What can I do to improve the street appeal?
Comments (7)
Anne Monsour
5 years agoRelated Discussions
how to improve a basic house?
Comments (14)I haqve just seen this , and it is well over a year old , so presumably you are well into renovations , or maybe finished . Here's my take though -- probably too late though ! Your picture looks like those 70's photo's that faded and yellowed ( sorry to be rude ) . So freshen and modernise . Paint the walls white -- not beige or yellow . It will look so much 'cleaner' . redo the dark uprights and base boards -- I can't tell if they are dark green , or black , but I'd do black stain over it . The fence I would also do in black . The yard , step one , would be hide and soften it . The Cape Cod chair paint in white , with the pailings in bright primary colours -- each one different . Add 2 or 3 planters -- different shapes and sizes and heights , but all stained a nice Kwila brown or charcoal or similar . Big leafy plants , cactuses , yukkas , maybe white and light brown pebbles , marigolds , colour , texture , different height plants . Personally , I would go further -- paint the roof , rip up most of the pavers , possibly even change the windows to bronze or charcoal frames . Just some quick ideas from an experienced amateur haha ....See MoreHelp! No one can find my "front" door! plus no street appeal!
Comments (0)Hi there We recently built a house and for various reasons, we had to have the front door on the side of the property, rather than at the front. Now that it's built, we have ended up with a lot less space on the side for planting than expected and it's just a driveway. The door that's at the front is actually the laundry and so we have fenced it off (we also have a small dog who needs lawn). We have planted a couple of climbers to go up the trellis to cover the laundry door, and have planted a specimen tree (Michaelia Gracipes) which will have lovely flowers, plus the hedging at the front and we had planned to put reeds in containers up the driveway against the house, but I'm at a loss what to do with; a) the front garden as it just looks too empty and b) how to improve the street appeal and encourage visitors to come up the side, to the front door. The front house owns the drive, so we can do anything we like, but must allow vehicle access to the rear. Any suggestions (except renovating the house!) are welcome. TIA...See MoreWhat can I do to fix my entrance?
Comments (1)I'd get a signwriter to do a bespoke sign that doesn't look like a mass produced one , with something like 'Our main entrance is this way' or similar , say orange lettering on a 40cm square white powdercoated alloy sign , and a squiggly arrow -- or maybe get it on a varnished wooden sign or similar -- spend $50-100 rather than $10 . Fasten on that left hand front beside the garage door . Not a complete solution , but it will help if done right ....See MoreFloor plan improvement - need storage! Extra bathroom would be a bonus
Comments (1)Hi Mandamaree, You are fairly limited in space and in the size of the bedrooms to introduce what you request without compromising these spaces and future expansions to the house. The lounge too is a bit of a thoroughfare in the current layout. However, a few suggestions to ponder. Ensuite to B1, this could be just a 1m wide x 2.7m long space either along the wall to bedroom 2 or expand the wardrobe to 1m wide and re build a 600mm int. depth W/R along the B2 wall. If you used the existing wardrobe for the ensuite though, B3 would have no robe, but if it is to be a study, this may not be a concern. Alternatively, you could build in the space where the back door is and incorporate a toilet beside the laundry. Put the back door in the laundry. The toilet could be either beside the bathroom or B2. You could also economise by not having two accesses to the back corridor. (one from the living room and one from the kitchen) If you are looking at renovating the kitchen, I'd block off the back hall access opening and build a full wall of bench and joinery along that wall and either make an opening in the wall between the kitchen and living room or open it all up, except the back 600-700mm portion at the end of the joinery. If you remove the wall between the kitchen and living - might need a beam to replace it, then I'd extend the peninsular bench between the dining and kitchen, making sure it does not make the dining too small. You should have a minimum of 1200mm between kitchen benches so 2560 is good for this. You can butt the dining table upto the peninsular and still have 5 people seated around the table rather than have a breakfast bar. The space is too tight for a bar. Storage - always a drama in these older homes. Work high level units into the laundry and if possible, the bathroom. If you can afford to lose a few mm from the living room, make B2 robe the proper 600mm deep and include the old fireplace area too. As it is only a guest room, make part of that for the storage you need, i.e, suitcases, boxes of 'stuff' etc. The robe in B2 should be no less than 1200mm long to future proof this as a kids room or for rental. Hope that helps. Cheers, Christine....See More
PRODr Retro House Calls
5 years agoWith all due respect I am going to disagree with amonymousanne, and say painting everything white is completely wrong for this style of home. It is in the "Sydney School" style where the rustic nature of the brickwork and oregon beams make up part of the character of the home.
This style of your home is about organic texture and drama, so I would only paint what was previously painted, possibly in a Dulux colour called "Luck" which complements your brickwork beautifully, and is a deep brown/black colour similar to this photo. Your home may even be one of the much loved Pettit and Sevitt homes which are currently undergoing a revival in popularity if they have not been modernised beyond recognition.
However the paint is only secondary to the main issue which is your landscaping which is at odds with the architecture. The style of home is more suited to an informal, native Australian garden, rather than trimmed, box-shaped shrubs that look quite alien. Your landscaping should also draw the eye to your entry, the current landscaping is concealing it. Improving the landscaping is the key to improving the street appeal, and new paint, without new landscaping won't be enough to do it.
Best of luck,
Dr Retroof Dr Retro House Calls
jostew5
5 years ago- PRO
Dr Retro House Calls
5 years agojostew5, yes I would. You may like to join the "Pettit and Sevitt Owners and Friends Club" on Facebook to see how Dulux "Luck" looks with your brickwork.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/259388951244530/?ref=bookmarks
Best of luck,
Dr Retroof Dr Retro House Calls
PROGreen with Envy Landscapes
5 years ago
ken burns
5 years ago
julie herbert