Blank slate! Help! Seeking Exterior Pizaaz and Privacy.
Florida Homey
7 years ago
This is our 1955 houzz in Sunny North Florida. I would love to hear what you think would give this house some wow factor. In addition to the bland exterior, my front yard has zero privacy and a rather large lawn.I'm a plant person ,but currently lack a cohesive design due to the size of the lawn. Also, the lack of privacy keeps me from wanting to work in the front yard. I need your help! Thanks in advance! I look forward to chatting with you all.
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (31)
Related Discussions
Garden design - Long, thin plot.
Comments (8)A long narrow garden is perfect to have a relaxing retreat at the bottom. Our patio louvre roof creates an outdoor living space in your garden perfect for relaxing in away from your home. The louvre roof is automated turning the louvres flat to create a fully watertight roof. It is perfect for all year use and great for keeping protecting your garden furniture ready for the summer. This free standing Umbris patio roof below, creates an undercover retreat in their garden. The vertical louvre panels also provide an element of privacy and weather protection from wind also helping to keep the new living space drier in heavy rainfalls, whilst still maintaining transparency to keep the outdoor living experience. Additional elements can be added such as, heating, lighting, audio system all built into the roof profile. We have just had an Umbris installed at our showroom in Amersham at Sky House Design Centre, you can arrange a showroom visit by contacting us on 01494 722 882....See MoreGarden advice please
Comments (34)Hi I would put a planted green screen of a nice flowering hedge which also has berries in the winter like Berberis. It will give you privacy and its not totally solid as a fence or wall would be and will give a much softer look. It also gives security as it has small prickly barbs You say your window sills are too narrow to take window boxes so why not put a nice long wrought iron planter under the full width of the window, attach to the wall, (It looks like the windows are quite low) or if not put a free standing planter under the window. I would not get rid of the front lawn and just have concrete slabs as you already have all the drive paved, it will just look like to much concrete and harsh unless you add some plants or create maybe a circular flower bed Too much concrete prevents good drainage too Adding a porch would be a great idea, perhaps just glass which will give a modern contemporary feel Also once you have changed that paint colour it will look a lot better...See MoreLooking for thoughts to give this terraced cottage some more kerb appe
Comments (25)It's all about the colour of the render and front door. I would go for a dark paint on the render with a complimentary front door colour. Keep the windows white but think "Town House" look. The house is small so I'd go to the expense of using Farrow and Ball paint (often discounted at Bank Holiday time at the superstore beginning with H). Then improve the appearance of the windows by having window boxes, painted same colour as the render, filled with ever green plants such as a mix of Box and Ivy. We are going for the Town Smart Look here, and nothing can be more sad than a flower filled window box that needs attention. If you want an outside lantern then buy one that fits close to the wall like a "coach lamp" go for the most expensive that you can afford ideally in a galvanised grey colour. It will add considerable style to the property....See MoreTired 3 bed 1900's terrace. How can I make the exterior look nice?
Comments (18)Hi I’m also a developer/PRL, and the best price of advice I was given when I was starting out was to remember that on low to mid range profit projects (if not all projects) controlling your spending is the most important thing to remember, and every £ you spend is a £ less profit. I too hate uPVC windows and would not have them on my own home, but many people do like them and see them as a positive when it comes to buying/selling – just look at the houses either side of your house, and I assume along the whole of the street; people do like them! With my developer head on I would suggest that you try to work with what you already have - clean the uPVC frames inside and out with a solvent based professional cleaner, these really shift dirt and marks, and to a certain extent make scratches less noticeable as it removes the ingrained dirt. Replace the interior handles – new ones can be found online at around £1.99 each if you bulk buy. Replace any worn seals with a new universal fitting seal (approx £16 for 20m). If any of the windows are blown/misted, look at replacing the sealed glazed unit instead of the whole window, again the sealed units can be found quite cheaply online. With regards to your porch, it looks like it is integrated with the front window, so removing it would be a time consuming and costly job, so I would leave it as is and possibly look at just replacing the outer door, ideally one with a glazed panel to give a bit more light. I know you said you don't like uPVC doors, however, composite doors are more expensive. As you won't be living there does it really matter if you install a white uPVC door, as long it is the most tasteful and least offensive one you can find. An alternative would be to install fully glazed French doors with both sides opening, which would possibly mean that the doors can open inwards. All of these can be bought online and be fitted yourself – however, you will need to check if you will require a FENSA certificate issuing for the work, otherwise this could cause issues when you come to sell. I wouldn't advise painting the uPVC, as it is really difficult to obtain a good finish, and nothing looks worse than poorly finished paintwork either inside or outside. As others have said, remove the nets, put up some nice curtains (these can be removed and reused on other projects), don't worry regarding privacy, as again you will not be living there, and it will allow more light into the room. If the privacy angle does bother you, you can always put a plain white voile (costs around £2 per m, and a couple of £ for the rod) up at the window with little or no fullness, which gives a more modern, less fussy finish. I would move the dustbins to the rear of the property, and put a couple of large pots in the front garden – I tend to use Olive trees as they can be shaped and don't mind too much if they aren't watered regularly – these can also be removed and used on other projects. Hope this helps – and good luck for the future!...See More
PROGailani Designs Inc.
7 years agoFlorida Homey
7 years ago
Bailey R
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoFlorida Homey
7 years agoFlorida Homey
7 years agoUser
7 years agoFlorida Homey
7 years agoFlorida Homey
7 years agoFlorida Homey
7 years agoBailey R
7 years agoFlorida Homey
7 years agoFlorida Homey
7 years agoFlorida Homey
7 years agoFlorida Homey
7 years agoFlorida Homey
7 years agoFlorida Homey
7 years agoI like the staggered horizontal screens with inter spaced plantings. I also love the slight elevation of the screens to allow for wildlife to cross under.
User
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoFlorida Homey
7 years agohappyleg
7 years agoFlorida Homey
7 years agohappyleg
7 years ago
User