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gabriel_ortega8

Give This FLAT Apartment Depth!

4 years ago

Hey there! I'm remodeling the exterior of this apartment complex..it's from the 50s and VERY FLAT. How could I give this depth and what style of front porches would look best for it? Any help is appreciated. Thank you!

Comments (15)

  • 4 years ago

    1850's or 1950's? What do you mean by depth? What are you actually looking to accomplish?

  • 4 years ago

    Do you have "Inspiration" photos?

  • PRO
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    You need to provide some more info IMO this is avery unappealing building but I have no clue where it is , what you want and some idea of a budget .IMO start by removing those horrible awnings over the doors, clean up the whole area at the front of the apaprtments to create some sort of separation fromm each other maybe planters for some nice plants . I assume those are garages so they need new doors for sure .I think creating some grass space for all the units and redoing the front porches before they all fall down. Sorry but to me this looks like more work than it is worth so please some info.

  • 4 years ago

    It was built in 1940s. I'm trying to figure out what style of front porches (door overhang) would best fit this area to give it a more modern better looking. Thank you for your comments and your help :D

  • 4 years ago

    Don't worry about the style. It doesn't matter. Make everything consistent. For example, there are slight rises with round finials on some parts of the roof, not the rest. Fix the stuff that's rotting or falling down. Then give everything a new coat of paint.


    Then add some greenery. No style is ever going to look good with a huge yard of brown dirt in front. You have plenty of space to give people more garden room.

  • 4 years ago

    I don't mind the current style of overhang, although the actual ones are a bit tired. Would really need to know where you are located, as the right answer in, say, Santa Fe would be quite different than for the same building in Ohio. Can you fence in the front patios for a sense of privacy? It's close to a strip mall right now...

  • 4 years ago

    Yes where is this building?

  • 4 years ago

    You say it’s from the 50s and later say 40s. Which is it? What style is the interior?

  • 4 years ago

    Location is in Arizona, the fist half was built in 1945 other 1950. The inside is fully renovated light grey walls with white trim, light Grey floors. My question is what best porch/overhang/style would look best giving the current look. I also thought about doing a large overhang down the entire complex, but felt it might be too much?

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    looks like a spanish revival. it went right up to 1940.

    That's a huge area. what are you talking? landscpaing?

    painting?

    You need some color. Although these bungelows were often white, they were accented w/bright color trim or doors. Ceramic planter, pots and tile.

    At the minimum, fix up the stucco, paint it, paint the door (try and find some better ones) and that sad depressed looking overhang (awning)!


    see this door awning? you need yours to look just like this!!


    make a new one out of wood, and tile it w/the spanish roof tiles or something that looks better than whats there!






    You know they make a sheet of this metal roofing that looks like those spanish tiles? this would be perfect. and light.



    stucco work?

    plants?

    all of the above?

    obviously anything besides all the dirt would be good.

    Decomposed Granite (DG) as a ground cover w/xeriscape plants and some hardscape would look good.

    DG looks like this and it's better than loose dirt.


    and notice this large awning. maybe you could do a few of those over the doors instead of individual ones over each door. do one larger one for every two doors.

    whatever is easier.

    once the DG is down, you do hardscape and plantings on top of it


    DG with plants, planters, saltillo tile, and bright blue window trim. same as above.


    these blue/green/ turquoise colors all work well w/the white stucco.




    Here are pictures. this should give you an idea of what the exterior should look like. start w/stucco work and some color for the trim and doors.

    diff colors w/the white


    flagstone pavers w/the DG, assorted plants.








    stone and gravel (DG) can be spread out over the dirt and use these concrete pavers. do some low maintenance succulents or cactus, bring in colored pots


    the blue with terracotta looks great w/the white stucco


    At the minimum, get some spanish looking wood front doors, paint them a bright color, bring in some cheap terra cotta pots w/cactus or succulents,,,,


    and you;re right next to Mx. go down there and pick up some talavera tiles. they're cheap. tile the porch and steps w/them


    look up terra cotta awnings and you should see a lot of ideas easy to make




  • 4 years ago

    Beth thank you, you gave me some amazing ideas Ὂ1

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    gabriel. I was editing as you were reading. go back up and look at the comment again. I rewrote some things and added more pictures

    oh, and I'll add this. cheap benches. look at DIY bench from garden blocks. you prime and spray paint them. add some wood, cushions. instant sprucing up the front.

    these are adhered together








    and you won't have to worry about your tenants ruining them or stealing them.


    heck, make some cool looking planters while youre at it.




  • 4 years ago

    Painting the doors, trim and windows and fixing the garage doors would be a big improvement!

    Then add a strip of greenery.


  • 4 years ago

    I was asking style because I thought it seemed like a Spanish colonial but it seems a bit late for that to be built so I wasn’t sure. I was going to suggest to put a more intricate/noticeable parapet detail back in and cover every two doors with the same awning. Beth basically had the same vision as I did

  • 4 years ago

    Or highlight the existing parapet like Houssaon shows. Here are some Spanish colonials...notice the parapets and terracotta roofs