Please help with curb appeal/paintcolors/windows/trim

11 years ago

Hi Everyone,

I have a 30+ yr old house in South Florida and I am installing new windows soon. I would like to update the look of the front. The colors are really boring and faded and it's a project I have wanted to do for a long time now. My dilemma is that due to the age of the house and the architecture of the 80's, I am having trouble making final selections.

First off, I have to choose between bronze and white frames for the windows. I think I am leaning towards bronze brittany-style frames , which you can see in the last picture I posted. I would like to frame out the windows with some type of molding, but because of the way the concrete bands butt up against the right and left of the 2 front windows, it's not as simple as just putting a square frame around them. This also presents a painting dilemma. Do I paint the concrete bands the same color as the body of the house or do I chose another color? My front door is currently very boring as well and I would like to update that (at least do something about the ugly sidelight and freshen with paint).

We like high contrast paint palettes, but when I drive around my neighborhood looking for inspiration there aren't any great solutions for those ugly concrete bands. I was thinking that there could be a clever way to frame the windows out and make those concrete bands just fade in to the design, but I haven't been able to come up with anything. I also need suggestions for colors and architectural details that could freshen up and update the face of the house. We like yellows/browns/red-browns/tans , similar to the last picture posted. I am stuck with the brown roof so this is probably a good range to work in (though I am open to suggestions!).

Regarding the landscaping-I love my elephant ears that seem to overwhelm the very front. There were other plantings that balanced them out but this was a bad year for whiteflies and we had to pull out a bunch of dead stuff. More elephant ears will go in it's place. We consider them necessary for privacy.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and also for your great ideas!

Featured Answer

pcmom1

11 years ago

last modified: 11 years ago

Once you finish painting the house, do look into concrete stain for your driveway. This can be DIY with a good sprayer and really enriches the look (hubby and I did ours).

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Comments (14)

junoniad
Original Author
11 years ago
Bump-anybody please jump in :)
pitbulls
11 years ago
I think your landscaping looks nice and fresh. The tall shrub close to the front door might make the entry a little dark and closed in. Since you have a brown roof I'd go the neutral brown/taupe/tan palette. If I had your house I would choose the bronze frame for your windows, paint the concrete bands same as the body of the house. esp since you don't want the concrete bands to stand out. Add some color with a coat of paint for the front door, flowers near the entrance. Would you consider doing some concrete finish for the drive way adding texture to it? Hope this helps
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pcmom1
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Looking for high contrast with dark window grids:
Beach Style Exterior · More Info

I think the hedges in front of the windows should go.
PRO
GardenStructure.com
11 years ago
For Curb Appeal, I like the bronze, which can be pulled into vertical elements in the front yard. Have you considered playing off the buttresses (concrete bands), with vertical elements, (similar looking) concrete supports, bronze caps and possibly trim colored beams projecting away from the home. These 80's homes often have great bones and balanced proportions even if low slung--but setting it apart from the other ones adjacent with tasteful and well done elements will always help curb appeal.
regar12091
11 years ago
Try some trim on the driveway, and maybe add some bushes
regar12091
11 years ago
Add life to the house, add a potted plant to the doorway, add a welcome mat, add a neat paved/ neat brick pathway, get some bright flowers to spice up the yard, you can even get rid of the bushes, and add flowers in the front, or make a fish pond or something. A statue or a bunch of gnomes works, but make sure you choose the right object as the eye catcher, or center piece of the yard.
pcmom1
11 years ago
I would stain the concrete driveway. Here is a photo showing a brown roof like yours;
Valencia 1180 · More Info
junoniad thanked pcmom1
junoniad
Original Author
11 years ago
I forgot to mention that I was planning on doing the driveway and I love the color idea. Thanks! Do you have any ideas for how to tackle the window moulding dilemma?
junoniad
Original Author
11 years ago
@regar- thanks for the ideas. In Zone 10 the plantings are very limited . Unfortunately as a result most of us settle for hedges and palm trees (like the mansion in the pic pcmom tagged) My back and side yard have different exposures so I have some really cool Hawaiian gingers , lillys, jasmine, bromeliads etc. Any ideas for the windows or paint colors?
pcmom1
11 years ago
Think the wooden fence to the left of the house should be painted a dark brown, like the roof color.
junoniad thanked pcmom1
PRO
Soothing Company
11 years ago
Here's something you can add into your design for more curb appeal. See more at https://www.soothingcompany.com/water-fountains/outdoor-fountains.html

Platia Garden Fountain · More Info

Powys Garden Fountain · More Info

San Remo Pigna Garden Fountain · More Info

Zen Plinth Outdoor Water Fountain · More Info
junoniad
Original Author
11 years ago
Is this your driveway? What product did you use?
pcmom1
11 years ago
No, not my driveway! We used Mason Select Concrete Stain and combined two of the colors to get the one we wanted. It really added richness and cut the glare way, way down.
junoniad thanked pcmom1