Should I have left the brick alone?

Other info: the house was built in the 90s. This is a country area. House has a barn right behind it.

Help!

Sorry, but, the house was adorable before. The limewash is not a nice look. However, that said, I wouldnt do anything else to it, until you do the other updates. The limewash may have looked a bit better, if it wasnt such a solid color. Usually some of the brick shows through. Yours appear too solid of a white.

Cat, the brick on the front of the house was in good shape but it was pretty bad on the sides and back. Maybe we should have rented a super strength power washer and tried that. I agree, the limewash isn't better. I just don't know how to fix it at this point.

Not a pro but I think it does look better. I think painting the siding in a different color would make a difference.

My experience with similarly colored stucco house -- we installed new roof in a Spruce blue-green, rural and among many spruce trees, so it all seemed to fit together. Yours will have low evergreen shrubs, etc.? it might help.

Just do it, thank you. If I leave the linewash, I think I will repaint the large trim area in the front white too.

I think you are just in a state of shock. and I also think the landscape is really going to lessen the "space" you are seeing. The green roof, well unless you want to bite the bullet it is what it is.

I would have left the brick but that's just me.

Things I would do

1. redistribute the posts to the porch and define the entry

2. add a door that is welcoming

3. redefine the path to the door and bring it out a bit

4. landscape, landscape.

With very light color - make use of the bright yellow-greens, as mixed with silvery blue / greens and touch of brights.

Not mistake I suppose... just a bit more neutral?... not a pro.

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RL, that is incredibly helpful, thank you! I love how you did the columns. I definitely am shocked by the transition. If I can't remove the limewash I can see it will still look great once we get some plants. Thank you SO much!

Softer color exterior, try softer neutrals in plantings- Blue Spruce 'Baby Blue Eyes' grow 15 to 30 ft. tall and 15 ft. wide. Partial to full sun. Dense, eye-catching silvery blue-green foliage holds its color well.

https://conifersociety.org/conifers/picea-pungens-baby-blue-eyes/

https://www.bobvila.com/articles/limewashed-brick/. You can remove some of it and make it better. “Limewash coating can be removed with a pressure washer, or by hand, with a bucket of water and a stiff nylon scrub brush if you grow tired of the look.” It’ll be beautiful. PS Is that a vizsla?

Take off part of it, artfully. Not all of it.

If you're not "sure" yet, try your grey-greens for the green roof tie in.

https://conifersociety.org/conifers/abies-lasiocarpa-green-globe/

Everdebz, thank you for the awesome ideas for plants! I love the silvery greens, I planted a bunch at my last house. I think I will take a break and focus on plants for a bit. The house and I will both be happier ☺

N Johnson, thank you, hopefully the pressure washer can still remove some. I will try the distressed look. That's our new dog we just adopted from the pound. She does look very much like a vizsla. The pound called her a plott hound mix, I think she's mostly Pit though. She's been the best dog!

You are welcome - let's have happy! Why not wait until winter is over to wash?

While thinking over plantings - professional lighting is huge, and I had that done [with the new roof I mentioned]. Trees and shrubs are pretty seen from indoors.

The curb appeal is fab, and inviting. Idk why more don't do that instead of other investments.

Hey if you want - tell what the oval border will have? :)

Lighting is a great idea, actually that was the first thing my hubby mentioned. I probably should have listened! Haha. It will make a huge difference.

The large oval is a fire pit the previous owners set up. We have a ton of large trees and limbs get dropped all the time. We plan on moving it, but we've cleared alot of property and it's been helpful so far.

Not necessarily the trim, but the area above this window needs to be the same color as the brick. I think this is why you like the house from the back but not from the front… the back doesn’t have the gable. Make that area blend in by painting it the same or as close as you can to the color of the brick. Landscaping is going to do wonders too. Your home is beautiful. Keep moving forward.

Laswift, I think you're 100% right. That siding area would look way better if it blended with the brick. Thank you for your encouraging words. You all have been so helpful.

