Help me redesign the outside of my house
June 4, 2021 7:54 AM Subscribe
My house is ugly and I'd like to make it attractive. I am considering replacing the roof and siding to give the whole thing a facelift. I am getting stuck with the design. I have talked with several contractors who do quality work, but all of them have acknowledged to me their talents are installation, not design. Can AskMe help design my house, or point me to someone who can? (Photo and details inside)
This is the house:
https://imgur.com/jmQbBIE
The roof is old and definitely needs replacement. I am thinking of going with a darker color. This is the easy part.
The wood siding is damaged and painters tell me it will require a TON of prep and repair work and even then the paint job won't look great. I think this has me convinced I should wrap the whole house in vinyl siding. Replacing the siding with wood is outside of my budget.
Beyond that, I am not interested in any major structural renovation or building.
I think I'd like to completely remove all of the brown and the green by doing the following:
This is as far as I can get. I do not know how to answer the questions above and I am struggling to find someone to look at the house and then get excited about coming up with ideas. I know that there are a bunch of design tools online and I've poked around with them, but the main problem is that I lack an artistic vision so even when I have the design tool in front of me, I'm just still not sure what to do.
Do you have any specific suggestions about design for this house? Do you have any suggestions for how I can find someone who does?
I would also welcome referrals to specific contractors or designers in the vicinity of Amherst, MA.
Many thanks!
This is the house:
https://imgur.com/jmQbBIE
The roof is old and definitely needs replacement. I am thinking of going with a darker color. This is the easy part.
The wood siding is damaged and painters tell me it will require a TON of prep and repair work and even then the paint job won't look great. I think this has me convinced I should wrap the whole house in vinyl siding. Replacing the siding with wood is outside of my budget.
Beyond that, I am not interested in any major structural renovation or building.
I think I'd like to completely remove all of the brown and the green by doing the following:
- Change the color of the garage and front door (to what?)
- Remove all shutters
- Turn all of the green trim and gutters to white
- Turn all of the brown siding some other color(to what?)
- Paint front deck and railroad ties(What color?)
This is as far as I can get. I do not know how to answer the questions above and I am struggling to find someone to look at the house and then get excited about coming up with ideas. I know that there are a bunch of design tools online and I've poked around with them, but the main problem is that I lack an artistic vision so even when I have the design tool in front of me, I'm just still not sure what to do.
Do you have any specific suggestions about design for this house? Do you have any suggestions for how I can find someone who does?
I would also welcome referrals to specific contractors or designers in the vicinity of Amherst, MA.
Many thanks!
Also, I'd have the siding installed horizontally rather than vertically -- the vertical looks very odd/dated to me on your home.
posted by jabes at 8:10 AM on June 4, 2021 [10 favorites]
posted by jabes at 8:10 AM on June 4, 2021 [10 favorites]
Horizontal rather than vertical siding and a color that... isn't that will help immensely. I actually think removing the shutters will not work super well, because one of the aesthetic problems (that I have) with that facade is that it has big swaths of blank flat space, and taking the shutters out will just make that even bigger. I'm sure there are other ways to ornament that space than shutters, though.
I personally love that particular shade of green and if your siding were a lighter and much more complementary color I think it would really pop, but you could of course just pick a color you liked better as an accent.
Also you could talk with some landscape designers, too, because one thing you could do to change the appearance (and is probably what I would do) is plant two ornamental trees, one on either side of those lower windows, that would grow up into that weird empty space between the stories and break it up.
You could also do this in pieces - you need siding, so pick siding in a color you like. (Horizontal! I promise it'll look better!) Then use that to pick a complementary roof color. (Do this in either order, depending on need.) Then once that's all done, look at trim colors. That might help ease the choice paralysis and allow you to end up with a unified aesthetic that you actually like.
posted by restless_nomad at 8:12 AM on June 4, 2021 [6 favorites]
I personally love that particular shade of green and if your siding were a lighter and much more complementary color I think it would really pop, but you could of course just pick a color you liked better as an accent.
