This 3 car garage with attached house is unappealing because it's all bland beigeness, garage doors and a concrete freeway right smack next to the neighbor's big beige box.

If you replaced those garage doors with natural stained-wood units and a front door to match - replaced the massive concrete slab driveway and front walk with pavers which are perforated or spaced which would allow grass and other groundcovers to grow within the voids or between blocks - added trees and other large-scaled plantings to alleviate the massiveness of the building as well as help screening the view to your neighbors on either side and replaced a good part of the flat lawn with more interesting plantings - These would all go a long way to making this building feel more unique, welcoming and visually appealing.

Thanks for all the great ideas!
I'd love to replace those garage doors, they're quite ugly. The front door is painted a deep purple, I think a large pendant like out there would be beautiful. And yes, lots & lots of plants, a few trees and plenty of flowers.
I would love to rip up that driveway and do something different, but that's out of the question for now, I'm going to look into painting it.
Thanks again.

I would consider to add some decorative stone at the bottom of the front window on the first level and on the sides, kind of rusty-brown-beige color. And also at the columns and on the corners of the house. I would not replace the garage doors, but instead I would painted chocolat color to make it more dramatic. And on the front door I would make it natural wood with brown ink varnish kind of mediterranean style.
Also I would make a curve walk way entrance, from the street to the entry, with plants on each side, and on the street where the walk way start, I could consider two 3 ft columns at each side of walk way with a light fixture on top.
Well, hope this can help. Good luck!

Please don't paint the concrete driveway. Painted and stamped concrete driveways always look so flat and fake. Just more two dimensional "blahness" so just live with it until you can redo it nicely with some pavers.

Ditto everyone's comments about landscaping. Some really nice plantings that add color and texture will make a huge difference.

Is the house masonry stucco? I would advise against purchasing a home clad in manufactured (artificial) stucco because the systems often have drainage problems which then can cause major structural problems. Replacing artificial stucco is very expensive.

Depending on your budget, there is the option of changing the color of the entire house for something more interesting or just more coordinated. Changing the garage doors -- they are the most noticeable feature at the moment -- would be a step towards individualization. Given the architecture, stained wood is an option. There's also frosted "glass" which would lighten that end of the house and if done in a design similar to the windows on the other end and above, would bring the two elements together. Houz has done an idea grouping on garage doors that you might glance through.

2 key "issues" that if addressed would help quite a bit:
1. There is such a pronounced, grand entrance, but there is no direct path to it. I think you want to have a good line of sight to it, but because of the symmetry of the house, the color scheme, and landscaping, that doesn't happen. Maybe something in the landscaping can help draw more attention towards the entrance, rather than to the garage.
2. There is no contrast in the paint scheme. Painting those garage doors or replacing them would go a long way. No more beige.

A cheap fix would be paint. I would lighten those large two-story columns leading to the front door to add contrast and create a sense of depth. Also, I would add an accent color by painting the garage doors and entry door. Some landscaping along your driveway will also help add character to an otherwise bland exterior. I love the use of a mix of materials applied to similar surfaces. For example, roofs that primarily have shingles, but an overhang or small segregated section that incorporates tin, copper, etc. I see the potential for this on your home as you have smaller areas that are distinct from the larger roof mass. Good luck and go with what makes you happy!

I am impressed with all these creative ideas! I would only add a suggestion for winter decorating: small, white, "Christmas" lights in shrubs or trees might be nice.

i would look for another house, sorry. i don't like the pillars and it looks like all garage and no house. i'm not sure that plantings will help. it just seems like you would be spending so much money on changes that it's almost not worth it.
but this is just my opinion :) if you really like it and want a garden and the yard is really nice? then go for it.

One option to consider for the driveway instead of paint is etching or staining the concrete. here is a picture on Houzz where someone did that. You can get many different colors and looks, and it is definitely not a flat look.

It is a very nice house that just needs new stained wood garage doors and decorative concrete in the Versailles pattern. A matching stained door to replace the purple door would be better. I see tall columnar trees to give a Tuscan look. The urns are a great idea as long as they are substantial and symmetrical. And keep the plants in them alive and beautiful. In between the garages put 2 pots with large spiral junipers that are at least 6-8 foot tall to make the driveway look like a beautiful courtyard. How would the stucco columns look painter a Tuscan terra cotta color to draw the eye to the entrance. I can just see it!

