Software
Houzz Logo Print
danagouws

Dated Exterior Advice Wanted

8 days ago

We would like to update the exterior of our home. We will not be painting the brick, so that will stay as is. But I’d love to hear any suggestions you may have for what to do to, thanks in advance!

Comments (28)

  • 8 days ago

    This is a close up of the brick

  • 8 days ago

    Are the windows wood? I may paint the siding about the same color and try the trim & windows in dark bronze and the front door in a forest green.

  • PRO
    8 days ago

    Too much brown. Maybe this color scheme could work for the house.



  • 8 days ago

    I would sample a Chocolate Brown. No contrasting trim color, just paint everything the same color, let the brick shine. Yes, paint the front door a color you love from the mottled brick.



  • 8 days ago

    Love this idea Lyn, thank you!

  • 8 days ago

    Thank you Beverly, that’s lovely!

  • 8 days ago

    Millworkman- yes the windows are wood but they are painted a maroon color now. What color are you thinking for the siding?

  • PRO
    8 days ago
    last modified: 8 days ago

    Some inspro



  • 8 days ago

    Looks better already, thanks!!

  • PRO
    8 days ago

    Or may be not so contrast and stark with taupe or greige.


  • 8 days ago

    The dark grey looks really nice with the brick, love it!

  • 8 days ago

    I would choose a dark, dull gray-brown. A light colour on the siding will make it pop out, and I'm not a fan of the vaguely Tudor look of dark trim on lighter siding. Stay away from any reddish-brown or orange-brown tones. IMO flat gray without any brown doesn't look as good with your brick.

    Be sure to test a large panel of the colour, and make sure it looks good with your roof too.

    It looks like you recently removed a large tree in front of the house. Consider whether the remaining tree has also reached the end of its useful life. Some new landscaping with larger evergreen shrubs would also lift the appearance of your house.

  • PRO
    8 days ago

    I love this color with brick and aslo how all the trim is the same color. Then go to work on some nice landscaping


  • PRO
    8 days ago
    last modified: 8 days ago

    a few ideas. I like celerys mock up.

    here are some tones and accessories that would work w/her idea. BM Wrought Iron isn't on here, but it's also a good choice:


    A new garage door is a MUST. that old one needs to be put to rest.

    I'm not as good as celery, but here are some other accessories like both doors, lighting, and some diff colors. I like this style garage door and new light:


    or like this garage( not so much the color (it's a bit too black) , and a new front door color. Copper color rain gutters in an aged tone would also look good.


    some other color combos

    these are more green based tones w/the copper/rust accents.


    Or, coordinate w/the brick tones and do the copper/blue/terra cotta colors:


    Split levels from that era can be hard to modernize. But here are a few that did it right.

    this is one of my favorite re-dos of a split ranch:




    Obviously the landscaping plays a huge role, but look at how clean and modern it looks w/the white brick and dark siding. the more modern front door, lighting just finish it off. A modern address plaque would be the cherry on top!

    another split w/a more modern garage door, grays and dark bronze tones. again, landscape will make 75% of the overall look.


    Brick and Batten has some amazing AI before and afters:










    i love this color palette. for the darker paint color, try this Urbane bronze, or the Iron Ore. even the Shade Grown would play well w/the red tones in the brick.


    I'd bring in natural wood tones like cedar or redwood as accents. maybe the door, or the garage door, or a gable truss, or even faux wood siding in those tones.

    you don't have to paint the brick, but you could Limewash it. it's all natural, doesn't need to be touched up, lets the brick breathe, and will age naturally. Look into Romabio.




    This before and after was done w/Romabio in the Masonry finish (a bit heavier than the one above) Simply White was the color used.




    Lanscaping-wise, that tree appears dead. remove and replace it, and think about something more modern like this front yard. Low maintenance too


    Here's another landscaping idea that would match the home style


    some other color palettes if you like lighter tones






    I know there's a lot of colors here, but it just shows you your options. get samples of the colors you like, paint them on front and back to see how they look in your lighting.


    check out this before and after that we helped w/a few years ago: the after is at the bottom.

    https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6293489/help-need-siding-front-door-design-suggestions#29723557

  • 7 days ago

    Amazing Beth, these are fantastic idea, I really appreciate you!!

  • 7 days ago

    Unless you're planning to stain the brick to match, I suggest avoiding lighter colours on the upper portion. Lighter colours pop forward, and IMO your home would look more attractively balanced with a darker colour on the upper portion.

    A dark colour will make the upper portion recede visually. Urbane Bronze has been a popular exterior colour in recent years, and seems to go well with many different colour schemes. Combine this with substantial evergreen shrubbery in front.

    Don't assume that just because a colour is in the brick, that it will look good as a large upper area. When we had our decorator choose colours for our exterior, she said that's a good starting point but you still have to think about proportion and balance.

  • 7 days ago

    This is very helpful Partim, thank you so much!

  • PRO
    7 days ago
    last modified: 7 days ago

    Warm Greige Scheme


  • 7 days ago

    Nice overall colour scheme lisedv, but IMO it emphasizes the garage side of the house, while a darker uppers and garage door makes the front door portion more important. I prefer a focus on the front door area.

    Just a small thing that doesn't relate to colour scheme, but I would put railings on both sides of the steps. Again, it looks good because it draws attention to the front door. And some people appreciate a railing for safety, even for a few steps.

  • 7 days ago

    I'd do the trim in a warm cream, like Navajo White. Then, I'd do the siding in a warm taupe, sage or brown. You could do the siding in a shade or two darker than the trim. It would make it stand out less, giving a subtle impact.


    Be sure to test large samples against your brick. Go to a paint store and get some samples. You want two coats of sample, on a large piece of cardboard. Look at in in all lights. Then, if you want to go lighter, cooler, darker, warmer, etc you go to the website and figure out what color to try next. We tried probably 6 colors, eventually picking one diluted 25% with more white.

  • 7 days ago
    last modified: 7 days ago

    These trim pieces painted a contrasting color are so dating. Match them to your siding so they disappear.

    Is that tree healthy? It looks a little rough, misshapen and overgrown. Plus it’s planted very close to in-line with your front door, which is typically a no-no, and its tree-circle creates a weird little strip of grass between that small flowerbed and the tree.


  • 7 days ago

    I agree, our tree looks terrible. We had one removed that was preventing it from growing properly, so we are hoping now that the other tree is gone that it can spread out. It’s a pretty tree when it’s not winter 😄

  • 7 days ago

    This palette is quite similar to yours. I agree that going darker on siding is the way to go.

    Arlington Heights, IL Remodel Split Level Integrity from Marvin Windows & Siding · More Info


  • PRO
    7 days ago
    last modified: 7 days ago

    Charcoal with warm undertones


    Added info:


    Kendall Charcoal is actually a good colour for your house. However I cannot stress enough the importance to test you paint colours prior to starting your project, the same colour can appear different in different environments, different lights.

  • PRO
    7 days ago

    the charcoal is nice too. just make sure to get a Yellow based gray and not a Blue gray. big diff.

    BM Kendall Charcoal is an example of a yellow based gray. (always try on a sample first)



  • 7 days ago

    Thanks Beth!

  • 7 days ago

    Lisedv, thank you so much, looks really good!!

  • 7 days ago

    Beth, do you think the garage door should be the same color as the siding?