Software
Houzz Logo Print
trisha_bowman1453565

how to honor the 1970s architecture but upgrade

3 years ago

I’m at a loss as to what to do with this exterior. Seems there is quite a bit going on. It’s Spanish colonial meets Tudor maybe? I like that it’s unique and I want to honor the time and place this house was built. I adore all things retro and vintage but, this is a lot for the eyes to take in. Ideas??

Comments (21)

  • 3 years ago

    Good ideas. I didn’t think about removing the arch detail. Thanks.

  • PRO
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    IMO the arches are the worst detail of your home.

    Different arches have been associated with different architectural styles.


    These arches are used with Tudor architecture.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I wouldn't bother trying to honor the 70's, (bad, bad time for decor), but you can certainly honor a Mansard design.

    Looks like you either need new shingles or new stain on them.

    Arches aren't unusual for Mansards, but, you need to make them part of the house...not just empty holes. Paint the stucco one color. Freshen up the shingles, I'd go with white for the body.





    The easiest and most beneficial for you is to screen in the arches. It will give you a 3 season porch.






    English Country House · More Info


  • 3 years ago

    The arches on the outside are just the beginning. I will spare you the arches on the inside. 😄

  • 3 years ago

    There is nothing about this home that needs to be preserved or adhered to in a vintage restoration fashion. In fact, changing as much as possible would be the best thing. A mansard roof makes sense when it is the fourth floor of a home. But it looks like it is eating your home when it is half of the entire house. I would remove the shingles, stucco the entire house and paint it one color - don't accent the striped pieces, just paint them the same color as the exterior walls. Once you have a clean monochrome backdrop, I think the curved arches will look much better. If not, @BeverlyFLADeziner 's mock up of squared off openings look good.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I don't know (and I've been thinking about this a lot lately) - nostalgia is a relative thing. For some folks (primarily Baby Boomers), the 1970's seem too *current* to hold any value for preservation. For others (Xennials like me), the 1970's evoke a sense of childhood nostalgia - it's the era of homes that we have warm childhood memories taking place in that is all too quickly being replaced. Because so many folks with the means to do so are demolishing 1970's and 1980's properties, they will become scarce and eventually valuable. If you have the desire, there should be a way to make your home's exterior more cohesive (I think you either lean into the arches or the stick-Tudor vibes but not both). In general, do some research on the 1970's, popular styles and materials and consult with an expert (architect) on how to make this work (for starters, try Googling "French Mansards from the 1970s" - you'll see mansard roofed homes were a trend, and that if anything, you should rethink that porch that was likely added on later). It can definitely be done, and like all things going against the grain somewhat, will likely yield decent returns. FWIW, I think your house has great potential.

  • 3 years ago

    It’s clear that it’s a 1970s build and I’m absolutely okay with that and I would like to lean into that. I think looking into 70s architecture is a good start toward finding the right balance here. I appreciate the feedback.

  • PRO
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    My parents built this split level in 1963. We lived here for about 10 years. I'm 71 now. Unfortunately, it's worth a lot of money because of the location but IMO it's a teardown.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    I would embrace arches



  • PRO
    3 years ago

    or with dark grids and enclosed openings.


  • 3 years ago

    Since the interior has a lot of arches, you might want to keep them. Painting the timber accents the same color as the siding improves the visuals considerably.

  • 3 years ago

    I would forget the porch entirely. Have a portico instead.

    The current string of arches makes the front door seem miniscule.

    Remove the timbering as others have suggested.

  • 3 years ago

    Start by painting out the Tudor wood against the stucco by making it all one color. I have a 1969 split level that was a Tudor wannabe when I bought it. I painted over the Tudor details and made the body of the house one color. Looks much better. I was there in the 70's and there wasn't a Tudor around. Anne Boleyn should have been so lucky. 🤨

  • 3 years ago

    Stain or replace the shingles. Paint the wood Timbers and the stucco the same color or remove the timbers. Then work on your landscaping and hardscaping. Right now everything looks shabby and unkempt. You’ll be amazed at how much better it looks when everything is crisp and clean and you have a beautiful front yard.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Do you have a budget range in mind for exterior changes or are you in the gathering-ideas phase? Simple things to do that would make a noticeable difference: have the big stump ground out, paint the diagonal wood boards to match the walls.

    Diagonal boards were popular design features in the 1970's. They were used with additional wide horizontal and vertical board trim around windows, like yours. On many houses, the style was contemporary, not imitation Tudor.

  • 3 years ago

    Your mansard roof might have looked good when your shingle was newer and lighter. Possibly, you could clean it and bring it back to a light cedar color, like in the pic below. If you can achieve that and paint/clean the dark Tudor wood on the first floor to match, you might have something that looks good and preserves the vision of the original.


    But, otherwise, I'd paint those shingles. At present, they overwhelm the rest of the house, making it look top-heavy and dreary. I'd paint them cream or, if you were planning to paint the stucco, to match it. My house was once natural cedar, long ago. Over time, it became dark brown and dreary. And replacement shingles didn't match. It got painted long before we bought it. WE repainted it blue and it looks great.


    Locally, we have a lot of Victorians with mansard roofs. The originals were decorative slate, which, when preserved, looks pretty good. The ones where the slate was replaced by asphalt shingle look not so great. The most common solution is to replace the mansard side with wood siding painted to match the house. It looks pretty good --- far better than anything expect the original decorative slate (usually patterns in the color or in the shape of the slate, as in scallops).


    I'm neutral on the arches and not a fan of the tree trunk sculpture or whatever that thing is. Fallen down in the first pics, up in the second. That said, it's hard to see, so, in person it might be cool and wonderful.


    Green Mountain Getaway - Guest House · More Info




  • 3 years ago

    I agree with the others that suggest ONE color for the body of the house. Your roof is very prominent, so it needs attention. Either restain or re-do the shingles. If you make them darker and the house a touch lighter (creamy, not stark white) you will have a much more attractive, unique look. As always, landscaping is key to making ANY house look prettier. Have a plan and execute it over time.


    Taking away the arches will be expensive, so do a paint job first and consider that project for later. (Enclosing the whole front will make it look more boxy, so I wouldn't do that.)

  • 3 years ago

    We just moved in a few years ago and we’re going bit- by-bit to make it our own. There are MANY design challenges. I’ve begun the call it “the lifetime renovation” 😂😬 Thank you all for the help on this bit.

  • 3 years ago

    Solidarity @Trisha Bowman - we also bought a few years ago and although we're going "big bang" with ours, it's definitely so much effort that we're in this for the long haul. Hang in there!

  • PRO
    3 years ago


    Spanish Colonial · More Info