For sure you should repaint stucco in to a darker colour ,also do darker colour on garage doors and front doors.A couple circle threes will make a difference. Good luck

Another point to consider before purchasing a suburban unit is the association restrictions - what will you be allowed to change and what will you have to live with? As we were planning a home purchase last year, we excluded all homes that were part of a restrictive association. In the end, we decided to purchase a unique, custom built older home that is only subject to the city's ordinances. In doing so, we gave up the gated community but gained the charm of a historic home. Now when we drive through the suburban communities, we wonder how the residents are able to find their homes - the houses all look the same ("beige boxes," as a previous reader commented), with the exception of the address number.

The house is great, it just needs some "softening". To do that inexpensively, you need to earth-ify the facade some. I would acid stain the drive a dark coffee color that plays off the existing color of the house. I've attached a pic. We did this at our previous house and everyone raved about it - it adds a rich warmth, and you could do it yourself SO EASILY.

The other thing is to soften the boxy garage. I would plant some creeping fig at the base of the garage - it grows rapidly and gives an expensive look. Also attached a pic.

I think black urns sound stunning. Good Luck!

i agree with lots of the other posters. this house is not so bad at all! landscaping is easy to do and framing your walkway and driveway with great choices of plants and some trees will change it completely. choose wisely for you will want a blend of annuals and perennials, flowering and not.

as for the garage doors, and columns, change them when you can! you could do some beautfiful stonework at the bottom of the column or brick and frame the top in wood, or do something else. and when you can afford it, change out the garage doors. i would do the same with some amazing windows. it's difficult to imagine waiting to remodel, but a house with a great neighborhood and a backyard is so worth it!

also meant to add, paint the garage doors a darker color - needs some depth. Like the photo of the front door above - a darker color draws you to it. Good luck - it's a great house!

You could also consider thinning down the width of the driveway to just one or two lanes, widening closer as you get to the garage so you can access all three garage doors and have some parking in front of the doors if wanted. It would make it look less like a freeway. It would give you more room for landscaping as well. Otherwise, looks like a lovely home that a green thumb can easily make stunning.

Natural stone up those pillars. Re-clad the garage doors w/ copper

The triple garage doors have a nice rhythm. Can you picture a 2 - 3' deep pergola with wisteria growing on it that reinforces this rhythm? That and the previously suggested etched driveway and your colorfully-planted black urns would soften up the landing pad. John Gidding on Curb Appeal always does 2 things - gives you 1.) a separate walkway (other than the driveway) up to the house and 2.) a sitting space at the front of the house. Sitting space under another wisteria-planted pergola?

You need a nice birch tree in the front. That will give some character... and plants up the sides of the driveway would like nice too...

Wow, such awesome ideas! Thank you, I didn't think I had so many options. This house is on .36 of an acre, around the corner is a small park with a small pond, it's in an awesome neighborhood at the base of a mountain with a beautiful view. That is why I really want to make it work.
Thanks again.

Acid stain the concrete, with a design (possible a compass), to add a softer look.

Hi ~ Not sure if you've made an offer on it or not but 2 quick things that will give you an upscale effect for not so much money. Re: the pavers for the driveway ~ Just do the border of the driveway on each side and then the horizontal divider lines in the body of the driveway. The paver guys just use a concrete cutter and notch out a little trench in the driveway the same width as your pavers and lay them right in (instead of just a concrete seam) it's the same refined vibe for a LOT less money. Besides anybody can have a driveway full of pavers, no imagination required. Something different is nice than looking just a cookie cutter as everyone else. Someone mentioned a pergola but for a lot less money you can have brackets, or corbels mounted on each side of the outmost garage doors and one on each side of the middle garage door ~ You can plant whatever vine rocks your world, from clematis to passion flower vine, bouganvilla (if it will grow in your area) etc. and train it across the brackets. One horizontal board or two if you like the overhead pergola look and for a lot less money! I just like to know what the vine itself will look like in the winter so there's still some structure during the absence of blooms or greenery. And of course consider the color of the blooms and foliage so it will coordinate with your house. Best of Luck!