That's probably why it looks so much better when the sun's out too, in the sunny picture the colors blend better. I will definitely repaint that siding. Maybe BM Swiss coffee

I took a few minutes to try distressing and I'm not done but I like it so far. The bonus is that it now matches the tractor hubby parked 5 foot from the house :)

What product exactly did you use? If a potassium silicate then it goes over itself quite nicely - if you want to tweak the color. The cos. I know of with (Limeworks, Keim etc.) can custom mix to match any SW or BM color. As others have said, that triangle of differently colored siding really is the odd duck here. Changing it to be vertical siding would greatly improve the esthetics - vertical lines would be harmonious with vertical lines of the posts - and yeah, as others have said get color mixed same color as the brick.

Basically you dont want to clutter a house with any more than 3 colors (unless you really know what you're doing LOL). So you've got light gray-white (what is that anyway?), blue-green, and black. Stop there, thats all the colors you need! No Swiss Coffee or Rockport or anything else needs to be added to the mix.

Debbie, the limewash for the brick is Romabio in Nube Grey. When it is wet is an exact match to the Rockport Grey siding and trim but when it dried it was so much lighter. I expected the brick to be grey like the siding, but the brick turning white threw everything off. I will definitely be repainting the siding to match, but the limewash will not adhere to the siding so I have to find a matching paint. I think Swiss coffee would be a close match but will have to sample it.

Either that or I could repaint all the brick with a masonry paint the same color as the the siding (BM Rockport grey). That was the look I wanted in the first place. I have never wanted a white house, that's just what I got , lol

I think redoing the siding with vertical lines is a fantastic idea. I will add that to our to do list!

Oh and Debbie, I totally agree about too many colors. I would love to change the roof but it's pretty new. Im ignoring the black windows because they will be replaced way before the roof (well, probably, texas weather has been insane lately..) I'm really not a fan of the black windows!

Oh I see what you're saying... I don't think romabio does a custom color but I'm not sure?

idk about y'all, but with black frames your house had a current direction of natural leather and textures, distressed wood everywhere, etc... 'cool' lighting....

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Don't hold power washer too long in one place not good for brick or wood. I like it.

Ever, I love that metal roof! When we do replace the roof, I plan on doing a metal and at that point I would either remove all the limewash somehow, or paint a solid color like your inspo pic. I just hope a metal roof won't look horrible all the time with the massive amounts of pollen the trees drop. At any rate, we have awhile, our current roof is only 2 years old. Leather and wood is spot on!

Happy, thank you!

Whole roof not metal - a metal or copper roof can be added if a nice design, and right in the middle of the house seems a good place for it [if hot summer sun is blocked a bit with an overhang, all the better?]

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A grey-brown paint could blend with black windows? instead -- here it is again -- a more rustic door than your dressy one? "sorry"

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haha here's a little window for ya - to repeat the oval of your door, not kidding... ??? :)

over window, under the tall gable.

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Especially if you hang large wreath, or other things - maybe like this exterior, a matching horizontal trim would be nice [is there a similar trim to the right of front door]?

Change the wood siding above the brick to natural cedar shakes (low maintenance cement if the budget allows, or stained cedar in the natural raw color) The rest of the trim should be a dark grey to black color. Alternatively, a deep black cherry color. Try all that before touching the brick again.

LOVE Celery’s idea, the mock-up looks fantastic. Looks much more cohesive and intentional. It compliments the painted brick so well!

I still like my wood arch idea, but changing the siding to match the wood posts would be awesome.

FYI there is only a limited amt of time that limewash can be washed away or thinned into more transparent look. Yeah agree Celery's is best bet (most cohesive) so far. Cohesive = architectral elements & finishes repeated, limited no. colors used (ie blue-green, light gray, brown-black) And - the dilemma of how to make sense of the triangular odd bit and have it tie in to the rest of the house has been addressed!

Why didn’t you do the chimney?

Celery, what a fabulous mock up. I love everything about it! It is the look I had in my mind without realizing how many other things need to be changed (the siding etc). Yall are so amazing!! Thank you!

Shady, I didn't do the chimney because I ran out of product first and then I decided to keep it natural to give the back a warm element and not have it be all white.

Masonry paint would be a solid color. Limewash is intended to be a distressed appearance so that the texture is enhanced and not FLAT. It provides your home with an instant VINTAGE appearance

You have a few good ones - if a matching upper gable, your details could then be one horizontal trim and wood details onto porch posts...

celery's look - dark upper seems to capitalize on hip roof's shape - think so?

vstayton 3 year old post..............