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amy_torabi

What do I do first?!!! Where do I start! Help please!

3 years ago

Hi experts out there! The exterior of this house is so off center! Please give me any ideas that come to mind to help! Also, it's going to get painteThinking of a warm white. Can you give ne ideas on where the gutters are, should they be a different color? Also the space in the middle of the windows drives me nuts. Any ideas and colors are helpful please! And thank you!

Comments (18)

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Warm white sounds good. NO shutters. Do not paint the guttering a contrasting color as guttering is not an architectural detail you want to draw attention to. The existing tall window right of the door seems odd - I think you should remove it and instead add one right next to the door (a sidelight) to add visual width and importance to the door.

    How’s the roof condition? It appears dingy but maybe it just needs washed.

    The rest of your concerns can be solved by appropriate landscaping, especially what you perceive as a big blank space in the middle of the house.

  • 3 years ago

    Not sure what we are voting on, but here is my opinion. White will make it even less interesting and a warm white may clash with your windows and gutters. Agree that gutters should be downplayed in most cases, keep them where they are and blend in with house or trim. The glass block is odd. Installing a window isn’t cheap, but get an estimate and find one as similar as possible to the other windows. I would not add shutters. Agree with littlebug that landscaping can make a better impact to fill in the blanks. I would start with landscaping first. Get a landscape architect to draw a plan for you - many nice garden centers have one on staff who will do it for a nominal fee. I would also have the roof evaluated.

  • 3 years ago

    Before you choose a door style, ask yourself which style you want your house to be. Since you want to paint it white do you prefer Modern Farmhouse? Is this the look you're going for (see below)? Notice this house has dark windows and no shutters. The front door has three lights across the top.


    Better landscaping will take care of the blank area in the front of your house, although it will take a couple years for something to get big enough to look right. In the picture below they have plantings blocking windows which I wouldn't recommend unless you want to block light into the house. When planting be sure to consider the maximum size of what you're planting so it doesn't get out of scale in the future.


    Modern Farmhouse · More Info


  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Before!!! you do anything, pour through inspiration pictures and decide on a look and have an overall plan, vs hit and miss decisions. Consider both short and long term, so when budget allows, can do in stages. I think white could make the roof feel more washed out, unless you are planning to change in the near future (gutters should not stand out).



    If you like a touch MCM, dark grey is an idea and add cedar to middle section, landscape and even change the door at some point (and side window might not need changing).


    Could do something like this in the middle and bonus is a sitting area and it’s a look that is adaptable to different styles.


  • 3 years ago

    Shutters never look good on bay windows and you don't have room for them between the bay window and the second window from the left.


    The way you deal with the blank space is with a tree/shrub. I notice you have a nice, weeping tree planted in the right place, except it's leaning to the left. If you could straighten it, you'd have the perfect plant for the spot. You may need to partially dig it up to straighten it.


    Gutters are not a feature, keep them as unobtrusive as possible.


    You could paint your door a bright color. Red would pop, as would turquoise. Unless you need to paint, I'd add color with flowers. Houses need to be painted every 10-15 years and that will go by pretty quickly.

  • 3 years ago

    on first glance, I am wondering what room those 3 windows are in, and is the door entering into that same space?

    I would remove the 3 windows, replace with a wide door with sidelights and replace the existing door with a shorter window. You already have the header for the replacements.

  • 3 years ago

    I always have the gutters match the fascia color and the downspouts match the house color. I want them to blend in and "disappear" as they are not architectural details (exception would be real copper gutters/downspouts on a very specific type of house).

  • PRO
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    If you want to keep the mid-century modern vibe and go with white for the stucco, I'd do a contrast front door in either dark wood tone or a bright color, like turquoise or salmon.


    Exterior View at Main Entrance · More Info



    Mid-Century Raised Ranch Remodel · More Info


    Agree with @chispa regarding the gutters. Take a look at Palm Springs or Southern California homes for inspiration. Don't go in a Spanish Revival direction; keep it simple.

  • PRO
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Some option


  • PRO
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Wood cladding comes in panels...you can buy them at home centers. It will fill in the empty space perfectly. While you are at it, consider replacing the bay window with two windows that match the other three.



  • 3 years ago

    I disagree that you shouldn't paint the gutters.  I quite enjoy contrasts, and gutters are a fun way to break up a humdrum roof line. My gutters are black, my fascia boards are purple, and the house is dark grey.


    You might consider two colors to help break up the house and would be cheaper then adding siding.

    Plants are an excellent suggestion. If that leaning bush is a Japanese maple, they have an amazing cooler you can play off of.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Absolutely, no shutters on the house. It is a mid-century ranch and that style should not have shutters.

    Shutters belong on Georgian and Federal style houses, Gothic Revival and Italianate-style houses, Queen Anne and Stick-style homes, Colonial Revival homes and Cape Cod's.

    You've got a nice house. Stick with that style and not try to make it look like a cottage.

  • 3 years ago

    Maybe repaint the trim and gutters and paint the door a third color that picks up some of the landscape colors? Less trim is cheaper to paint.

  • 3 years ago

    I think you should paint the trim and not the house; more economical. Maybe an electric waterfall on the large brick wall between the windows?

    Slate blue/green

    Heavy Timber Tudor · More Info


    Repaint deep charcoal with white trim

    Colorful Cottage · More Info


    Natural wood stained door with sidelight

    Greenlake Craftsman · More Info

    Lighter grey blue green trim, with a double trim aruond windows and eaves

    Shingle style home drive court to entry elevation · More Info

    ale cream trim with accent dull red trim window trim

    Porter Street Bungalow · More Info


    deep charcoal blue

    Magnolia Residence 03 · More Info


  • 3 years ago

    Paint the gutters the same color as the house it looks better that way so you don't like your house Gray? Between that space at the windows I think you should plant a nice bush it could be a flowering bush or any kind of bush that you would like

  • 3 years ago

    I like this pale green color with your brown roof.