Updating exterior
Brett Hardie
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Hi,
Well, I have been living in the same house for about 12 years and I would really like to update the exterior to add some value, as the outside is a little bit of an eyesore. Currently it's just a dreary brown brick throughout the entire exterior, complimented by maroon wooden panelling. Any tips on how to make it look better, will pretty much try anything.
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (12)
PROCynthia Taylor-Luce
8 years agoThe house has a nice structure and a good strong roof. What about a plaster finish in white for a crisp clean look and to reflect the sun. It looks like you live in a tropical environment and you can't go wrong with a white Mediterranean inspired scheme.
Entrance Court · More InfoBrett Hardie thanked Cynthia Taylor-Luce
LouieT
8 years agoRelated Discussions
How to update exterior?
Comments (0)Any suggestions on how I could update the look of my house from the outside? I'm thinking of painting the door and garage door to match but am stuck for a colour. I love the F&B type colours but am mindful that my property might not be period enough to carry it off. The drive needs a good jet wash too but any other suggestions?...See MoreSuggestions to update the exterior of 60's house. Cladding windows etc
Comments (5)Hi Alfie, A few suggestions that might help if you want a modern look to your home. Extend the current cladding to underneath the first floor window - this will create a nice line all the way from the ground to the pitch of your roof. Then stain all the cladding to match a deep wood color Change the windows at the fron of your house - may I suggest a black frame (here's a link with some examples - https://mariakillam.com/black-windows/). What this will do will balance the horizontal and verticle lines of the front of the house because of the grid like pattern of them, which is currently unaestethically pleasing. Also the white of the window frames do not go well with the cladding & brick colors. Paint your bricks a dark charcoal color. Paint your garage door black. Paint your front door black or install a larger front door package that is more modern and maybe incorporates the kind of windows you will have at the fron of your house like mentioned above. As has already been mentioned, the landscaping needs to be extended up to your home (the mature tree is wonderful). Right now the front of your home looks like a concrete jungle. You can soften this with scrubbery and possibly allowing a virginia creeper to climb up your home (this is a non-evasive climber that will not hurt your brickwork or structrual integrity of your home). All of these suggestions combined will transform the look of your home, give you an exterior to be proud of, and possibly give you the best looking house on your street. Of course, if modern is not what you are going for, this won't work, but may give you some ideas to jump off from. Best wishes & good luck!...See MoreHelp needed to update exterior, windows and door on 1970s house
Comments (11)I do like the house Carolina found. I too had come across it during my research and it was one of my favourites. I’m not sure about the wood, however. It looks lovely new, but I suspect won’t weather too well. I 100% agree with ’E D’ - either subtle or extreme changes. When we first moved in we had quotes for a garage conversion... until we parked our car outside, under the tree... the birds use it as target practice so we use the garage. My plan had been to hire internal and external architects such that we had a plan for the whole house that would all tie together, even if we only worked on small components of the project at a time. Then the windows priority and COVID has rather thrown me! I had wanted to hire Back to Front Exteriors, but they are booked until spring, but could offer a couple of hours consultation once we have the internal architecture complete. I have spoken to RESI (online architects), but I get the feeling that to get the most out of them you have to have very formed requirements... something I don’t have. I’m more of a data person than a creative person, so I thought reaching out to the hive-mind collective may help! (If I can’t decide on window type, colour or opening placements it’s what hope is there!!!) Looking at Back to Front Exteriors I like the below from a concept perspective - an extension with a wider base than first floor. It would allow for a long window in the flat roof. The people before us converted the conservatory into a ground floor extension... but it isn’t really working for us; we use it as a dumping ground. I wouldn’t be adverse to sacrificing some of the dining room to make a better kitchen-family area (an island would be a dream, and anything that could make a north facing kitchen brighter would be welcome). Also, if the extension was pushed further along too I wouldn’t mind, as long as the dining room still retained a window. I have to be realistic - I only have a small garden and wouldn’t want a monstrosity extension. All I want is to make the house work better for us. It’s our dream house and we have no intention of moving....See MoreUpdate house exterior - windows doors and more..
Comments (4)Windows- I think they suit this house but I understand the instinct to add more decorative elements to a house that is handsome but plain- perhaps instead of costly new windows you should concentrate on curb appeal. Porch- wouldn’t this make the drive too narrow? Would you even see a new front door? Why not just paint your front door and add great lighting and some expensive looking planters? Brickwork- I would ask a painter decorator to experiment on a less visible part of the side brickwork- perhaps a couple of darker colours sponged on with a protective layer of brick sealer would help disguise the mismatched brick……. It might also be possible to have the mismatched brick replaced with a better match and I would probably spend money on this rather than change windows that look fine to me. Curb appeal- this is the area I think you should concentrate your spending. I would upgrade the drive, build a low front wall with railings mounted on it. I would plant a hedge inside the wall and add some tall planting to the front garden. I would put a border of shrubs in front of the front window and a wide trellis roof the right of the front window, then a path for the window cleaner, then remove the shingle of the front garden replacing with either formal garden, easy maintenance shrubs or a paved sitting area to enjoy some privacy behind your new hedge. And I would stain the fence you share with the neighbour and the one at the end of the drive- you should make your decision on colour after the drive colour is chosen- personally I think you should choose a drive to match the roof colour and the fence should be a stone colour. Whatever you decide - best of luck...See More
dohraime
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago
PROMB Design & Drafting
8 years agosuancol
8 years ago
PROThe Wall Sticker Company
8 years agoI would go for the Palm Springs look: render it (just the the front if necessary), paint all brick light beige, fascia's white, paint the window frames black, then the front door a nice yellow. Not sure about the cladding paint colour - probably same as the brick colour. Then you can keep your tropical plants. Remove the tan bark by the front door and replace with white stones or a nice spikey green shrub. Good luck!
Tracey Shepherd
8 years agobolst
8 years ago
juliahocking