Also you could talk with some landscape designers, too, because one thing you could do to change the appearance (and is probably what I would do) is plant two ornamental trees, one on either side of those lower windows, that would grow up into that weird empty space between the stories and break it up.
You could also do this in pieces - you need siding, so pick siding in a color you like. (Horizontal! I promise it'll look better!) Then use that to pick a complementary roof color. (Do this in either order, depending on need.) Then once that's all done, look at trim colors. That might help ease the choice paralysis and allow you to end up with a unified aesthetic that you actually like.
posted by restless_nomad at 8:12 AM on June 4, 2021 [6 favorites]
I think the most important thing you could update is giving it some contrast. Right now the roof and the siding are basically the same color, and I think that's 90% of the problem.
Personally I'd go lighter on the roof for energy savings (lighter colors reflecting the heat away) and darker on the siding. I kind of like the vertical orientation of the siding but think it might be good to add interest by keeping that on the jutout over the garage but going horizontal on the rest of the house. Or you could use color or texture to add contrast in those pieces. (I really love woodgrain siding like this, but have no idea how expensive that is. )
I also love a good pop of color. I just painted my midcentury stucco garage dark navy blue, and all the doors are a bright coral. Similar to this, which is much more like your house. You could even keep the shutters and use them as the pop of color. (I would really consider keeping the shutters anyway to balance out the size of those windows with the house. I fear without the shutters they will really look undersized.)
Doing a search for "modernizing a split level exterior" (especially on pinterest) would be a great way to get ideas.
posted by pixiecrinkle at 8:17 AM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
Personally I'd go lighter on the roof for energy savings (lighter colors reflecting the heat away) and darker on the siding. I kind of like the vertical orientation of the siding but think it might be good to add interest by keeping that on the jutout over the garage but going horizontal on the rest of the house. Or you could use color or texture to add contrast in those pieces. (I really love woodgrain siding like this, but have no idea how expensive that is. )
I also love a good pop of color. I just painted my midcentury stucco garage dark navy blue, and all the doors are a bright coral. Similar to this, which is much more like your house. You could even keep the shutters and use them as the pop of color. (I would really consider keeping the shutters anyway to balance out the size of those windows with the house. I fear without the shutters they will really look undersized.)
Doing a search for "modernizing a split level exterior" (especially on pinterest) would be a great way to get ideas.
posted by pixiecrinkle at 8:17 AM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
I'd suggest driving around your area, and finding houses whose look you like. I'd guess that there are many houses of a similar style nearby, and surely some have been updated in ways that will appeal to you. There's nothing wrong with copying it exactly, or making small tweaks, as long as it's not right next door or across the street. For me, seeing it on an actual house is way more useful than pictures online, or digital mockups, or even painting small samples on the actual house.
posted by primethyme at 8:33 AM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by primethyme at 8:33 AM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
I'm a big fan of the greige (grey & beige) trend that's happening now.
Examples:
greige body, black shutters, white trim, red front door
very light gray with white trim
more traditional grey & white, with a coral front door
Very much agree with the other responses on the horizontal siding.
Shutters: Either keep the shutters and add them for the lower front windows, or no shutters at all. Having some with and some without looks like nobody thought about it.
As to the deck and RR ties, I would paint them white, assuming the rest of the trim is white. Definitely go with white on the gutters/downspout.
posted by tuesdayschild at 8:34 AM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
Examples:
greige body, black shutters, white trim, red front door
very light gray with white trim
more traditional grey & white, with a coral front door
Very much agree with the other responses on the horizontal siding.
Shutters: Either keep the shutters and add them for the lower front windows, or no shutters at all. Having some with and some without looks like nobody thought about it.
As to the deck and RR ties, I would paint them white, assuming the rest of the trim is white. Definitely go with white on the gutters/downspout.
posted by tuesdayschild at 8:34 AM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
I really like the green shutters, and agree changing the brown to white would make this way, way better.
posted by starstarstar at 8:36 AM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by starstarstar at 8:36 AM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
I think tbh the main issue with this house is that it looks so new, neat and like it just came out of a showroom. I enjoy spaces that feel a little more lived in and homely.
