Modernising a 1970's semi

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

Hi, moving into this house

next month and although a lovely house, i was hoping for some suggestions on how to improve the look.

I was thinking Olive green render at the bottom and olive green weather boards but I'm unsure on how this will contrast with the red roof tiles and driveway. Any other thoughts to modernise it?

Clearly it's a semi which is unfortunate because you always have the limitations of next door but hopefully they might follow my lead.

Featured Answer

Jonathan

6 years ago

I think that your instinct to go green is because currently there too much red. In my opinion the red drive is the issue because as well as being a red overload it doesn’t match the brick.
Investigate the products that color concrete for a solution.

I would also look at oversized pots and planting to break up the garage wall.

As far as hoping your neighbours follow suit I think you should take their lead and add white render or boarding around the upstairs windows so you match.

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Comments (25)

Daisy England
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I don't think olive green is the right choice. I think it'll clash (as opposed to blend) with the house brickwork and the driveway paving. That's a fabulous back garden.
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The bins do usually go in the garage. It was bin day and I dragged them up the drive being lazy! That house is amazing! I'm leaning towards keeping the windows white and changing the door and cladding too. I've been on at husband to make me a larger planter for under the window . Years. I guess I'll learn myself or ask another unrelated man friend just to undermine husband's masculinity! Lazy sod!
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How about changing the windows, the front door and possibly rendering the front wall or part of it?
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Muzza
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
The garden is South facing, we're looking forward to inviting friends round for BBQ's in the summer. Also we have 2 and 3 yo boys so hopefully they can get enjoyment out of it as they grow.

We're also going to put an extension on the back to have a large kitchen diner with bi-folds.

Jonathan so you think leave the lower brick work as is rather than render and investigate colouring the driveway slabs? Hadn't thought of that but could be a solution.

We are definitely having red overload.
E D
6 years ago
I feel you should probably leave your house front exterior as is.

The area that can do with improvement is the front 'garden'.

Have you considered (generously) planting up the area which looks like gravel at the moment? Replace the gravel with soil. Maybe even a raised border of some kind.

I think good sized plants will add beauty and some soft separation from your neighbour's plot too.
Muzza
Original Author
6 years ago
My wife has been thinking of ideas for the gravel area in the front as she's not that taken with it.

All good idea's so far and cheaper than my solution which is always a bonus!
A B
6 years ago
Totally agree it is the driveway and front garden that need addressing. What a fab house!
Muzza
Original Author
6 years ago
Yep, we're really looking forward to moving in, the previous owners have been there 33 years and are an absolute credit to the place, everything has been kept In top notch condition and when things needed replacing they were replaced. The survey came back with one issue and that was the flat roof of the garage needed re felting which they just did for us.
Juliet Docherty
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
If you look at your neighbour's house from the top it's white, grey, orange grey. Yours is all shades of orange/pink/red and that's the issue. I would leave the house and spend every penny on re-landscaping the front with grey sandstone, leaving a strip along the side of the garage so you can plant a lovely wisteria or something there. Leave areas for huge architectural plants and possibly replace garage door with something more modern as it's the first thing you see. I would consider painting the garage brickwork off white and putting an oak garage door on.
Muzza
Original Author
6 years ago
The driveway is I believe about a year old so it does seem a shame to rip it up, I'm going to investigate colouring it unless of course the expense of laying a driveway is the prep work which would have already have been done.
Emily
6 years ago
I would paint brickwork dark grey (F&B railings) and plant fatsia japonica in front of garage wall and in gravel area.
Muzza
Original Author
6 years ago
Had to Google F&B railings. That's quite an extreme idea, brickwork does look nice in that colour though. Would you get rid of the weatherboarding and do it all painted brickwork?

