The bathroom looks great! .

Wow!! Very nice!!

The upstairs is complete, just the stair railings need to be done!

More of the same!

Calling that house a gambrel is an insult to gambrels. Gambrels are very pretty.

It’s definitely coming along!

I agree with you Cluedin, this is a change of mind half way up! Frankly I don’t know what the builder was thinking but it is what it is and hopefully the metamorphosis will improve the looks.

Your son is making great progress!! I can't wait to see how it looks when he starts updating the exterior!

If your son loves it, it was the right decision. The inside definitely has more natural light.

Railings on staircase finally done . Had to buy a bowed shower curtain rod that is permanently fixed because the expansion one kept falling down!

The bathroom looks great. And the bowed shower rod is actually nicer when you’re inside the tub - it feels like the curtain isn’t on top of you. Very nice!

Finished skylight in staircase.

Looks good! That will bring in a lot of light.

Your son has bought his own home. Good for him, Dad.
Now is the time to offer positive suggestions when (and IF) asked. You can collect an ideabook of gambrel exteriors on HOUZZ to share with him. If he isn’t a Houzzer, introduce him to the various ways Houzz can help him make decisions. Give him a list of your preferred service providers if his home is in your general area. If you are handy with tools, you can help him with some projects. The inside is more important than the outside for a while, except for the roof. First, inspect for any leaks and take care of that. The systems are next: plumbing, electrical, heat and AC. Suggest having the electrical inspected and maybe updated first (knob and tube?, enough power for current standards?). Look around for evidence of critters if the house has been empty for any amount of time. Check window and door frames and locks. Support him with positive ideas and encouragement.

Looks nice.

The progression......

I do like the exterior color better now. Nice choice.

It’s looking good! Not to be persnickety but is the skylight centered? It looks a bit to the right on the front.

Unfortunately the roof beams were the deciding factor!

Helen, the only color change were the shutters from faded blue to black!

....also, centering the skylight in the interior was important.

The black shutters look nice with the new roof. It tones down the blue, to the point that I thought the entire house had been painted!

I should just be quiet but I don’t understand when so many people said no to the sky light, it didn’t matter to you what they said. Nice house but hate the skylight - and it doesn’t matter, not my house!!

One of the lessons one learns as a Dad or as a Mom is when to zip your lips. Your son bought the house. Let him make the decisions. IF he wants your help, he will ask. When/if he asks, give him suggestions without criticizing his house choice. Dad, you started this list last year.....stop stewing.

The additional dormer would not have brought in as much light that is rally needed in the dark staircase! My son bought the house (without getting any advice from anybody and overpaid heavily!) but we are financing the remodeling which has already cost us over $70K and counting! So , to all you naysayers , our son is relying on us to do the work and is agreeable to our choices!

Really interesting thread. We bought a '69 ranch 20 years ago and have been doing updates a little at a time, (I remember tearing out carpeting from the kitchen and decorative painting the subfloor in a tile pattern because we were young and kind of broke), but it's so interesting to see these huge transformations. Hope you and your son make some great memories together while working on his house.

Now we come to the front door. Any ideas as to what would match without going overboard with side panels , etc..."

I think the people on here who make exterior recommendations are absolutely outstanding. So my suggestions are not as valuable. I saw that someone mentioned earlier that a full glass front door would let in the light that you are looking for, but I am not sure if it is a security concern, especially w/no screen. I liked the all wood door with the mail slot that was shared earlier too, and the blue colors that people were sharing looked great. I wonder about beefing up the trim on the front door, but I defer to the experts! Totally get it that you are looking for a simple and not complicated update.

OK, just look at the half-glass door and not all the trimmings. It's a pretty door on it's own and lets in light.

This has windows on the upper 1/3. I doubt that the style is exactly right, but just sharing the idea of upper windows on the door.

Red?

Just sharing this because it's beautiful. Probably not easy to find!

Also super-beautiful

This is the second bathroom on the ground floor.

I cannot believe you put in that skylight. It looks *hideous* from the outside.

The blue and green door style is what we were going for with maybe a full glass storm door since the front door doesn’t really have any protection from the elements!

To KLman, I was more concerned about the inside! “Hideous” is a bit harsh!?

Everyone who weighed in on the skylight told you it was a terrible idea. It looks even worse than people feared, because I'm sure they were all assuming you would at least center it. I get that you were more concerned about the inside and the natural light, but a gable would clearly add natural light (and look nice inside) while improving rather than diminishing the appearance of the outside. I don't think you actually looked into the cost of adding a gable, but even if you did and it was cost prohibitive, you made a mistake with the skylight.

What this house really needs now is a portico.

Or at least an awning.

groveraxle, both your rendering look really nice. Did you widen the steps a wee bit, or do they just look better with the " anchoring" effect of the portico and awning? Both make the front entry so much more welcoming.

Olivia, I did widen the steps a wee bit to match the new covering over the porch.

I’d paint the front door red or teal. (But you know me, red and teal.) navy or black might look nice, too.
George, what’s the staircase material?
Also if you’re not attached to the wrought iron handrails, replacing them with square white wood ones would contribute to the spare, almost nautical feel.

The stairs are run of the mill concrete. Thanks for great door color ideas, we are leaning towards the black or dark navy......

I think those plantings, that won't get too high to cover the lower windows, will help a ton. Just figure out the right things that won't get overgrown because overgrown plantings are a pain and eyesore. I think a dark front door will be nice.

Have you considered a front porch with forward facing gambrel roof.

Well Suezbell , the house is not only fairly close to the street but the house is not worthy of big modifications due to the fact that the original construction is way under par! ( we found beer and liquor bottles in the walls, which shows you what frame of mind the “builders “ were!). There was not a single area that was well constructed, even the stairs had to be re done because of the being in even and slanted forward! With that in mind you can see that sinking large amounts of cash into this house is not the wisest. As it is we put in way more than I would have liked but the house was not maintained by the previous owners who were absolute hillbillies who were more interested in partying than performing any kind of repairs! I could go on.....

Not to pile on, but the roof resembles a surprised owl.

But, a surprised owl in a good way, right?
:-D
Seriously gang, the skylight is in, and it is what it is. People live inside a house, not across the street from it. I think we have to go with it.
Although I must say surprised owl is pretty funny.
Groveraxle, what would you think of a shed style, or more cloth-like awning over the porch?

George, would you consider replacing the railings or painting the stairs, or is this strictly a front door job for the moment?

Right now this is a front door job only. Don’t want to put to much at this point until the inside entry stairs and floor are re done . Also, when the kitchen is worked on there will be heavy traffic with a potential damage to anything else added at the front door. Once the inside is complete then the front door embellishment will be decided!

Then I would go with Navy. But look for a light/bright Navy. Not all the way to Royal Blue but you can see it from there if you know what I mean....
I just picked a navy for my daughter’s room and was astonished at how many choices there were!

Match the shutter paint?

Coming along nicely!! It’s also great that you’re helping your son with the improvements, which speaks volumes to your commitment to your family. Ignore the foolish comments of those that are being just rude and insulting!!!