For me, the planting is really adding a sterile feeling. I would add lots of different flora and fauna, including wild flowers, to the front, and interesting hedging / bushes / ground cover, with a few fruit trees perhaps dotted here and there, to add a sense of interest and wildness and soften the overall look. There are too many hard edges for me.
Obviously this is only my opinion though, and I live in London where I am used to a very different aesthetic / period properties etc so please don't take any of this personally if this feels overly critical. We also live in tiny, incredibly expensive shoeboxes over here with damp, so I am actually super jealous of your house which is about the size of my entire street.
posted by starstarstar at 8:39 AM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
For me, the planting is really adding a sterile feeling. I would add lots of different flora and fauna, including wild flowers, to the front, and interesting hedging / bushes / ground cover, with a few fruit trees perhaps dotted here and there, to add a sense of interest and wildness and soften the overall look. There are too many hard edges for me.
Obviously this is only my opinion though, and I live in London where I am used to a very different aesthetic / period properties etc so please don't take any of this personally if this feels overly critical. We also live in tiny, incredibly expensive shoeboxes over here with damp, so I am actually super jealous of your house which is about the size of my entire street.
posted by starstarstar at 8:39 AM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
Your best bet would be to find a design firm that can help you figure out everything you want to have done. Just from looking at the picture of your house, I have questions about the windows, and also the big tree blocking your front door. You might have to think bigger than just paint. It is a pain to find the right firm to do this sort of work, but they will help you really figure out what you want. Houzz has a list of firms working the Amherst Area with reviews. I also recommend driving around and looking for signs outside houses having work done, and also asking contractors for recommendations of design firms.
posted by momochan at 8:44 AM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by momochan at 8:44 AM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
Honestly, once you replace the roof with dark grey and make your wrap-around horizontal instead of vertical, you can just pick house color combinations you like. This is a well-trodden path, which makes it easier to identify what you like!
posted by DarlingBri at 9:00 AM on June 4, 2021
posted by DarlingBri at 9:00 AM on June 4, 2021
We went with Pacific Blue (probably has different names for different brands) with white trim and I love it. It looks kinda like this.
posted by pyro979 at 9:09 AM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by pyro979 at 9:09 AM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
And just FYI, you may want to delay a bit. Prices and timelines are through the roof right now because of all the supply chain disruptions.
posted by pyro979 at 9:10 AM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by pyro979 at 9:10 AM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
I would get rid of the big weird lollipop tree in front of your door (don't plant stuff in front of your door) , and if you can afford the expense, do a different siding on the lower garage side to slightly contrast the other side with horizontal vinyl siding. Maybe stone or something that will really stand out.
Also I can't exactly tell, but add a more substantial porch light on each side of the garage door. My recommendation would be for white siding, but I'd be cool with greige or whatever, anything that contrasts with your roof. You can keep the shutters, even keep them green along with the garage door and trim. Pick that color second.
I'd do the railroad ties and deck last. The color on them is going to be better after everything isn't quite so matchy-matchy.
Frame your yard with plantings and trees.
Future items: cover your porch, and maybe make your deck wider, nearly to the window.
A fancy gable decoration to the top of your pitched roof side - it can be wood, an nobody will even notice the vinyl siding.
Turn your yard into a yard with some retaining walls to the front and some leveling and some curbing if you don't have a sidewalk.
posted by The_Vegetables at 9:37 AM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
Also I can't exactly tell, but add a more substantial porch light on each side of the garage door. My recommendation would be for white siding, but I'd be cool with greige or whatever, anything that contrasts with your roof. You can keep the shutters, even keep them green along with the garage door and trim. Pick that color second.
I'd do the railroad ties and deck last. The color on them is going to be better after everything isn't quite so matchy-matchy.
Frame your yard with plantings and trees.
Future items: cover your porch, and maybe make your deck wider, nearly to the window.
A fancy gable decoration to the top of your pitched roof side - it can be wood, an nobody will even notice the vinyl siding.