Whatever happens the driveway is being redone.
Emily
6 years ago
I thought that there isn’t much brickwork on the house and there is a lot of white so the dark grey wouldn’t take over? On the garage if you plant fatshedura which is a climbing shrub with 2metres height and looks a bit like fatsia japonica quite a lot of the dark grey will be covered with the glossy green. Then apart from cutting some holes (if possible) for planting you can leave new drive as it is. And leave the weather board as is. It’s the orange brick and red fighting I believe?? The fatshedura pictured is variagated I prefer the plain green. It is a great plant, I’ve got two and like how it has thicker stems which to me make the plant look established even when young. Both the plants are easy care.
Emily
6 years ago
I was just looking for photos of wall planters against dark grey wall to show how good plants look against it, not much luck and no time for more searching but if you searched on Houzz you’d find more
Juliet Docherty
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I think it's really important that you see it as a 'whole' with your neighbours property. The materials/colour palette has to work with their in a sense. Good job theirs looks ok.
E D
6 years ago
If the gravel area is (lushly) planted up, there is possibly no need for the garage wall to be covered in plants.
I'm not sure about the dimensions, but you would also want to leave enough space to move along the drive when a car (or two?) is parked on it.
E D
6 years ago
Although I agree with Colourhappy about seeing the bigger picture, it may be risky to adapt to the neighbour's house.
For all you know, they may suddenly decide to paint their cladding in, say, olive green. :)
Emily
6 years ago
Maybe you could post a few more pics from different angles and further back?
Colourhappy, I love reading your posts especially about colour because I’m interested in colour and find tones really hard, but here I don’t think it looks difficult, it looks to me that railings on the bottom of this house won’t clash with next door? The red tiles on the top are next to their white boarding and both separated from bottom by the overhang. ? I liked painting bricks white idea but since the doors and windows are different white upvc I thought that might be be difficult and lose any definition? Plus if you plant for example fatsia in the gravel which grows to around the 1.6 m height when not sheltered that breaks it up too.
Juliet Docherty
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Hi Emily, thank you for that. I think your colour suggestions are spot on. They are though, very contemporary, and if people are happy to do that risky thing (I would) then that's great. Basically, it looks like a warm red/orange overload and it needs some cool/dull to calm it all down. We recently changed our windows and lots of people suggested keeping in with the look of the other houses, we didn't. No regrets and others are thinking of doing the same. I wouldn't adapt' to the neighbours house, didn't really mean that. I wouldn't do anything that obviously clashed though.
Muzza
Original Author
6 years ago
My wife has her heart set on changing the weather boarding. Would painting the brick railing colour which as you point out looks great with the glossy green plants still look okay if we changed the weather boarding to be white or cream?

I have absolutely no design sense, hence the olive green :-)
Juliet Docherty
6 years ago
What do you mean by the weatherboarding? Are we talking the house or the garage?
Muzza
Original Author
6 years ago
Talking about the boarding on the first floor between the bedroom windows
E D
6 years ago
Oh sorry Muzza, my mention of olive green wasn't meant as a snub!
I for one quite like olive green :)

I quite like bricks painted in Railings or Off Black but it could be a passing fad.
E D
6 years ago
Maybe good old white is a good option for your 'weatherboard' after all.
Could look good on the rear as well.
Should be easy to try that out in Photoshop.
Muzza
Original Author
6 years ago
My problem with the Railing colour is as E D says if it's a passing fad how easy is it to get rid of it off the brickwork.

Also E D in no way did I think your comment was a snub, I am far to much of a simple man to read anything into comments. I appreciate all the advice you have all given me.

So far my conclusions is:

Really work on the driveway, acid stain it to slate grey.

Add really luscious plants to the garage wall and also replace the gravel area either completely with soil and plants or just get rid if it.

Change the weatherboards to white/ cream.

Change the garage door and front door to something stylish...maybe the Railing grey suggested.

What do you all think?
Muzza
Original Author
6 years ago
ED not sure how to use Photoshop, wish I did :-)

Modernising a 1970's semi

Jonathan

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