How can I improve my home's facade?
I'd really like to improve the the kerb appeal. We do live on a battleaxe block, so when I say kerb appeal, it's not visable from the road, but I would still like it to look nice. The front door is half way along the breezeway which works well for access to the yard and garage pa but not so much for front/visitor access. I've thought about maybe creating a new entry joining the two buildings together??
So far we have only added a fence to seperate the drive way from the back yard.
Comments (8)
Julie Herbert
last yearAdding gorgeous planters with lush foliage, will define your entrance will immediately add curb appeal , love dreamers idea of a portico to bring your buildings together
Lauren Witten thanked Julie HerbertRelated Discussions
How can we improve the street appeal of our home?
Comments (1)I think timber paneled garage door to match your front and balcony door would look great. You could even clad the gabled portion above the balcony in timber also. Windows done in black(??) Another window or glass doors put in above garage would improve symmetry. If that's not an option, maybe some sort of false window or doors? I don't even know how that would be done exactly, but if glass has a bit of reflective tint and is also framed black, it would fool the eye. For colour schemes, I suggest browsing through facade schemes on new home websites until you find something that grabs you....See MoreFacade improvement/change help
Comments (5)Hi dmitry1991, Have you considered a planter box on the first floor, slats, or even decorative privacy screens? As for the centre wall on the ground floor this could use a different material like stacked stone or even a polished plaster type material with the house number on it. Often times it doesn't take much to add a lot of spice to a simple facade....See More70s Brick Facade Improvement
Comments (13)I liked most of the suggestions , especially me me's , and was going to add a couple of my observations , then I got to the 'after' photo , and looked again ! Just my opinion , but there's no way I would have changed the brick colour -- not only does it look so fake , but your's is 1 unit out of 3 , which makes it look doubly fake IMO . And if it was charcoal , or off-white , it would still look jarring , but a dark blue ? Oh well . . . . . . . The red door is a great idea ( on its own ! ) -- as me me said , I would have left the trim charcoal , done the railing in the same , and the fence uprights ( posts ) the same . The initial photo looked like the fence palings were unpainted -- the latter they look painted , which is good -- with dark uprights , I'd say it would have all tied in . With brown uprights , blue bricks , natural railing , red door , white trim and a green bike ( yes , I know it can be moved ! ) it looks more like a kindergarten than a house IMO ....See MoreHow do I give my facade a more coastal look and feel?
Comments (47)As someone who bought a brick house recently, a major reason for the decision was the low maintenance of unpainted brick. So, no, don't paint the brick! The facade above the brick looks heavy and dominating because it is so bright white and all one colour. Why not go for a more retro look, break up the solidity of the overhanging facade by painting the vertical trims a different colour? Pick a colour that compliments the brick and keep in mind that colours were more adventurous in the 70s. Embrace the fun of the beach and the retro look without going overboard. Leave the brick as is, paint window trims to contrast and catch the light., maybe add shutters in the same colour to make windows look bigger and add more to catch the eye under the eaves. And paint the front door a fun, bright colour. Citrus colours catch the light and pop, but check they don't clash with the colour of the brick. You need contrast and brightness. Our blonde brick house was built in 1960. We painted the front door, the awning over our sliding doors and our garage door all the same colour: bright citrus orange (the garage door has 2 horizontal white stripes). The result was an instant uplift. We then had the roof restored and painted a terracotta colour (concrete tiles) and cleaned the eaves. The house looks fresh as a daisy and so much more attractive. The paint cost about $100, and the roof cost $6000. Money well spent! Then we worked on the gardens. We took out tall plants close to the house and replanted the gardens with more attractive flowering plants, going for colour. It all looks much more inviting now....See More
PROCHRISTINE HALL ARCHITECTS LTD
last yearHi Lauren, I agree with the idea of a gate/portico structure between the two buildings and this should come out proud of the two wall lines at present to create some impact. Also, large planters can add some character to the entry as long as they remain well watered but don't resort to fake plants if your not interested in watering or an irrigation system. Succulents, cactii or other drought tolerant plants will work if this suits your needs better.
For colours, I would down play the white or off white features you currently have in terms of the garage doors, gutters and downpipes and even the soffits. Grey will work well with the brick and make it a mid grey so it is a similar tone to the brick so it doesn't stand out or you could go with charcoal too, which will modernise the whole look. You can then add some colour to the new gate in the protico to be the main focus.
Is your roof blue or grey? I can't quite make it out in the photo. If it is blue then stick with a blue for the gate but it could be brighter than the roof but make sure the hues do not clash. If the roof is grey and you paint the other trims in grey as I suggested above, you are almost limitless of the feature coloure of the new gate. It could even be black. It depends on the style you end up with and the material. Also, if it is not protected from the direct sun, be careful how dark you go as it may peal with the heat. You could make the gate a timber feature as contrast in cedar or go for an antique 'moroccan' style door/gate!! The options are endless.
Try to hide the dowpipes with the portico structure but don't make them inaccessible for maintenance.
Also maybe do the portico in steel or something pretty modern and tie it in with one side wall, probably the house and not the garage. See image attached for some inspiration. Its a bit tricky with the hip roof overhang structure as I presume you don't want the expense of re doing that for the new entry so either have the portico below the eaves, be careful it is not too low, or if you can, put it at the same height in front of it so it hides it.
Hope that helps and gives food for thought.
C:)
Kath
last year
dreamer