Turn your yard into a yard with some retaining walls to the front and some leveling and some curbing if you don't have a sidewalk.
posted by The_Vegetables at 9:37 AM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
Yeah, like everyone else has said, horizontal siding is going to look a lot better than than the vertical you've got now. I would suggest cladding the part over the garage in brick. That'll give it some contrast and increase curb appeal. Honestly, if your budget allows it, I'd do it the other way around - brick on the rest of the house and siding over the garage - but that would get expensive, and you'd also have trouble matching the brick to the chimney.
I think the best thing you could do would be to clad the part over the garage in clinker brick and then the rest of the house in cornflower blue wood shakes, but that's a lot, and maybe a little too personal for me.
Consider some window planters for flowers for the windows over the garage. Maybe the picture window too.
Out of left field suggestion: red tile roof, then clad the exterior in cream-colored stucco. Obvious budget concerns there, but one of the challenges with split-levels is that they tend to look like commodities rather than homes. They don't look like traditional homes people have been living in forever, but rather buildings constructed by a developer to make money. Tile and stucco would get rid of that. You'd be excited to see your house.
Don't get rid of the shutters. Part of your problem is that the house has so much unbroken space. Getting rid of the shutters would just amplify that. There'd be even less to catch your eye, and you'd just think to yourself "wow, that's a lot of siding".
I agree that the brown has to go, but I don't hate the green, especially if you do white siding. Alternatively, light blue siding with white gutters/trim and black shutters would look good. Some red accents (e.g., window-box flowers) would really pop against that.
Don't paint your front deck and railroad ties. They only look bad now because of the brown siding. Once you change that out, they'll look better. I'm assuming they're natural wood, not just a darker brown paint, now, and in that case it'll be easier to maintain. You won't have to keep repainting as the paint cracks due to weather.
The worst part of the house is the two windows on the bottom floor under the picture window. So sad and lonely. They might be too close together to add shutters, but if not, do so. They need something. Also landscaping. Plant a low shrub like boxwood along the front of the house. You can trim it below the window level and it would still look good, or (I'm assuming those are bedrooms) you could grow it a little above the bottom of the windows to give them some privacy.
Continue the boxwood around the porch. I think there might already be landscaping to the left of the porch, but from a distance, it registers as just being overgrown, like you couldn't mow that close to the house and you don't have a weed whacker. Actually, popping the boxwood out at the corner and planting a small ornamental tree (like a Japanese maple) would probably look good, too. Or you could extend the front porch a little bit. Anything to take up some of that space between the door and the bottom windows.
Your front door area isn't doing much for you, and the color is the least of your worries. The door itself is reeaaally dated and doesn't really match the feel of the rest of the house. If you're leaning in to the modernity of the house, go all the way and get a full glass door. If not, a more traditional wood door with a couple panes would look better. You could paint it as an accent, depending on the rest of the color scheme. Meanwhile, the light and the house numbers are blending in to your brown paint. They'll look a little better when you replace the siding, but I think you should go a little bolder. Get a bigger light in black, and house numbers in black.
OK, that's probably more than you wanted, but there's some possibility here. Just getting rid of the brown will be a big improvement.
posted by kevinbelt at 9:47 AM on June 4, 2021 [4 favorites]
I think the best thing you could do would be to clad the part over the garage in clinker brick and then the rest of the house in cornflower blue wood shakes, but that's a lot, and maybe a little too personal for me.
Consider some window planters for flowers for the windows over the garage. Maybe the picture window too.
Out of left field suggestion: red tile roof, then clad the exterior in cream-colored stucco. Obvious budget concerns there, but one of the challenges with split-levels is that they tend to look like commodities rather than homes. They don't look like traditional homes people have been living in forever, but rather buildings constructed by a developer to make money. Tile and stucco would get rid of that. You'd be excited to see your house.
Don't get rid of the shutters. Part of your problem is that the house has so much unbroken space. Getting rid of the shutters would just amplify that. There'd be even less to catch your eye, and you'd just think to yourself "wow, that's a lot of siding".
