skip to main content

Paint Design Dilemma Exterior

Front facade upgrade & improved street appeal, suggestions please

5 years ago

We would like to upgrade the front of our house, replacing the windows and door, adding some sort of portico or shelter, change the deck so the whole is much more appealing. Your suggestions - including colours would be most welcome.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

PRO
Texture Landscapes: a division of Texture Group
5 years ago
Hi,

Ultimately i think the best thing you could do for street appeal would be to look into getting some planting pockets in around the building. This will help soften down the space and greatly improve the image from the road.

If you are considering adding a portico you could look into how the two would work together, these could also be separate from the current building.

Thanks,

Will
ceres56
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you for you comments, we are thinking along the same lines - increasing the flat area at the top level of the deck, having wide steps from top to ground level and taking out the lower level of deck and putting plantings in on either side of the steps. I quite like this type of thing
Related Discussions
Help to make front porch more welcoming
Q
Comments (47)
Thank you so much for your comment after all this time. The colour you have suggested brightens the front door area beautifully and if the two red pots were painted in a tone to match, we think it would look great. Not sure if you can get Crestview doors in New Zealand but there must be something similar. We like the idea of going away from another cedar door - mainly because it would stand out too much while it was weathering. I don't know whether we would have been that brave but the tangerine works so well with the jade green of the joinery. I have re-laid all the stones and put a new wider front step in. The timber colour will soften down in time. I put a big pot in the garden to draw visitors to the front door and have added some colourful bromeliads to the garden alongside the house to make the area a bit more cheerful. We can't make a decision about what to do with a larger 'overhang' to protect the front porch yet - it is a project in progress. Thanks again for your post.
...See More
Not sure where to start!
Q
Comments (49)
Thanks for the replies! My wife suggested we talk to a local real estate agent, so i think that is a good idea... just that Im not sure how helpful they are likely to be if we arent selling yet :) As for saving for our dream house, I dont disagree, however if doing this up nicely over the next ~5 years or so while we live here nets us some extra in the eventual sale, then that of course will help us as well. Interesting thing happened today actually. I got a knock on the door and one of the older neighbours asked if he could take some lemons from the tree. I of course said yes. Anyway he was telling me he had lived in the street for 40 years. I asked him if the house had always looked like this, and he said no that ~30 years ago the old old owner did a massive renovation and pulled off the timber and put up the bricks and gutted the inside of the house. Interesting stuff!
...See More
Blank wall on front of house
Q
Comments (12)
As you rethink adding a fixed window, consider either a fixed window that is the long horizontal kind over the shower/tub surround and/or an octagon one with stained glass for the dressing room. https://www.google.com/search?q=images+for++octagon+windows&biw=1366&bih=673&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CCIQsARqFQoTCOaJ69fb28gCFcYVPgodogsLDw You could add a couple of pairs of shutters to create a pair of faux windows that look as if the shutters are closed. If you don't want a window that opens on that wall, you might consider having a fixed window and shutters that are louvered to let in some light while protecting your privacy. You might also consider a faux gable with a faux window, perhaps functional as part of the venting system for the bath.
...See More
How to modernise the exterior?
Q
Comments (13)
With any post war house built in the 50's the connection from in to out is non existent. Depending on where living rooms are located i would take some of the fantastic windows out and replace them with French doors, or bi folding doors and connect the house to the site. The colour scheme from Karen is perfect to lift the kerb appeal and give it a modern twist. With land costing more than houses these days and the fact that you seem to have quite a big block, after looking at paint colours, opening up the living dining kitchen areas to the outside with a roofed area. Even combining a flat roofed carport which will widen the house to the street making it seem a bigger house, can carry the new look with say an enclosed section for garden equipment, to the opposite side to the house, and if you are lucky enough to have that near the living area it can be used as both car cover and outdoor living. I always think a good landscape architect is worth their weight in gold, to give you a landscape plan, to suit the soil type, your skills level and your preference in planting. Divide up the exterior space to provide outdoor rooms under a tree, paths that lead to some special spot for kids, maybe even a veggie patch with a chock run, and make sure that you use the entire yard, front and back by enclosing part of the front yard in fencing which suits the style of the house, while providing some planting to the street. If allowed a gate structure to blend in with the house, a dedicated pathway with planting each side to the front door, fantastic fencing and consider natural materials like a hand laid stone fence with timber or powder-coated aluminium inserts, to give this house an entry, not sure where the front door is now, so that is not a good look. Gardens always enhance a house, they are never a wasted effort, and if you are not gardeners, make sure the landscape architect knows that and he will be able to select low maintenance plants. All the paint in the world will not give the desired effort that the garden will do to that paint work.
...See More
User
5 years ago
The colonial style in your bottom picture looks nice , but I don't think it would suit your house style . I gather you are older , but the existing colours are from different eras IMO . The burgundy/red colour I like , and although the downstairs windows look quite old , I would paint them the same colour , and the seat too . Upstairs I'd definitely change the window -- the louvres are so dated ! Go a bit bigger if you can , but that may get into structural problems . Have top-hinged opening windows eaither side , and a larger piece of fixed glass in the middle . Either no surround , or a surround to match the downstairs windows and door frame , painted to match .

All the roof and side ribbed steel panels I would repaint in a gunmetal grey , and get away from that dark green . The roof on the room to the left I would also do , to 'tie it' in .

I'd leave that small roof above the door , and add a roofed gazebbo out the front , with stained or varnished solid wood uprights , and a roof painted in that burgundy red . I would build it to fit onto the lower deck level -- way easier and cheaper to do it that way , as opposed to raising and enlarging the deck . Add a couple of natural timber planters , even a half barrel or two , a shint stainless barbeque , and some charcoal coated aluminium outdoor chairs and a matching glass top table .

Personally , I can't imagine a roof / portico attached to the existing house that would suit the style and not make the downstairs ( inside ) too dark . A stand alone roofed timber gazebo would offer the best of both , at a reasonable price .

One last idea -- the latticework on the 'fence' -- repaint it an English Off-White , while keeping the rails and posts that burgundy red -- it would add interest and lift it IMO .

If you are younger , then go crazy -- bright orange window surrounds , blue/grey render and charcoal roof -- a big round upstairs window , and 6 outdoor chairs , each in a different bright colour !

Sponsored

More Discussions

Kitchen Redesign

3

Help with kitchen layout

1

Did you know that e-design exists and would you ever consider it?

0

mid century ceiling

0

Pergola company recommendations

0