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How can I make this home have more character

Joy Smith
2 years ago

i am building a home, that will look like this. in florida, your options for building a home that looks original are slim. unless , you have tons of money. how could I make this home look more like a farm house? i was thinking, white dove paint.

No glass block. take away white rail for porch. Add natural wood shutters. I am NOT creative. help!

Comments (17)

  • PRO
    Mark Bischak, Architect
    2 years ago

    Have cows grazing in the front yard.

  • deb s
    2 years ago

    https://www.brickandbatten.com/


    or go through houzz and create an inspiration book to get ideas

  • PRO
    Patricia Colwell Consulting
    2 years ago

    Why are you building a house that looks like that if you want farmhouse maybe explain a bit more.

  • bpath
    2 years ago

    A one-story house on a farm around here would traditionally not have the front entry tower or a gable on a hipped roof. But, I'm in the Midwest, I'm not sure what Florida farmhouses look like.

  • Joy Smith
    Original Author
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Haha , actually, a lot of the neighbors have chickens, cows and horses. I don’t have the time or else I would. We live in a rural “ farm area” even though we are only 15 minutes from the beach. A lot of people build beach style homes in our town. It feels weird to me to do that when we will be building in a rural/farm neighborhood.


    In Florida, in this area, most builders have homes with their own floor plans . We have to pick and choose from them or else it costs a lot. All the homes have to be concrete block as well, because of hurricanes. A simple home like this cost well over 900k. So I am trying to keep my costs down. Any ideas would be appreciated! ☺️

  • HU-187528210
    2 years ago

    I’d have a larger front porch. With a roof across the whole thing.
    Remove the front door gable.

    ....

    Lighter paint

    No cinder block

    Add French doors leading to the porch instead of the windows

    ....

    I also would love if the garage can be tucked away a bit more.

    If not I’d add more windows.

    ....

    All in all it looks like a cute house. Just style and paint it lighter, brighter and more to your taste.
    White body

    Black trim

    Black accents (lighting, address sign, mailbox ...)

    Blue accents (furniture , pillows...)

    Some wood. But not too much. I’d skip shutters.

    Also, landscaping! I’d do something plush looking. Big boxwoods.

    Joy Smith thanked HU-187528210
  • threers
    2 years ago

    Lots of good ideas here for you to consider. My suggestion to you is do the landscaping first. Buy plants in the size you can afford. They will grow. Keep your builder choices simple and classic and they will stand the test of time. Any open space that you might want such as a porch or patio will need to be screened..There are lots of creepy crawling things in Fla that you do not have in the Midwest. Good luck to you!

  • Joy Smith
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    Thanks, great ideas !

  • littlebug zone 5 Missouri
    2 years ago

    I live in the midwest where fake shutters abound on farmhouses. If I were you, I’d get REAL shutters that fasten over your windows and lock. Seems like I’ve heard that there are hurricanes in Florida . . …

  • Joy Smith
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    Lol . The home will have all impact windows, so shutters are just for looks.

  • junco East Georgia zone 8a
    2 years ago

    Which room is shown with the glass block? Consider whether you really want to eliminate it or not. If this is a builder plan, how much will you be able to change?

  • PRO
    BeverlyFLADeziner
    2 years ago

    Paint the gables white, add shutters to the windows & add more landscaping to the lot.





  • nickel_kg
    2 years ago

    It's an attractive house. The front door is too dark, and the landscaping is dull -- easy fixes.

  • calidesign
    2 years ago

    The landscaping is the most important part of giving your home character. Build your Florida home so it looks like it belongs in Florida, and get a good landscape design with a wide sidewalk and plantings that welcome you to the front door. A great walkway and the right plantings can make a basic builder grade home look custom.

    Just a Fabulous Place to call Home · More Info


    Joy Smith thanked calidesign
  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    I like this look



    adding some stone and hardscape make a big difference.


    this one too. you could make out that model you have similar to this.

    black windows, added wood (or composite wood) accents.

    again, the hardscape is huge w/these homes.


    and landscape makes a huge difference






    colors on this one are pretty.




    if you like the farmhouse look, try something like this







    Joy Smith thanked Beth H. :
  • res2architect
    2 years ago

    Making it look substantially better will not be free. What is the most you're willing to spend?