I agree that the brown has to go, but I don't hate the green, especially if you do white siding. Alternatively, light blue siding with white gutters/trim and black shutters would look good. Some red accents (e.g., window-box flowers) would really pop against that.
Don't paint your front deck and railroad ties. They only look bad now because of the brown siding. Once you change that out, they'll look better. I'm assuming they're natural wood, not just a darker brown paint, now, and in that case it'll be easier to maintain. You won't have to keep repainting as the paint cracks due to weather.
The worst part of the house is the two windows on the bottom floor under the picture window. So sad and lonely. They might be too close together to add shutters, but if not, do so. They need something. Also landscaping. Plant a low shrub like boxwood along the front of the house. You can trim it below the window level and it would still look good, or (I'm assuming those are bedrooms) you could grow it a little above the bottom of the windows to give them some privacy.
Continue the boxwood around the porch. I think there might already be landscaping to the left of the porch, but from a distance, it registers as just being overgrown, like you couldn't mow that close to the house and you don't have a weed whacker. Actually, popping the boxwood out at the corner and planting a small ornamental tree (like a Japanese maple) would probably look good, too. Or you could extend the front porch a little bit. Anything to take up some of that space between the door and the bottom windows.
Your front door area isn't doing much for you, and the color is the least of your worries. The door itself is reeaaally dated and doesn't really match the feel of the rest of the house. If you're leaning in to the modernity of the house, go all the way and get a full glass door. If not, a more traditional wood door with a couple panes would look better. You could paint it as an accent, depending on the rest of the color scheme. Meanwhile, the light and the house numbers are blending in to your brown paint. They'll look a little better when you replace the siding, but I think you should go a little bolder. Get a bigger light in black, and house numbers in black.
OK, that's probably more than you wanted, but there's some possibility here. Just getting rid of the brown will be a big improvement.
posted by kevinbelt at 9:47 AM on June 4, 2021 [4 favorites]
You may want to look around at how other people are dealing with the aesthetics of split-level homes. This one looks like it has been neutralized and the details lost causing it to look more monolithic than it probably did when it was built.
posted by Tchad at 9:58 AM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Tchad at 9:58 AM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
All of these are personal opinions of course, but I would not get rid of the wood siding myself - quality wood siding is increasingly rare and the vertical look makes your home unique (and will likely be seen a vintage in about 15 years). Also don't get rid of that manicured shrub - what a mature and well-cared for treat!
Pop that picture into your favorite image editor and play with the colors. Personally, I would see if your window frames and rails could be color matched to the rest of your trim. The only features I would consider getting rid of are the shutters.
Truly I don't think you should throw out the aspects that make your house look special and were put in with obvious care - they don't do vertical wood siding for no reason.
posted by Think_Long at 10:22 AM on June 4, 2021
Pop that picture into your favorite image editor and play with the colors. Personally, I would see if your window frames and rails could be color matched to the rest of your trim. The only features I would consider getting rid of are the shutters.
Truly I don't think you should throw out the aspects that make your house look special and were put in with obvious care - they don't do vertical wood siding for no reason.
posted by Think_Long at 10:22 AM on June 4, 2021
Best answer: I am procrastinating so here's a possible color scheme with the ProVia visualizer that takes into account some of the suggestions others have made. Replaced the roof, added horizontal siding, updated the front door, painted the trim, shutters, garage door, and chimney, and added a matching veneer to the lower floor. The windows were displaying oddly to me when I tried to use that feature so I just used a trim layer on the large one-- hopefully you can visualize the others with a brighter white.
