anice gray/ green and yes to a new gaage door
K Phillips thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
millworkman
last year
On the round top windows are those grids between the glass or an interior grid? If interior grid I would remove them.
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K Phillips thanked millworkman
AnnKH
last year
What color was the roof before? I wonder if you are just reacting to the change, more than the actual color. I agree with those who suggested putting your effort into landscaping and lighting. And a nice large window above the garage door would do wonders to bring that big white mass into proportion.
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K Phillips thanked AnnKH
K Phillips
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
Thank you all for taking the time to offer up suggestions. The grids are in the windows. The roof was brown
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K Phillips
Original Author
last year
I will definitely change out the lights and consider new garage doors with windows on the top. I also do need a railing so I will get a quote on that . mytwo cents, I love the idea of those planters! Will definitely take the advice on the landscaping.
HU-227031627
last year
I painted my bricks gray. Best decision about the house that i have ever made. Paint yours
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taniajk
last year
IMO plantings will make the house seem less stark. You have a lot of space to work with, which could turn into something really lovely. I'd do native plantings which are water-efficient and beautiful! For plantings (like furniture) start with the big stuff (trees/ large shrubs and also define planting areas). A serviceberry tree or a group of aspens are nice. I'd consult a landscaper who works in natives. Landscaping can be done in sections (but pref according to a well conceived plan) so it doesn't have to be too expensive.
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Curb appeal ideas

mytwo cents

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mytwo cents

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