You have already received a lot of good advice. I particularly agree with pbood and pastsoon re: making the driveway less of a concrete jungle. I love the idea of cutting in the pavers. I would do this in conjunction with some acid staining, which will relieve the starkness of the concrete. I think it will make a huge difference if, as said, you can cut the driveway down, whether physically or just visually (curve half of the last flags on either end). Physically would be great, but if too much $$$, then perhaps you could create a darker color on each end, curving back to the garage. If you don't need the parking here (looks like you could rent space!) put huge planters on the driveway to create sort of a terrace look. If you are going to use the idea of having pavers routed in, perhaps you could even have smaller sections of the concrete removed for planting (even around a built-in planter). It would be worth your money, I think, to consult a landscape architect - you will get more bang for your buck. Getting rid of that huge expanse of concrete will do more than anything else, but I like the idea of painting out the columns to give more presence, and also a simple pergola over the garage to soften it. Paint the garage doors darker to give a little presence but make it subtle - you don't want to call any more attention to them than necessary. Paint your front door an eye-popping color which will stand out from the street, and then bring plantings to complement out in a curved bed to the driveway. The scale of the entry is massive, so use large-scale plants (leaves, blooms, etc.) in mass plantings rather than a lot of little stuff. Another idea might be to create almost an allee of trees (maybe these could be repeated in planters on driveway?) leading up to the house - more of a formal look, and repeating the linear lines of th e house. This could be interesting and I'll bet would be a total departure from whatever else you see in the neighborhood.

Sounds like you have some great suggestions! I would just like to add that light fixtures have a huge impact for a relatively small investment. Be sure not to go too small ... choose something quite large for impact. A pendant-style fixture in the entry way, plus a wall-mounted fixture on the right side of the garage would look terrific! If you plant a tree in the front yard, a spotlight that shines up on it at night will add to a great evening look. You could place your urns with flowers between the garage doors, and swap out the flowers for an evergreen in the winter. Remember too, the driveway won't look so overwhelming with your cars parked there. Nice landscaping, paint, and some of the other ideas mentioned will work wonders to draw attention away from the giant driveway. No house is perfect, and a great location is a tremendous advantage. You can always change the exterior - you can't change the location. Best of luck to you!!! :o)

I'm loving all of these ideas! I really would love a huge pendant light outside the front door but, we have extremely high winds here so I don't think we could do it. But, I'd love the trellis and large plants and pavers in the driveway!

For me the problem is all about the garage doors....what about creating a pergola closer to the road that you would drive through. It could be covered in flowering vines and would break the view of the the garage. Of course I would change the doors themselves as well.

It is a nice house! I think your French idea is great. I would maybe put two awnings over the front bedroom windows in black and white. Maybe some kind of flower box under the front room window. It just needs a few details--it's a great house! Can you paint the garage doors black as well? Just a thought--

Black garage doors might be nice, yes. I'm not sure about the awnings, sounds nice but, we get really strong winds here.
Thank you.

Instead of an exterior pendant then, perhaps two large wall-mounted fixtures on the pillars? That would still give your entry some drama, plus be functional at night. Also, it looks like there is a large window above the front door ... is there perhaps a 2-story foyer on the other side? If so, a large pendant or chandelier can go there, hung so it is framed by the window and visable from the outside at night. Another idea is to incorporate some boulders in your landscaping, maybe a big one (or a grouping) near the driveway to give the yard some dimension. You can arrange your plantings around them, and they are wind-proof!!!

Trees...trees...trees....get a landscape architect to help you...

Color roof columns and landscape

i'm sorry, i didn't realize you were in such a beautiful area. i can understand why you would want to live there. i hope things work out for you!!

just type in garage doors on Houzz home page and beautiful stained garage door pictures pop up which would make your house amazing.
http://www.houzz.com/photos/products/wood-garage-doors click on this link it will take you to one but not my favorite. It was the only one that would copy.

Something else you could add are window boxes full of flowers...you may have to change them out during the seasons, but it would be worth it for the architectural quality and greenness combined...

Try to add pastel color paint specially at the exterior parts of the house and if possible put some best designed outside lights.

Old post 2011

I realize this is an old post, but the design inspires me personally to consider two choices: (1) pale yellow exterior walls with white trim and front door and white columns, along with the large black urns or (2) medium to dark grey exterior walls with white trim, black entry and garage doors along with the black urns, and light silver grey pavers along the driveway. I do agree that this house lends itself to a French style, one of my personal favorites.Flanking the right side of the driveway I would suggest red-leaved or red-flowering trees such as crimson maple or dogwoods, respectively. I agree with other posters that window boxes and the black urns with bright flowers would look wonderful.