Ideas for Curb Appeal

13 years ago

last modified: 13 years ago

Hello,
We purchased this home 4 years ago and I detest the "yoghurt yellow" soffit, facia, eavestrophing, cladding, shutters...it's everywhere! The roof is an ugly brown. We painted the garage door, front door, man door, shutters and the board and batton above the garage.

We are finally ready to do a new roof, soffitt, facia, eaves, windows, new front door and new garage door. Basically, we are only leaving the brick. I love a classic, crisp look that tends to go on a red brick, centre hall plan. Although our home doesn't have that exterior, we would like to aim for this.

We are thinking of black shutters, white windows, soffit, facia and eaves, black front door, black garage door and black/charcoal/slate shingles.

I have posted the before and afters of our home so far. The winter picture is recent.

Ideas please? Thanks so much!

Featured Answer

traceysmith11

13 years ago

This house has amazing potential. My suggestions are: put an 'eyebrow' pergola over the garage with some white columns. On the garage door - change the top panel from those arch looking windows to squares to coordinate with the rest of the house. You can paint the yellow window trim and sofits any color - maybe a pure white and put a larger tree on the left hand corner of the house to soften that line, perhaps a flowering redbud or a dogwood tree. Remove the single light over the garage - it's too small but if you need light there - put can lights in the sofit - maybe 3.

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Comments (18)

feeny
13 years ago
I completely agree with the black (or charcoal gray) roof, shutters, and front door. I'm less in love with the idea of a black garage door.
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simps214
13 years ago
I love what you've done so far- the black shutters especially-and I would only suggest a different color on the garage door. As its so prominent, perhaps a warmer color would be more inviting.

I've always thought black shutters on a brick house went well with a red front/garage door.
mship2
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you so much! Here is an image that is a mock up of the garage door and shingles we are considering. tracysmith11 could you explain what an eyebrow pergola is? Would this work in our climate?
mship2
Original Author
13 years ago
simps214 I love red doors. My husband isn't as keen...so it's a no. :(
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Dytecture
13 years ago
last modified: 13 years ago
I agree with a black garage door, and here is a mock up with blue storm door.
mship2
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you Dytecture!
mship2
Original Author
13 years ago
What is the colour you chose for above the garage door, Dytecture?
mship2
Original Author
13 years ago
We are considering down lighting in the soffit all the way around.
traceysmith11
13 years ago
last modified: 13 years ago
An eyebrow pergola is pergola that hangs or stands above any opening: garage, sliding door, window, etc. It can have columns or be supported with corbels (brackets). I'll try to find a picture on Houzz and link it. They dress up an otherwise plain space. You've got a lot of space over the garage door right now, would be nice to turn it into a design element.
traceysmith11
13 years ago
I can't attach an image - but if you go to Exteriors on Houzz and then put pergola designs in the search bar - it'll show you lots - look for a traditional style to match the house. There is one over a door, the background of the house is blue that would look very nice. I think it will work in any climate, particularly if it's constructed of PVC - just power wash it.
mship2
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you!
Suzanne Martin Cable
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
OUCH! MATCH GARAGE DOOR TO FRONT DOOR. PAINT AREA ABOVE IN COLOR TO MATCH BRICK (REDWOOD ETC). BUILD WHITE TRELLIS ABOVE GARAGE ONTO RED PAINTED AREA. 2 SIDE LIGHT FIXTURES INSTEAD OF SINGLE LIGHT. PAINT FRONT DOOR TRIM ALL WHITE TO MATCH HOUSE INCLUDING FRONT DOOR SIDELIGHT WINDOWS. DOOR ALONE IN BLACK. PEAK ABOVE GARAGE TO MATCH REST OF TRIM - WHITE.
patrinkac
11 years ago
March 2013 dilemma.
Suzanne Martin Cable
11 years ago
I KNOW...
mship2
Original Author
11 years ago
Hi There,

Thanks Suzanne for your ideas. We went with a black garage door and a black front door with black trim. All the windows are white and the shutters are now black. We went with multi toned architectural shingles in grey, charcoal and black. We left the grey above the garage door and it matches our man doors. We are very happy so far!

What do you mean by Ouch?

Thanks again,

Ms. Hip
Suzanne Martin Cable
11 years ago
lol ONLY that here was this Nice Brick Home with "an UNusual non-matching, non-complementing garage facade!" So... OUCH! I was just stunned for a moment (like a bird that flies into a window! ;- ) Are you aware that there is ANOTHER home on this site with that EXACT SAME garage facade? (Same overall configuration, too!) House set back and everything! If I see it again I will post it here - just for you! So glad that everything worked out for you and that you LIKE it! That's always the MAIN THING! Thanks for being so nice and letting me know how it came out...
mship2
Original Author
11 years ago
Ahh Gotcha. You should've seen it when it was yoghurt yellow. That was the colour of everything when we purchased. Soffit, eaves, window frames, doors, garage door, peak above garage! It was a nightmare.

We painted the garage door to bring out the grey in the brick. Strangely, several people stopped on our street to ask about the colour and painted their own the same way, so perhaps the online effect isn't quite the reality.

Now the windows, garage door, front door, soffit, facia and eaves, and shingles have all been replaced. The effect is magic. I used to hate the house. Now I love it.

Thanks for your insights re lighting too. Someday...

N