what do you dislike about the exterior of the house?

I would hire a landscape designer and come up with a new landscape plan.

my not crazy about your brick, but overall the house is very pretty and has many architectural details that seem well executed.

i am trying to understand what is on the far left side of the house. it seems like it may be connected to another house or this is addition that does not seem to follow the style of the house.

also, the brick under the bay window in front near the entrance appears to have been mortar wash? do you like that?

Thanks Kelleys for your response. I am moving from a traditional style home to this one. My children (Age 17-25) thinks the house looks old 80's style. Husband wants to change look of it . Tudor Style home it is. The house us large more to the back. There is another home next to it.The family don't like the white colors around windows and arch in center front. Thanks

It's quite pretty, but the trim is busy. I'm not sure what the material is, so I will leave that for a masonry pro.

But if there is a way to remove some of it or at least paint it so it blends in better, that would help a lot. I'd rather see it without any heavy arches and just rectangular trim around the windows.

I prefer more angles and peaks rather than arches. I agree, the arch at the door exterior and in the portico are both too much. It may be possible to replace the exterior arch above the door to a peaked piece of trim??

Yes, I like the suggestion to tweak the landscaping. Start over without the hedges. Have flowering ornamental cherry trees. Add some flowering and trailing bougainvillea to the upper outside railing or mandevilla or climbing roses. It will help soften the brick.

A couple of pics. with more subtle trim and more angles.

The house may look better with darker trim, too. And if allowed, plant the boulevard with a few low-growing evergreen shrubs and mulch. You will have less to mow and it will add interest. Tie it in with your yard though so it doesn't compete.

Good luck!

Thank you

Thank You so much♡♡

This thread needs GROVERAXLE yoohoo!!!!

I think an English rose garden landscape would be pretty. and maybe the white trim just needs an artistic staining to make it look weathered.

P.S There are some amazing photoshop wizards on here. Here's hoping one will answer your post and do a mock-up ;-)

Funny, the guy ahead of me at the traffic light today had a Texas sticker on his car. (I'm in BC.) I was thinking whether he's a transplant or his car is an import, or?? Then the light went green, lol.

@Tribble--yeah. Prolly sleeping though! Where I'm heading.

Night all!

Appreciate everyone's insight. Thanks♡♡

Oh, just found this pic. with the peak. This is what I meant for above the door.

Imagine this white peak instead of the arch. Then the front door roof would have 2 peaks, if you follow?

Thanks for taking time to share your thoughts. They are appreciated.

Last thought before I forget it...one of the things I see is that the roofline trim is very narrow in relation to the arches. I think that's why the pic. with the darker trim appeals--it is darker, but also wider.

Adding wider trim may help. You are very welcome. Your thread will get more people in the morning.

;-)

All you need is a little more interesting landscaping...the house & all the details have been rendered exquisitely. I would dismantle all the shrubbery & start from scratch to incorporate more liveliness with color & tradition in the selections. So hire a landscape architect & let them do their thing.

The windows on the left side of the house sure seem very different than the windows on the right! And the main arch IS a bit much, but, I'm not sure how you could remove it. Perhaps a deeper paint color could lessen its prominence.

I do agree the shrubbery on the left side is a bit boring. I think some color would be lovely and would perhaps focus the attention away from the cream color arches.

You could paint the arches a taupe or concrete gray color.

The shrubs have been ignored for too long. They need reduced in size. The hedge and large shrub near the entrance should be removed. I also recommend removing the large round shrub on the left corner. It is funny that the one place you could use a hedge does not have one, so I added it in my crude drawing. Even taller would be best. Unless you just love your neighbors drive. I would want a sense of separation.

Thank you

Thanks!!!

Thank you!!

Painting the brick would update the look and would make some of the "fussy" details less apparent especially if you chose a color close to the color of the stone or stone look trim. As it is now, these seems to be a bit too much contrast between the brick and the trim. Am not a big fan of the oval attic vents. Painting the brick would (hopefully) make those less obtrusive. Would have to lose the trees at the front of the house but the smaller one is blocking both the view of the house and, I'm assuming, the view from the large window. Good luck!

Debra, if you want to thank a poster just click at the bottom of their post and your thanks will show.

To my eye, your house is very attractive. I have always loved the graceful shape of the Tudor arch. It's a pity your family doesn't like the look because nothing you can do will change the basic style other than rebuilding the whole front.

I'd paint the downspout the same color as the roof, where it angles across and down to the left of the front door. And the landscaping needs some updating. Definitely remove the tree that hides the 2 front arches. I could see this house with a low clipped yew hedge or boxwood edging around or across the front - quite a formal look - with a rose garden or a mass of hydrangeas inside. Or anything that grows well in your area, but not a mish mash of different things. Nothing tall that would hide the house itself.

I agree hiring a landscape professional would give you the best impact for your money.

I like your house. The only thing that seems off and unbalanced to me is the arch above the front door - it looks suspended in mid-air. I would consider adding the same stone veneer as your arch to the wall/columns and visually extend the stone trim to the ground. This will help visually anchor the arch.

When you need to replace the roof, I think a dark gray slate or black asphalt architectural shingle would look better than the brown asphalt shingles.

