Changing the exterior of our 1970's house - advice needed!
Hi there,
We've recently bought our first home and are in the process of renovating the inside. Although the interior is going well - we're stuck with ideas on how to bring the outside up to date.
We're in the process of converting the garage into a room (study) so the garage door will be going. I'd love a floor to ceiling crittall black style window in it's place - although I'm not sure if this will suit the house - it's more of a personal style that I like.
We have the budget to replace windows and front door and change/paint the dormer but are struggling to know which colours will look right for windows. We can't start extedning/cladding at this point as our budget won't stretch that far. We love darker colours and industrial styles but know this isn't in keeping with the style of this house so don't want to do something that ends up looking silly!
Any advice would be much appreciated,
Thanks in advance!
x
Comments (7)
Jonathan
5 years ago
PROMarienne Pachonick Architects
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Need suggestions how to give the front of our 1970's house a facelift!
Comments (10)You've done a lovely job on the back extension, which seems to be a totally different property from the front. The trick would be to alter the front, making it more modern and in keeping with your new extension. 1. Replace the windows with more modern ones like at the rear. You'll probably find that the small upstairs window is on a landing and there isn't room to make it bigger. If there is room to the left of the front door as you face the house from the street, consider making this a floor to ceiling glass window and glass door combination http://www.urbanfront.co.uk/images/doors/Image/clearglass_jpg.jpg . The upstairs window should be aligned to the glass window below it. Match the front door to the garage door. http://www.thegaragedoorcentre.co.uk/UserFiles/Image/Hormann%20Front%20entrance%20Doors/anthracite_300.jpg The entrance porch roof can be replaced and extended across the front, up to the left hand window, with glass and steel similar to the lantern on the back extension. Lastly, the front could be landscaped with a path from the driveway through a contemporary, low maintenance garden. Since you have several Mediterranean type plants, you might consider that kind of look. Include a specimen tree to the far left and lose the overgrown shrub near the driveway....See MoreHelp! How to modernise / increase curb appeal on my 1970s dormer house
Comments (16)Hi Stacy. I think weatherboarding will work for the look you're after. Would you paint it all one colour? My only worry was whether it would all be a bit one dimensional and whether the boarding would make the ground floor look lower ( I've drawn it out though and it doesn't seem to make any difference but that could be my lack of drawing skills!) I wonder if you could add a porch with weatherboard like this with either side of the front rendered and painted? The porch doesn't have to be as complex/expensive as this with the steps etc. I've had a similar size ŵall rendered and it was about £150 from memory so the cost would really be for the porch. Can you or your husband draw? It may be an idea to sketch out various options (with colour!) to see what you like then get quotes on the various options http://linleydevelopments.co.uk/portfolio/bungalow-to-a-chalet-style-conversion/#prettyPhoto[portfolio]/1/...See MoreHow can I make our bland 1970's exterior more appealing?!
Comments (12)It all comes down to budget as always. The bigger the budge the more you can do. I would be really mindful of the fact, that if you change the facade, it would be better if you could change the windows. The wood cladding I agree would look fabulous, you could have the bottom a lovely grey to tone in. However, neither will look good with bog standard white windows, as both look better with a dark grey, thinner Aluminium Frame or a Chunkier Sandy Beige Frame. When you add white windows, the effect is not quite so slick The pic above shows the white windows with the cladding and it would look a lot better with the darker, thinner frames. If you can't afford to change or colour bond the windows, then maybe go for all over colour, a dark grey would be good, and consider changing the Front door for impact. Alternatively, work towards doing the ultimate change. The vertical wood cladding, with a grey underneath and a door to match the wood. Thinner dark pewter aluminium framed windows etc. sorry about the mock up quality!...See MoreChanging outside of 1970s house
Comments (4)Personally I think the issue is the proportions. I think the porch roof is too dominant, it makes the upstairs windows too small and therefore the cladding look top heavy. I also think that the front door looks small. I think you should swap the porch for a flat roofed alternative with an overhang, change the windows on the front for deeper ones and cut a wide path to the front door to help make the entrance feel grander. I might also paint the brickwork under the porch to help make the front door more prominent. Please excuse the scrappy picture- I hope it still helps illustrate what I meant....See More
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5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoCiara Falconi
5 years ago- PRO
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5 years ago 
Ribena Drinker
5 years ago
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