Even though it pains me to suggest removing any plants, I agree that the tree in front is not doing you any favors aesthetically. If you were open to structural additions at some point, a simple portico with stone or brick for the base could look very nice. But these upgrades, along with some additional landscaping to take advantage of all that sunny open space, modernize things quite a bit.
posted by notquitemaryann at 10:28 AM on June 4, 2021 [3 favorites]
Even though it pains me to suggest removing any plants, I agree that the tree in front is not doing you any favors aesthetically. If you were open to structural additions at some point, a simple portico with stone or brick for the base could look very nice. But these upgrades, along with some additional landscaping to take advantage of all that sunny open space, modernize things quite a bit.
posted by notquitemaryann at 10:28 AM on June 4, 2021 [3 favorites]
Moving the shrub to another location in your yard, or even selling it, are possible alternatives to removal.
posted by notquitemaryann at 10:34 AM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by notquitemaryann at 10:34 AM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
Because your windows are so white (and presumably not wood that can be painted), I would make white either a) the color of the whole house, with a contrasting color for trim, gutters, garage door. OR b) make white your contrasting color for trim, gutters, garage and pick another color for the siding.
In either case, the trim around the windows should be white (I.e if A, I don’t think you want to end up with white windows, surrounded by colored window trim, then back to white siding).
Front door can be a third color, often a “pop” color if you like.
I love your idea of shakes on the garage bump out (wrap them around to the side at least on the left corner that turns toward the main house - the origin of this look is that it was an addition added later so that whole “structure” should be in that siding.)
posted by amaire at 10:42 AM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
In either case, the trim around the windows should be white (I.e if A, I don’t think you want to end up with white windows, surrounded by colored window trim, then back to white siding).
Front door can be a third color, often a “pop” color if you like.
I love your idea of shakes on the garage bump out (wrap them around to the side at least on the left corner that turns toward the main house - the origin of this look is that it was an addition added later so that whole “structure” should be in that siding.)
posted by amaire at 10:42 AM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
I think landscaping would make a big difference. I have successfully patched and painted wood siding and it was a summer’s worth of work, but much less expensive than new siding and more attractive than vinyl. My top vote is invest in a great landscape design, maybe expand the porch if possible, and do the siding repairs and painting yourself. Or do landscaping now and wait on siding for a year or two when hopefully prices are lower. If you have to go vinyl, start by looking at the color options available because that’s going to help narrow your selection and may be easier than picking a color from thin air. I know the exterior trend -especially with mid century ranches - seems to be really dark gray, almost black siding with dark trim. navy with white trim is also popular. If you post this on r/exterior I bet the color suggestions will be black, charcoal or navy. I think it’s a nice house and you could do lots with it! What about a more playful mid century take with a periwinkle blue or aqua siding and white trim? Some nice window boxes and flowers? Mid century style did have fun, pretty colors more than gray and navy, and I think that’s sometimes forgotten in the current trend of dark houses with orange doors. (And I like those too, but am trying to give you more ideas). ETA: I love the lollipop bush! It will look great with some plant friends.
posted by areaperson at 10:45 AM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by areaperson at 10:45 AM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
I could be wrong, but the siding you have is likely T-1-11, which I personally haaate. Look into a hardiboard (aka “cement”) siding, it comes pre-primed, holds paint really well, and is somewhat fireproof. It’s a horizontal siding.
You could add architectural interest with a defined “waist” - basically a wide board that is painted trim color and separates two types of materials. A look I like is the horizontal above, and a shingle look below (you can also get Hardiboard shingles, much less expensive/maintenance than cedar). Then, if you wanted, you could do a third color or a different hue of the same color as above.
I did a search on “split level remodel exterior”, and got some good results.
posted by dbmcd at 10:48 AM on June 4, 2021 [5 favorites]
You could add architectural interest with a defined “waist” - basically a wide board that is painted trim color and separates two types of materials. A look I like is the horizontal above, and a shingle look below (you can also get Hardiboard shingles, much less expensive/maintenance than cedar). Then, if you wanted, you could do a third color or a different hue of the same color as above.