@mmilos Excellent suggestion to anchor the front arch.

thanks for your suggestions.

One thing that I think makes you dislike the brick is that the trim color is lighter and that highlights the lighter colors in the brick. I definitely would look at:

1) Painting the trim a darker color.

2) New landscaping.

3) Can't really see the front door but you could find a color that provides a "pop" and makes it more of a focal point.

If you're interested I have an online service, Creative Visual Concepts and I do mock ups to show you how your house could look with new colors etc.

Thanks and I will check out the website.

I love that your teens call this an "80s house" -- I think that's just anything that feels older than current, to them, heh. To me, the gothic details, while perhaps heavy, read more like 1780s or 1880s. Here are a couple of photos from Yale...

Anyway, you get the picture. :) Get some professional advice, but I wouldn't rush into anything dire or irreversible.

Paint or staining the trim to a softer color. Remove all of the yew shrubs. I think if you had a good landscaper or arborist trim and thin your trees, you could keep those. Then have a good new landscape plan developed and installed.

The suggestions to paint the trim a darker, softer color are good ones. I think once you clear out the overgrown landscaping, you'll see that the house features balance better. Then get a good landscape plan to ground the house to the lot and to add depth & texture. To my eye, the roof color doesn't complement the brick well. A darker shingle downplays the roof and lets the facade shine. Also, I think some trim beneath the eaves would be good: crown moulding perhaps or even a plain trim band with a transition piece to the eave. That would add some heft to the roofline fascia, which are too skimpy in relation to the window trim.

If it were my house, I'd paint the brick as well as the trim. A taupe or grey would be fabulous, softening the overall look.

Okay, this looks to be about the landscaping and trim colors. Unless you got this house for free, I'm pretty sure there are things on the inside you would normally first take care of. Is that a balcony on the 2nd floor right side? How awesome. Gorgeous home. Rule of thumb: if the only part of that house that is appealing is the price & size: Do not buy it, unless you're flipping it.

Thanks, No the inside is "Beautiful."
We want to keep the house. It's a charm.Just the outside needs help.Thank you. yes, that is a balcony.

One thing that you may want to consider is adding a perimeter wrought iron fence and driveway gates with pillars to the property. Nothing too busy or ornate, and none with the pointed tips.

I agree with the poster that suggested a barrier between the neighbour's home. I wouldn't do a hedge though. A fence would be ideal.

If you wanted to, tall hedging cedars could perhaps be added inside that section of fence to add instant height and privacy. It means trimming them if you insist they are all even though. (We have some that were in our subdivision at each property line when we purchased. Some people trim their's and some don't. We are in the non-trimmer camp. I'm not a fan of trimmed and squared hedges, save for a few situations---extremely formal gardens. I don't like things crazy wild, but just not sculpted).

I would consider replacing the front door, or at least painting it a brighter colour. Nothing weird. No red, no yellow, no dark green. A natural taupe-grey colour maybe. A lot would depend on what is done with trim.

Yes, do like the idea of a non-red roof. Dark grey or black. Especially if you decide to paint the brick. Getting the trim and landscaping right will take away a lot of the focus on that.

Also, add some new exterior lighting fixtures, a hanging pendant-lamp, and lighting at the driveway gates (if you add a fence). Avoid anything round or dome-light like the plague! Stick with more squared-off designs to further help de-emphasize the heavy arches.

Here's a few inspiration pics.

Jazz up the driveway with some stamped concrete in a simple design to mimic individual pieces of slate. Individual pavers would likely look too busy.

Awesome! !!

This is what I mean by AVOID at all costs!!

In short, anything that Sally Ann can't even sell or give away anymore!!

Lol.

Ugh, the black door with the measurements on it is blurry. Sorry. I got it from Delmarfans.com

It should come up under their exterior lighting section.

Okay, found the exact spot...

http://www.delmarfans.com/educate/choose-outdoor-lighting/

I would hire an architect for a. consultation and have make some mocked up drawings with changes that he or she may envision

I think that you will like the exterior better if it is more symmetrical. the architect should be able to help with that concept.

Thank you.

I'm sorry I didn't read through all these posts but I have to say that your new home is very lovely! This may not be a typical style for Texas but I grew up in New Haven and it sure looks a lot like the buildings at Yale! So you better tell your kids to check out some Ivy League colleges before judging architecture! If I have one complaint it would be the roof. I would have preferred a darker, slate look myself.

Pics of Yale

Thank You -you made me feel Blessed. Thanks ♡♡

Your comments was appreciated. Thanks for the pictures also.

I feel Blessed when I see the photos comparison to what I may do to the help. Thanks !!!

Angst I love the suggestion of an iron fence!!! YES please!!!

Lol. Thank-you. I'm glad you like the idea. Can you be a little more excited? ;-) You made my evening. :-)

Debra, you got some amazing suggestions. The best landscape architects will not only figure out plant placement, they will coordinate exterior paint & trim and (I hope-) a fence, along with pavers, roof, entry way, balcony and anything else you can think of. You can have them print out their plans, the better to compare options and narrow down your choices. Good luck with your plan! Please be sure to post an after picture! Can't wait to see your final vision! A

Thanks. I have gotten some great ideas. I will post a before and after pictures. Thanks again.