Katherine, I like the colors on your second pic - the lighter colors. I think it fits the MCM style better than the darker one.

How about a simple houzz Search of "Eichler", then reduce that search for "exterior", which will provide many options. Your house style deserves to be accented via paint and landscape as it was originally designed; doing so will definitely give it additional flair. Through period paint colors and landscape design, you can make it a showpiece.
Do the same search on Pinterest and you'll find many ideas! [search: eichler, homes, exterior]. Very fun project for you.

https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=eichler%20homes%20exterior&term_meta[]=eichler|autocomplete|1&term_meta[]=homes|autocomplete|1&term_meta[]=exterior|guide|word|1&add_refine=exterior|guide|word|1

I once saw a MCM ranch that had the main house color in a neutral sand color, window/other trim in white paint, the shutters, front door and garage door were painted in a medium aqua/turquoise color---it was really eye-catching. They also had low shrubs and a few (native to the area) grasses and perennials for landscaping surrounded by river rock, with a few artfully placed large flat boulders to mimic the low, elongated rectangular shape of the house. It was very tastefully done. Wish I had taken a photo of it, but I'll remember it always. I've attached a color simulation (although not exactly the house style of your house).

I am a big fan of using a variety of siding materials. A mixture of a brick/stone with stucco/cement fibreboard and/or wood siding will give a really good effect to the house. You have at least two visible window heights so enjoy the height of the thinner ones together and let that tall one stick out a bit - playfully!

Same question as mrsstem. Your location will dictate the landscaping. If you are in California, PLEASE consider taking your lawn out and educating yourself on how to landscape with native plants. Not only are they beautiful, but they are low-maintenance and water-saving. Once established (about two years) most do well on rainfall alone. Perhaps a "wash down" every now and then just to get the dust off. ;-)

Deb, what paint color did you use? I'm wondering if we should stick with white when we repaint our ranch. I really love how yours looks & sounds like we both bought homes that need work!

Katherine, I like the ivory and the dark grey color for your house personally. Idk that I would pick mid-century colors unless my home was decorated very retro.

I agree with leemiller. You are living in the 21st century, not 50s or 60s so while the MCM style dictates, it can still be modern. I tend toward earthier, darker colours, as they settle into the landscape well, which is what these houses were designed to do. They broke away from the "look at me" styles of previous generations with a more organic, natural feel to them.
The other thing is to address the windows. I don't know whether you can paint them or not, but they look smarter IMHO if they blend, rather than contrast. A few shades darker or lighter, but not white!! Think about under the eaves as well. Continue the roof colour or continue the wall colour, but don't put a third colour.

Thank you everyone for your very helpful advice. As to location I live in Northern Florida. My entryway is underneath my carport I have attached pictures.

I think wild grasses would be a mistake for where you are...
I would focus on narrowing the grass area, and creating a larger area with cypress mulch surrounding firebush, plumbago...

I like the charcoal gray and if budget allows, a natural wood siding on the carport wall would be beautiful. Remove the trees there and replace with a row of some horsetail or something spikey like mother-in-law tongue. The other shrubs should be removed and replaced but hard to suggest when the photo is so far away. I would make it a rock bed.

The dark gray and red exterior you posted is stunning. I would do that.

deb,

that is coming along great!

With such an expansive front yard, I would get a landscape architect involved to develop an overall plan. It would be $ well spent.

I thought you lived in Florida, as I could tell by the tree types in the back ground. I like the ideas of grays. I saw a recent episode of Fixer Upper where Joanna did a MCM home and really created a modern feel by adding horizontal planking to some of the exterior that really played up with more modern tones while still giving a nod to the era. She used a bold blood orange (or was it red?) on the front door too. As far as landscape goes, I really think you could play up the front curb appeal with a few large urns of lemon grass. It'll help with the mosquitoes too. I don't know what style you like but maybe a brown raku pottery glazed urn would look nice. Surrounding the Myrtle tree in the grass area with some arranged shrubs like ferns or some flowering garlic would look nice too, it'll break up the blank facade. You could use the same ground cover, like a stone or pine mulch to match the areas closer to the house.

So exciting, can't wait to see what you do!

Jenna,

How knowledgeable of you! Is lemongrass hardy? I actually love the way it looks!

That's a great idea.. Alot of people have suggested stones for the large bed and I actually went out this weekend to price it, as I feel it will give some immediate intervening improvement. There are a few other MCMs in the neighborhood and one did some wood planking and it looks great.

This whole conversation has been so educational. I see a lot of the suggestions in other homes and now I understand their choices and why it looks good.

@ Patricia Colwell, Lexie Longstreet and Coldwell Banker/Donna Lou Graham,

What do you think of this green?

The windows are aluminum, so I"m not sure if I could paint that?