I did a search on “split level remodel exterior”, and got some good results.
posted by dbmcd at 10:48 AM on June 4, 2021 [5 favorites]
Also, I strongly encourage you to consider horizontal siding instead of vertical!
posted by amaire at 10:49 AM on June 4, 2021
posted by amaire at 10:49 AM on June 4, 2021
This is easy. Paint it rainbow.
posted by aniola at 11:20 AM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by aniola at 11:20 AM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
You can get the paint store to mix red, yellow, and blue for you in precise ratios if you want a full gradient with lots of colors.
posted by aniola at 11:23 AM on June 4, 2021
posted by aniola at 11:23 AM on June 4, 2021
Moving the shrub to another location in your yard, or even selling it, are possible alternatives to removal.
Moving a tree is like $2000 bucks, plus. That's why I don't recommend it.
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:17 PM on June 4, 2021
Moving a tree is like $2000 bucks, plus. That's why I don't recommend it.
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:17 PM on June 4, 2021
Another vote for blue with white trim! Calming and cheery at once, and, it looks crisp. Beautiful in every season. Can’t go wrong. (White for everything that’s not the siding - garage door, deck, gutters.)
If there is the budget, since you’re making big changes anyway, would maybe replace the small windows (basement? Bedrooms?) with larger ones, and a maybe a skylight or two for the roof if we’re shooting for the moon.
Then sure, landscaping. Windows > landscaping if you have to choose this year, though.
posted by cotton dress sock at 12:34 PM on June 4, 2021
If there is the budget, since you’re making big changes anyway, would maybe replace the small windows (basement? Bedrooms?) with larger ones, and a maybe a skylight or two for the roof if we’re shooting for the moon.
Then sure, landscaping. Windows > landscaping if you have to choose this year, though.
posted by cotton dress sock at 12:34 PM on June 4, 2021
Our house is in a similar setting and we painted based on a Sherwin Williams color palette which was so much easier to handle than making the decisions ourselves. They have paint swatches with three colors that go together...
Ours was shagbark for the body (dark brown)
Smoke tree for just a bit of the trim (around the windows and doors. Also the gutters). (greige)
and Tansy green for doors and accents. (kind of a sage green)
We chose that palette because of the woodland setting and because I knew I would wind up doing a lot of warm color flowers (my favorite flower is black eyed susans) and I just thought it would look good both behind those and behind the spring blooming lilacs and rhododendrons. The little black dress of house color choices.
We also took off our shutters and I'm so happy we did. You are 100% right.
I wouldn't rule out leaving the beige. Neutrals with a punchy color can look great. I think it would look nice with the tansy above but you could get away with being more daring.
You need front landscaping! Get a couple of big rhododendrons. They're evergreen, grow like crazy out here. Do one of the darker blue-purple flowers if you keep the beige. Throw in a rose of sharon for fall flowers that don't require much out of you.
More of that gardening thing if that's up your alley. Also, it's not an ugly house--it's a blank canvas.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 12:44 PM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
Ours was shagbark for the body (dark brown)
Smoke tree for just a bit of the trim (around the windows and doors. Also the gutters). (greige)
and Tansy green for doors and accents. (kind of a sage green)
We chose that palette because of the woodland setting and because I knew I would wind up doing a lot of warm color flowers (my favorite flower is black eyed susans) and I just thought it would look good both behind those and behind the spring blooming lilacs and rhododendrons. The little black dress of house color choices.
We also took off our shutters and I'm so happy we did. You are 100% right.
I wouldn't rule out leaving the beige. Neutrals with a punchy color can look great. I think it would look nice with the tansy above but you could get away with being more daring.
You need front landscaping! Get a couple of big rhododendrons. They're evergreen, grow like crazy out here. Do one of the darker blue-purple flowers if you keep the beige. Throw in a rose of sharon for fall flowers that don't require much out of you.
More of that gardening thing if that's up your alley. Also, it's not an ugly house--it's a blank canvas.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 12:44 PM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Wow - Thank you all so much! I can't believe how helpful this is. I could mark every answer in this thread as best answer. I am so grateful to all of you for helping me learn so much in such a short amount of time. I know that my 5-year-old daughter would mark aniola's rainbow suggestion as best answer.
notquitemaryann, thank you for inspiring me to play around with the ProVia visualizer. After consideration of everything in this thread and a lot of trial and error with the tool, I think I am leaning toward something like this:
https://imgur.com/a/9G6pZpE
Also, while all of the landscaping suggestions are appreciated and I will no doubt incorporate some of them, I should have made it clear from the beginning that this photo is not recent and there have been some landscaping changes since.
