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noweekends

Advise on adding curb appeal to the front of this home?

No Weekends!
6 years ago

I recently purchased this late 1960s vinyl clad home. We'll be doing some major interior renovations. Any input on what you'd do to improve the curb appeal of this poor house? Aside from adding a midcentury style front door as well as a more modern part glass garage door and metal roof, what can else can/should be done to make this sad place more on trend? Note horizontal clad vinyl on the top section with vertically installed vinyl on the bottom section. The color is unremarkable and painting the vinyl is out of the budget at the moment. Not sure if painting vinyl is ever a long lasting solution. Please let me know your thoughts! Thank you, thank you!

Comments (9)

  • Barbara Almandarz
    6 years ago

    Congratulations on your new home! If there's nothing wrong with the roof, don't fix it. I'd live in the house a bit before you make any large investments. I would soften it up a bit with low flowering shrubs (like the pink ones in the foreground) along the from the house, parallel to the house. Consider a major garden renovation probably should have been done in the spring. Still not too late to pull out those lonely bushes by the door, add some flowering shrubs and wood chips for now. Then look into what you'd like to do to the house next spring. Add a covered porch to the door to emphasize the front door? Add a cool sidewalk leading up the door. Maybe some stone on the vertical siding? Gather pictures from the internet for ideas. take your time and do it right. Good luck!



    No Weekends! thanked Barbara Almandarz
  • jbtanyderi
    6 years ago
    The upstairs windows are VERY small, throwing off the proportions. On the entry floor, I'd create contrast panels under the windows to ground level. You could put contrast panels under the small upper windows and the add shutters of the combined height.
  • decoenthusiaste
    6 years ago

    Unless the items you listed are in dire need of replacement, stop, live there and gather an album of ideas/looks you like. Then start landscape work this fall and be ready for your major installations next spring.

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  • PRO
    Mark Bischak, Architect
    6 years ago

    What statement do you want your home say?

    No Weekends! thanked Mark Bischak, Architect
  • Sigrid
    6 years ago

    The windows are small on the upper left and the color dreary. A new roof won't change much. Nor will a door. I'd move the path to the garage and put in some flowering shrubs.

    You might paint the trim a bright color. I've seen peach/pumpkin perk up beige quite nicely.

    No Weekends! thanked Sigrid
  • emmarene9
    6 years ago

    You must have poked around a bit, what is under the vinyl?

    No Weekends! thanked emmarene9
  • No Weekends!
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Thanks, all. Since I'm new and can't seem to respond to your posts individually, please accept this long reply. All great points. Thank you, Barbara, decoenthusiaste and Beverly. You're right, it's best to live in the house for a bit before starting anything major and landscaping would help quite a bit. Love the large pavers to the front door idea. jbtanyderi, you're correct, those windows are indeed too small. They are the master and guest bath windows. I'd like to enlarge them to add more light and visual balance. Mark, great question. I think the statement should be that we appreciate both old and new in an updated architectural contemporary home in a historic midcentury architectural neighborhood. Yikes, that's a mouthful. Beverly, big thanks for taking the time to change the window and garage door design. Very thoughtful of you. Sigrid, I'll give those color ideas some thought. emmarene, the original wood siding is beneath that vinyl. But it's hard to determine it's condition. The home was built in 1967, so I don't believe there's much insulation either. Cheers and thanks. I'll add updated photos to this post once we make the changes. :)

  • PRO
    Mark Bischak, Architect
    6 years ago

    My advice is to contact a local architect that has done work in the past in your neighborhood. Do not rely on a non-professional. The right architect will be able to provide continuity in the overall design of the house and be able to fit into the neighborhood. Don't make any decisions until you receive the recommendations from the architect.

    No Weekends! thanked Mark Bischak, Architect