I like your earlier ideas better. The greens seem to make the house disappear into the background trees

andersonaustin, wood planks on the carport is an easy way to make a big difference. I wonder how much that would cost?

The lemon grass is very hardy and does so well in FL plus it's great for privacy. I suggest the urns or huge pots only because it can grow rampantly like bamboo if not maintained well. Or you could use sea oats, which seems to be an attractive alternative and looks just as well. My fiance and I run a lawn business and landscaping is a real hobby of ours. Can't wait to see what you end up with!

thx grover!! now where can I buy that?

http://www.thermatru.com/products/entry/fiberglass-entry-doors/plf/index.aspx

http://www.franklumber.com/product-category/type/exterior-door/

http://www.millworkmarket.com/exterior-doors/

I think you may want to consider a color that goes well with that stone that you have. I've seen a greenish undertone gray with stone in pictures that looks great in my area. We have stone with white currently and I really don't like it. I think you can go too light or bright with stone and it can make the stone look dirty or just not its best.

I think it is important to make your carport inviting with some plants in pots etc

Have to say that I like that door option really well. I even like it white as it seems to go with the aluminum windows. I do like the idea of adding some wood to the house. I'd consider running it from the right side of the picture window all the way through the carport and in a lighter tone than above, closer to the tone of the brick. I would then paint the rest of the house a nice calming grey and paint the outer carport wall a cream.

Leave the little trees at the carport - love the architectural detail. Take out the shrubs at the door under the short windows. It would be worth considering adding shrubs beneath the picture window - something with a leaf that is dark like the little trees - great for contrast. I would then clean out everything else along the front. I can't tell from the pics how close the drive is to the front of the house - that would determine how you'd want to use that space. As time and willingness allows, I would also consider removing the grass about a foot along the drive and adding a dark mulch. The picture below shows rock, which is an option, but make sure you have a very good border because you don't want to mow them! You could add plants as below to match the darker shrubs or you forego adding any plants - it would just be a nice structured aspect as well as contrast. At a minimum, add some mulch/border around that tree in the yard.

Lemongrass - not only good for keeping away mosquitos but you can cook with it as well! What a bargain!

Katharine, the stone between the windows and the front door suggest that you do need some real help. Some one has messed with this between when it was built and now. Grover caught this and gave you an image -

You will want to take the colors in the stone into account when you paint - colors later - for now, forgive my long list:

replace the front door with something not colonial at all - a true contemporary door - a plain blank would be a shame there are some terrific doors with slot windows you would love

if it were me, I'd rather have real glass sidelight to look through but the glass block is perfectly secure, contemporary and obscure, so if you don't want the expense, you can leave that just as it is . .

replace the light fixture with something bronze and contemporary - pull the mailbox down

For the front wall of the carport, order some oversized - like 12" bronze house numbers in a contemporary font . . take the older black ones down altogether (or orb them for placement on a later monument at the curb) . .

let's find a darker earthier trim color (the white has got to go around that front door) and shift your soft tan to just a little closer to the taupe stone that is the main element - you'll want a gorgeous tone of mustard / dark yellow for your new front door to pick up those gold stone elements . .

is the stone fragment that appears only on the upper area between those two windows repeated anywhere else? Looks like you have some beautiful landscape coping .. it might inspire a real slate tile where the entry door "stoop" now is wanting attention. If it were my contemporary, I would find some autumn flame type flagstone and tile and lay them on that stoop and then across the drive in a big 42" wide band / stripe that leads to the front door . . you can probably leave all the other driveway paving and just use some adobe brown stain (matte sealer - nothing shiny) and get a high end look ..

back with specific color suggestions for you . . .

Test - bm stingray http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/stingray to see how it jibes with the neutral stone . . then we want to paint all the trim, fascia, etc in a deep bronze tone

test bm castle peak gray http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/castlepeakgray

for the front door - bm baked cumin http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/bakedcumin

the ceiling of the carport should be a shade lighter - early morning mist

I would suggest that you do the wall of the carport front and back in a shade deeper from stingray - bm senora gray . . it would clash next to the stone but 10' away will be terrific and give the house better dimension - the pipe column wants to be the baked cumin accent color - draw attention to it . . then grow a vine on it . .

the aluminum windows are fine as is - but if you are willing, old aluminum takes paint well . . if they are white, painting them with a fine brush the castle peak deep color would be amazeballs. .

libradesigneye, wow! That's great!

I know about the door! My husband is only now coming around to the new door. (luckily he hates glass blocks!) Honestly, at first, I didn't know what was wrong with the house or the door either. I just new it needed "something". If I hadn't googled long skinny house flat roof and found Houzz, I would have done many more wrong things than the previous owners did.

