Exterior improvements - 70s brick veneer
We have an extraordinarily ugly house! Yes, the front looks like it should be the rear! The inside layout suits us and it was in our limited budget at purchase time. But it sooo badly needs a makeover and I have no idea where to start to make our home look more welcoming. The steps lead up to the from door which is tucked into the right angle corner. The laundry door (former front door prior to the 80s extension on the right) is in the center pic. Help!
Comments (10)
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Exterior Modernisation of 1960's Brick Veneer
Comments (20)Hi Matthew we bought an old doer upper that needs refreshing so I was keen to follow your post. We so far painted the front door replaced front letterbox guerney washed the concrete drive and have bought a panel lift door for the carport. We removed all the overgrown trees. Maybe guerney wash your roof , driveway and front steps, thats our next job (roof) and start with the gardens. If you keep the awnings - spraypaint them in a single tone, paint or replace the driveway fence, Remove that tall shrub or trim it, plant a row of plants up along the drive. Great house, like ours you can only improve it in value. Enjoy renovating!...See More60/70’s house lacking kerb appeal!
Comments (10)I beg to differ from Melwood Cabanas - rendering your home will look nothing like their photo as you don't have the classic Georgian proportions and windows. Render doesn't improve the design and propotions into a classic look, in fact it often does the reverse, and puts an emphasis on things that aren't quite right with a design, due to the loss of texture and visual interest. If the house is big enough to have a bathroom for bedroom 7 then I would be looking to sacrifice that bathroom (on the assumption that you probably have five or six other bathrooms), to improve the appeal of the front elevation. Engage a design professional to redesign the front of the home to be in sympathy with the existing architecture and proportions, and don't try and modernise it for a compromised result. It already has a charm that has been diluted by unsympathetic styling. Just cause somebody has painted the ground floor pink, added topiary and classic timber seating doesn't make it look Tuscan. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls...See MoreUpdating a '70s house exterior
Comments (6)The carport -- remove , OR try and source the same support poles as your terrace , and redo it in those . I guess you could paint it all light grey and hope everyone misses it , but what about the shadows when the sun shines -- that may freak some people out ! I do have another idea , but you'll have to get to the bottom to see that ! The sliding door that has replaced the garage door , presumably to make another room , could possibly have the door replaced with a window and maybe an infill panel , say in a cedar stain ? But here's my cunning plan -- get a heap of 40mm x 40mm battens , and staain them in a cedar or even a charcoal . Do 25 or 30 or whatever vertically mounted across that sliding door . Then do about 6 each side of that very right hand window , the same length as the height of that window . And then do 30 or 40 more along the carport -- maybe just the left hand side so you can still open car doors ? You will need to get 2 or 3 long horizontal bars welded horizontally , and presumably painted white , BUT what it does is bring in the timber tones to several spots , it ties in with the lighter brick , but probably most importantly , it detracts and also lets the light through ....See More70's brick house trim amd roof colours
Comments (7)are the windows double glazed? white windows with white bricks could look great with black gutters and a light coloured (pale grey?) roof but also paint the window sill tiles black but i wonder if this is an opportunity to consider installing new double glazed windows in at least the major living areas and also review roof insulation to improve thermal comfort...See More
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago- 8 years ago
- 8 years ago
Hi all, thanks for the suggestions and questions. In a way it's reassuring that others also think it's challenging :) I suspect the builders have reversed the original house because our neighbors are the same. The back looks like this (80s extension is to the left). It has no street frontage, faces to a pedestrian/bike path.
The double garage plus carport belong to us too.
There is a gate in the picket fence at the front so scope to build in a path.
It's currently rented for 12 months while we are working away so I don't have access to take better pics ATM. I will dig around in the comput r to see if I can find a floor plan.
- 8 years ago
Wow now we can see the front, I think you should use the double garage for parking with side access to the garden to unload shopping etc.
Remove the other roller door and carport, replace the carport with a pergola,.
As previously suggested make lovely garden path access from the new front gate which would be to the left side of the picket fence,
, Run another courtyard fence off the garage so that you can plant this area and include a clothes line, this now the rear entrance to the house.
At the end of the new pathway to the lane side of the house, extend the deck and add stairs so that you come from the pathway up onto the deck on the old carport side.
All that parking drive way parking space could be a lovely out door area.
Paint the garage doors and gutters on both buildings grey to match your roof.
Use a fence similar to this with a gate at the front and between the neighbours to the left. cheers,
- 8 years ago
- 8 years agoMaybe this pic might help......this house also has a hidden front door. The greenery and the dark roof give it a classy look, and the entry deck is simple and uncluttered.
Melt In ACT thanked lizzey49 - 8 years ago
Oh I like the dark - originally I was thinking lighter and maybe matching to the red/cream of the garage.
Siriuskey this is the plan from 1995 when the extension was approved. At the blank end near the carport are 3 bedrooms that weren't reno'd so obviously weren't important enough to include!
Melt In ACTOriginal Author