Suggestions on how to update this builder grade exterior??

last year

How can we upgrade our builder grade exterior?

Here are a few photos of our elevation on this spec home. We are leaning towards going with the light brick (shown in photo 4) paired with SW urbane bronze siding. Trim & windows will be white. Shutter, front door and garage door will be SW Tricorn Black.

Definitely will be replacing the sconces on either side of the garage to something like this:

Featured Answer

just_janni

last year

Agree ^^^ the houses that look the most stately are the ones with minimal contrasts in the colors. There's a lot going on with the brick / siding and shakes so minimize the disruptions in color because of the textural changes.

The lightest color rendering would be nice and I'd remove the single set of shutters and see if you could increase the window to match the others.

And hard no to that last pic that has 2 different colors on the non-brick areas!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

marmiegard_z7b
last year
Why do you want a stark color contrast between areas of siding and brick?
Related Professionals
Hot Springs Architects & Building Designers · Charlottesville Architects & Building Designers · Boston Architects & Building Designers · Meridian Design-Build Firms · Elmira Home Builders · Concord Architects & Building Designers · Fayetteville Architects & Building Designers · Fort Wayne Architects & Building Designers · Panama City Home Builders · Champaign Home Builders · Minneapolis Home Builders · Phoenix Home Builders · Merced Home Builders · Amarillo Home Builders · Merced Design-Build Firms
C F
Original Author
last year
Unfortunately, this is a spec home so the brick and siding at the second level bump outs are the only options they offer...so we cannot do brick on both of the bump outs.
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
last year
Get rid of the brick and treat all four sides of the house the same.
chicagoans
last year
Great landscaping, exterior and landscape lighting, garage door in a color that blends instead of contrasts, and a beautiful front door.
One Devoted Dame
last year
Hi, there, CF. :-)

In addition to Chicagoans' recommendations (I especially looove a welcoming walkway that connects front doors to sidewalks, flanked by flowering groundcovers -- sooo pretty), I agree with Miss Janni about the 2-color-combo siding, and removing the shutters. They look kinda lonely up there, being the only ones, lol. And shutters on the other windows wouldn't fit. It's totally okay to drop 'em. My husband and I yanked the single set of shutters off our tract build (I finally convinced him to do it a few months ago), and our house looks much better. :-)

Oh! Specifically regarding the landscaping, please don't plant a tree directly in front of the front door. I see this literally everywhere in my part of the country, and it makes me so sad. The front door should say, "Come on in!" Not, "I'm so ashamed, that I'm hiding behind majestic vegetation."