I personally don't like the stone in between. Do people sometimes replace that? If so what kind of options? I think we could replace with siding, or natural wood. But perhaps for now we can leave it.

I have 2 large 4 ft diameter low concrete modern planters in the back that I will move to the front and fill with lemongrass for visual interest in a rock bed,

I would love to stain my long driveway, but it is original and very cracked. That is a big future project.

The front door is odd. My husband has to try hard not to park right in front of it lol.

surprisingly . . the stone is likely original . . .it is obviously real (no one does that anymore - or not too often do they have the budget) and the placement and style tells me it is true mcm era . . cracked concrete is a pain, i hear you but really .. .for now, stain is something you can buy at home depot / mix with water and put on with a push broom . . the brown color won't take it very far but it will feel more like yours . . lots of architectural plants work in florida (and lots of different climates there too) .. . congrats on your new space - bet you love it inside and it has a great location .. enjoy reviving its mad men style .

ok. So for those of you that suggested wood for the car port with gray.,, I mocked it up (obviously the wood grain should be horizontal, just squint ok?)

I think some funky house numbers would look great on this carport front.

Potted plants and a new door, stones in my oversized flower bed. I think I could like this!

If I did want natural wood on my carport, does anyone hav

e a idea/suggestion for some one in Jacksonville that does that?

If i don't do the natural wood front (budget, etc) i think I like the beigeish grays many of you have suggested. It is just a more subtle change.

Any sheathing guy can do this - you need to use exterior grade cedar plank

Here's a color idea introduced above to give you an idea. If this were my home, I'd have added some sort of white trim above the garage to tie in with the main house but you get the idea.

HOWEVER,

I'm still thinking that you should extend the wood toward the picture window and paint the carport cream instead of wood.

http://www.kansascity.com/living/home-garden/article1205206.html

I think adding the cream will make that wall pop and provide some dimension to your home, as will as brighten and soften it. Just grey and wood has no contrast and is a bit too earthy.

I think if you extended every other board off the original carport front to make a sort of screen end it would be very now . . and look fab too to have wood on the front .. if you go with a deep tone, make it earthy . . a warm charcoal like bm iron gate http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/irongate or bm equestrian gray

Just some more door ideas and landscaping

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Hmm I think the pave stones are just a bit off putting to the mid century modern look? A clean asphalt drive or cement would do the trick.

For the house, use classic mid-century colors; the body a medium gray, white trim and a red front door. Remove the old shrubs and replace with plants that have a low, wide growing habit to emphasize the horizontal lines of the house. Btw, you have a beautiful home!

In celebration of their 150th anniversary, Sherwin-Williams has created an historical color journey showing paint color trends throughout the decades. Browse by decade to see curated color collections from existing palettes and historical color collections: http://www.sherwin-williams.com/architects-specifiers-designers/color/find-and-explore-colors/color-collections/color-through-the-decades/?utm_source=Pro&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Through%20the%20Decades&utm_campaign=Apr%2012%20STIR

Okay it's been awhile but I'm sure everyone wants to know what I did! So here are some pics of my work in progress

Looks good. Keep it Up.

Looking great! I love the soft gray.

ok so suggestions would be appreciated on a better border than the spider plants and maybe a better bench?

Yah, the bench is wrong. What you really need is a Nelson bench or knock off.

What USDA planting zone are you in? And are those spider plants or mondo grass? I like their habit for that location. Are they just not doing well?

Here's a Nelson style 5' bench:

Charcoal house with white trim. Clean up the landscaping. Work on a beautiful green plush lawn. It's what you first see coming to your house.

groveraxle, that is spider grass. it isn't doing great. the husband doesn't really like it.. im zone 9. i feel like we are the only zone that must find plants that can survive high temps and low freezes. hence the bromeliads and sucullents. people keep saying that they're part of the period but i feel like the dont go.

The spider grass is actually totally appropriate for this MCM house and, IMO, where it's doing well, it looks great. But it looks a lot like the mondo grass I tried four years ago. It took three years to fully die. LOL

When I landscaped my yard, I made a map and noted the plant habits--tall, pendulous, trailing, flowering--I wanted each area to have, then took that to the best nursery in town and had their horticulturist walk me around and show me what would do well where. (The mondo grass was my own experiment; I figured if Home Depot had it, it must grow here. Don't make my mistake.)

Also, go here--http://www.monrovia.com/plant-catalog/--and put in your zone and criteria to get a list of possible plants.

MCM landscapes tend to be spare and well-defined as opposed to rangy and wild-looking.

I love landscaping with river rock. Mexican Beach Pebbles are a round, smooth rock that have a mix of colors. I recommend a border but the rocks are stationary and shouldn't end up in the grass. Accent the rock with fountains, decorative potted plants, and drift wood or yard art such as wrought iron.