If anyone is still here and wants to critique my draft revisions, feedback is very welcome.
posted by TurkishGolds at 1:34 PM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
notquitemaryann, thank you for inspiring me to play around with the ProVia visualizer. After consideration of everything in this thread and a lot of trial and error with the tool, I think I am leaning toward something like this:
https://imgur.com/a/9G6pZpE
Also, while all of the landscaping suggestions are appreciated and I will no doubt incorporate some of them, I should have made it clear from the beginning that this photo is not recent and there have been some landscaping changes since.
If anyone is still here and wants to critique my draft revisions, feedback is very welcome.
posted by TurkishGolds at 1:34 PM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
Maybe try a yellow door with the blue siding? I think it’s nice!
I’m neutral on the shutters. If you keep them, I think the design rule is they should be wide enough that in theory they could cover the window if closed. I’ve noticed some homes where the owners removed shutters and replaced with thicker trim around the window, and I thought that was a nice solution as well.
posted by areaperson at 2:03 PM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
I’m neutral on the shutters. If you keep them, I think the design rule is they should be wide enough that in theory they could cover the window if closed. I’ve noticed some homes where the owners removed shutters and replaced with thicker trim around the window, and I thought that was a nice solution as well.
posted by areaperson at 2:03 PM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
I just had a thought. There’s a suggestion above to do a horizontal band across the empty space to left of the door (under double windows). That is a smart idea. Another way to cover that empty stretch could be a pergola across the front yard. It could go over the front steps and stretch across the yard, under the windows. (I’m envisioning a structure built across the lawn, with a patio under, but this is also sometimes built as a smaller piece attached to the house ). This would break up that empty expanse and you could have vines growing on it. Maybe hops!? Now you can brew beer!
I should really get back to work ...
posted by areaperson at 2:15 PM on June 4, 2021
I should really get back to work ...
posted by areaperson at 2:15 PM on June 4, 2021
That looks really nice! If you have a climate where it's above 80F every day more than 4-5 months of the year, then I'd recommend against a black roof and go with the lighter roof recommended by pixiecrinkle, but if you don't then a dark roof is fine. If you live in a heating dominated climate, I'd recommend a black roof.
posted by The_Vegetables at 2:16 PM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by The_Vegetables at 2:16 PM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
I like your draft. The one thing I'd change is the garage door. I like the reddish front door, but it's a little much for the garage. I'd do white there. Otherwise, looking nice. Definite improvement.
posted by kevinbelt at 2:43 PM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by kevinbelt at 2:43 PM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
Vinyl siding is, duh, vinyl, a product that is fairly toxic to produce, can't be recycled, toxic to dispose of. I think it's hella ugly much of the time, including my old house. Cost-effective and easy, though. Hardiboard is less environmentally awful, by a lot.
I like the grayish blue; I would pair it with an olive-y grayish green for shutters and trim, and a bright Navy blue on doors. I am not a fan of adding stone or brick, but a wooden fence to support plants might look nice.
posted by theora55 at 7:26 PM on June 4, 2021
I like the grayish blue; I would pair it with an olive-y grayish green for shutters and trim, and a bright Navy blue on doors. I am not a fan of adding stone or brick, but a wooden fence to support plants might look nice.
posted by theora55 at 7:26 PM on June 4, 2021
Glad it was helpful and I love the combination you came up with!
posted by notquitemaryann at 2:42 PM on June 5, 2021
posted by notquitemaryann at 2:42 PM on June 5, 2021
Listen to your 5-year-old! I have done this IRL and people love it. At the very least, a rainbow garage door?
posted by aniola at 8:57 PM on June 5, 2021
posted by aniola at 8:57 PM on June 5, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jabes at 8:06 AM on June 4, 2021 [5 favorites]