Ideabook 911: My House Needs a Facelift!
Houzz Member Gets Ideas for Sprucing Up This Deck and Garage
If you are looking to give your home a bit of an exterior makeover, then you and Houzz user Chanellem are in the same boat. This house is ready for a fresh color scheme, some new garage doors and some new railings, Chanellem says on our Questions page. A few moves, some higher budget than others, can give this facade a good spruce-up. Here are a few suggestions I had; please contribute your ideas in the comments!
I think this deck could be a spectacular place, and that perhaps the contrast of all of those painted railings is what's making Chanellem think it's an eyesore. Because this property is in Alaska, it seems replacing the staircase with some beautiful rugged stone staircase would be impractical and dangerous; railings are imperative in icy weather.
I put on my sketching hat and got to work (please no making fun of my Architecture Summer Camp abilities). Next, I'll go through a few of the elements that make up the new design.
1. New railings. Because the railings stood out so much, they didn't seem to be in harmony with the rest of the home. Something more transparent that coordinates with the rest of the trim choices is called for. Because the house has a contemporary look, I thought it would be nice to add some metal to the mix.
Railings with horizontal wires leave views open.
This steel overhang punctuates the facade with a new material; something for Channelm to think about.
Someone warned me in the comments the other day that horizontal railings aren't very childproof because kids love to climb them. For those of us who don't let any kids come over, frankly, we don't care. However, I thought I should mention it and provide a vertical railing version.
This is another railing option that doesn't stand out so much. I've always wondered if these are a pain to keep clean. Does anyone have any experience with clear railings?
2. A translucent glass paneled garage door. This will draw the eye to the new modern doors and add rectangles in a new scale. Because the house is kind of a collage of rectangles, I thought playing around with more of them would be fun.
3. Coordinate a new entry door with the garage door. Whatever style door you choose, using the same materials on the entry door will keep things copacetic.
4. Add a boulder. It will add a nice organic shape right where people get our of their cars and begin their journey to the front door. The bonus is that it will camouflage the entry stairs a bit.
Because we probably cannot make an entry stairway like this one practical, the boulder is a nice substitute.
While I suggested something rectilinear, galvanized tubs like these are an inexpensive and attractive option. You can find them at a home improvement store for much less than a lot of large planters cost. Also, they will coordinate with metal railings.
Medium Marine Serpentine Arm Wall Light
6. Add Lighting. If you have a few spots that need outdoor lights, coordinate them with each other and perhaps play off some of the materials you have outside. For example, if you wind up using metal on the railings or planters, try to get a finish on the light fixtures that picks up on it.
Solar LED Address Numbers
7. Move your house numbers. If you want all eyes off-deck, placing them above the bottom of the entry stairs is a great way to draw the eye over there.
Please help us out with your suggestions in the comments!
More: Browse deck ideas
Curb Appeal
Making an Entrance Grand
10 Ways to Bedeck Your Deck
Please help us out with your suggestions in the comments!
More: Browse deck ideas
Curb Appeal
Making an Entrance Grand
10 Ways to Bedeck Your Deck
See the original question and response