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Need help with curb appeal

13 years ago
Hi Houzz talented people! We just bought this house and are would like to do some things to increase its curb appeal and would love ideas. We are planning to 1) paint the exterior, 2) add some molding across the top of the garage doors, and 3) replace the vent at the top of the roof above the garage with something more decorative - we've seen these on other houses in the neighborhood, though not sure where you get them. Are there other things you would suggest? We are so grateful for your ideas! :) thank you!! (Also, FYI that the car parked in our driveway is a visiting car, we are grateful we are able to park our cars inside the garage).

Comments (14)

  • PRO
    13 years ago
    I would paint the garage doors dark.
  • 13 years ago
    Out with the clumpy bushes and paint the door and sidelights a striking color. Perhaps the "rafter tail" trim in the recess by the garage needs to be repeated in what you plan for the garage. I might also take it to a refurbished porch too. Beefier lantern lights would look better.
  • 13 years ago
    See the detail over the windows to the left of entry? Break up the plane of the garage face with some brackets, stepped horizontal trim and cap it with a watertable. You could also trim/build out the flanking walls to either side of the garage doors and give the structure some muscular "legs". I actually like the gable vent, kinda cool proportions. BTW, is the exterior stucco?
  • 13 years ago
    Door area is tricky to do in my software and so it doesn't look quite right here. Maybe a some benches painted that or another color, would help liven up the entry, and softer landscaping might help too. The door and the garage could be black or charcoal grey too to help ground it, depending on what you do.
  • 13 years ago
    I need help with curd appeal
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    cedar shake (vinyl or hardiboard) siding in the gables always looks nice!
  • 13 years ago
    last modified: 13 years ago
    I like what victorianbungalowranch did. I strongly agree the door needs to stand out more. It takes a minute to find it. When I saw this house, I thought of all the Bavarian chateaus with the trimwork and how that could be a really cute look for it.
  • 13 years ago
    last modified: 13 years ago
    Paint the first floor a brick red, the upper half off white, add dark brown Bavarian style woodwork over the garage as a showpiece (it's a big canvas!) and repeat it on the other peak. Paint the garage doors dark brown or do a dark faux wood finish (look on youtube) so they don't stand out much against the brick red first floor color. Don't highlight them with too much contrast.
  • 13 years ago
    Yellow door
  • 13 years ago
    What a gorgeous house! I love the curved driveway. I think you should really play that up. Perhaps you could edge the driveway with a couple rows of brick or pavers. You might consider doing some plantings along the driveway edge. You could do a hedge or prairie grasses. I also think that your garage would look amazing with carriage style doors. Garaga has some beautiful options. Definitely invest in some larger scale lighting. I also notice that the area between the garage and your entry seems dark. I would consider removing the evergreens and adding some uplighting to that mature tree. Purchase two large black urns with topiaries for both sides of your door. Finally, paint your front door a fabulous colour that doesn't match your trim.
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    Love love love the tutor lines of your new home, I agree with the ideas in the Tudor photos above.
    A trelace or molding above the garage doors are a great idea, not sure what I'd over the garage but a beautiful Window would look great there. Since your garage doors are definitely a feature of the front of your house I would make them BEAUTIFUL, and either faux paint them to look like rich wood, or change them all together to something in a Tudor style with windows if you don't install a Window over the garage.... This would add a lot of character)
  • 13 years ago
    thank you all so much! I will try to address several of the thoughts without making this too long! And, wow, thank you @victorianbungalowranch for doing the cool drawing! I will think about these things over the next couple days and am so grateful for the expertise.
    --Great ideas re: the garage doors. I hadn't thought about going dark, but doing a faux wood could be interesting. @Lorethor, I love carriage doors! That could be really cool! :)
    --Also great ideas to line the driveway with something that is more attention-getting. Will definitely think about that.
    --And such a good idea to have heftier lighting by the garage.

    Seriously, thank you all so very much! i am going to think about how best to incorporate all these ideas!!
  • 13 years ago
    If you want to dress up the garage doors, you could apply fake strap hinges and handles, along with chunkier light fixtures. They would look best a darker color if you do.

    I couldn't see it too well, but it looks like you have some "half timbering" already in the gables and other places, and you can just paint out what you have. I was trying to follow them in the rendering, but would prefer to have the cross brace up higher than pictured with the window. Without the window, you can just go all the way to the garage.

    These plus dressing up the door alone would really help and not cost too much.

    Some Craftsman / Arts and Crafts and Tudor Revival have some similarities, especially the use of chunky handwrought looking light fixtures and hardware. Here are some good sources for that sort of thing--but I would keep it simple and not too curly: They do carry strap hinges for garages but you might find cheaper versions elsewhere.

    http://www.vandykes.com/default.aspx?gclid=CJ3I5r7nobMCFcU-MgoduXsAsQ

    50% off anniversary sale now!

    http://www.rejuvenation.com/ 20% off lighting sale