...you've obviously got a lovely period house....!! Very hard to do a quick fix though. Removing the canopy thing will make such a difference I think you maybe able to re-think once its gone ! Maybe removing or cutting back some of the trees infront of the stone side of the house and try and make a flow between the 2 sections on the ground floor. Also cut back some of the shrubs around the porch/front door so that is really opens out.

Is this picture from back garden ?....do you have a plan of your plot ? What view do you see from the road ?

Based on this pictures I actually think the two parts of the house compliment each other well. I’d definitely remove the canopy though

Removing the canopy and cutting back planting will make a huge difference. The different finishes just hint at the history and evolution of the house. Painting the timber windows will help it look smarter. I think it’s lovely.

Maybe clad the sides of the dormer in slate or lead, or even paint it the same colour as the slates to make it less obtrusive.

Thank you so much, ladies!
Annabellaamy, the canopy is going next week, the builder has to take it down anyway to install scaffolding. You are right, probably just removing it will help give a better idea about what can be done. The house is actually in the middle of the woods, on a bank with a river at the front and access on a narrow lane; to be honest, that adds to the confusion because the front door is at the back of the house, in the middle of the garden, as the front faces the river (I hope that makes sense)... It is hard to photograph the front as I’d need to be on the other side of the river to capture it.

Laura and Victoria, even as we were buying the house I thought is rather ugly looking - I’m glad that you don’t think so.
The garden is getting a makeover in the spring, this year all our plans were postponed because of Covid, like most other people I think.
The windows are in oak and we plan on having someone stripping and revarnishing them. I didn’t think about painting them... do you really think it would make a difference?

Sorry, that first photo is from last year, the day we moved in. The other side of the house is rather ugly too, but we are extending the kitchen and will decide how to improve it then.

How about painting the chimneys in a dark slate colour, do you think that would help?

I think it’s beautiful. I also think that the chimneys being the same colour as the other half of the house is what helps tie them in well.

once the canopy is removed I think you’ll need to add some character the that frontage of the house. A wooden porch perhaps

Wow what a gorgeous house and I remember that view! Once the canopy is off, you could paint the rendered part a warmer tone to tie in with the stone. A soft cream would look lovely and has that country vibe, then how about painting the windows cream, taupe or a soft green? Those colours go so well with country houses. This sort of thing

Yes, I think those colours work Sonia. I’d keep the chimneys the same colour as the painted walls Luciana, it does tie the two parts together.

What a very special house.

Amazing house in an amazing setting Luciana!

I actually really like its mishmash of styles.

It tells a (historical) story and oozes character.

You may have told us in the ‘views’ thread but what part of the world are you?

Thank you again, ladies and E D!
E D, we are on the Wye river on the border between England and Wales. We managed to track some of the people who lived here over centuries based on the unique name of the cottage (which I am not going to mention here). One was a curate who wrote a few poems about the place, then a local doctor, then a vicar (although the nearest church is about 1 mile away) - that covers the 19th century.

Back to house, a pale cream was on my list of colours, Sonia, together with some light grey. Someone thought a dark orange, or pale brick red would look good, but I’m not that bold. The main impact will be on the other side of the house which is all rendered.

PS we managed to get rid of the hot tub, I can’t tell you how happy that makes me, even though we had to take down part of the garden wall to get it out.

I was going to mention the hot tub... 🤣

Luciana, the colour to paint the exterior of another house in the country is ongoing on another advice post. When I suggested some pastel colours she was rather rude and said those colours made her nauseous - no pleasing some people. It was only a suggestion after all. Oh well. I think the softer shades would look lovely on your house. What are hot tubs about anyway? Ewww no 😏😂

FWIW Don't rush with the exterior until you've tried a winter...

We moved in a stones through from you - over the hill from the Wye, Welsh side - and the first winter immediately prioritised windows and external wall insulation - made a world of difference.

I'm also in a house of two halves, early 1800s one side and timber built a good 100 years younger the other - it was the newer side that needed insulation.

It's a stunning house but in my opinion it's the clean mint green paint that looks a little incongruous. The earthy stone and slate are harmonious and perhaps need a colour that blends better with the stone. Once the plastic covering is down it will look so much better.

Hi Luciana - my two penny’s worth ... if going back to stone rather than render isn’t an option then simply paint the render to match the stone side of the building . If you want a stone look ( seen this in a north facing project - so less full light on it - it looked really good ) have a painted stone effect. Looks a lovely home and I’m sure you will make it even lovelier !

Such character! OMG! and location! 😱😱 Beautiful! The cute little dormer..... and what a story it tells. Yes the green is a little too minty, but a more modern sagey or light olivey tone could go well in your setting...