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angie_bonato

Exterior upgrade ideas!

10 days ago
last modified: 10 days ago

Hi! We're hoping to update the exterior of our home, on a budget, and possibly in steps. The roof cannot be replaced or changed right now, so we'd like to work with the existing roof color and style. We also need to keep the xeriscaped front yard.
We're looking for recommendations on things like these that may be small but make a big impact:

  • Garage door style and color
  • Front door design and color
  • Paint colors for the siding, trim, brick, and front door
  • Whether we should paint or leave the brick natural
  • Exterior lighting
  • Window trim or other accents
  • Any inexpensive changes that would make a big impact, as well as larger renovation ideas if they're worth considering

Thank you for any and all suggestions!!



Comments (14)

  • 10 days ago

    Photo?

    Angie Bonato thanked chloebud
  • 10 days ago

    Thank you! They finally loaded!

  • 10 days ago

    I like the white stucco and I think it even could be whiter. A wood garage door, keeping the front door you have now, sanded and stained to match the woods. You are keeping the red roof for now, so how about red for the trim? New roof, new trim color.



  • 10 days ago

    I'd paint everything that is currently white in a lighter beige you pull from your brick so the house doesn't feel so segmented. Maybe a brick red door to match your roof. You could add a trellis between the two windows with something that climbs in a deep red. Not sure which planting zone you're in. I think your black lanterns are a nice contrast to the brick but maybe something in an oil rubbed bronze or dark bronze that's a little larger would work.

    These are 14" and are motion sensor.


  • PRO
    10 days ago

    New garage door, new front door different siding, or stucco color , less mix of stone stuff. get rid of all the arched stuff. What do you want to light ? The landscaping is kinda hohum. Waht is your favorite style of home?

  • 10 days ago

    I'd go with a cream/taupe that matches your brick. Don't remove the arches. Too many people suggest getting rid of unique and interesting elements in house, leaving them all pretty generic. In fact, if I did anything, I'd make the upper arched sections a lightly darker shade of the taupe/cream to make them stand out.


    I'd go with a darker brown on the garage door --- something that blends with the darker colors in the brick. I like the natural color of the door, but if you really want to paint it, I might go with sage green.


    It's an interesting and attractive house with nice landscaping. You don't need to do much. As for moving the tree, it really depends. It could be the real issue is the angle from which you took the photo, not the placement of the tree.

  • 10 days ago

    Move the tree? There would certainly be no guarantee that it would survive. You would need to decide if you're willing to replace it.

  • 9 days ago

    Nice xeriscaping. Trim the trees and shrubs to the right of the house as seen from the street.


    Light color paint chosen from the lightest brick.


    New sconces by the front door.


    Paint the gray metal vent covers (dryer vents?) next to the front door.


    If you use the front door as the family entrance, add a new doormat and some flowers in pots where you can water them easily.


    If you use the garage entrance as the family entrance, you can make it feel quite welcoming with a nice doormat, indoor mat, good lighting, some fun artwork where you see it when you walk in. Garage entrances can get cluttered- it's worth the effort to remove the clutter and keep any clutter-magnet horizontal surfaces near the entrance clear as a whistle.

  • 9 days ago

    These are all such thoughtful and helpful responses! Thank you!

  • 9 days ago
    last modified: 9 days ago

    Not easy decisions, but the first thing that stood out was how disjointed it feels with two black roofs and red in middle. You mentioned a limited budget, but are replacing garage and front door. I’d just paint the doors for now and use the money to replace the red shingles with black.


    I’d paint the house/trim/eaves a color that complements the stone. Also consider tall landscaping between the windows.


    Greige? Test LOTS of colors.




    Garage area can be the same color or black and a black front door.


    Wait to update/accessorize until the major changes are done. The courtyard can have a big impact and work with the black door.


  • 9 days ago

    I think the black roof might be solar panels, and if anywhere hot a black roof wouldn't be a good choice. Nice house but when possible a roof color that complemented the brick would be great.

  • 7 days ago

    https://www.buildersservicecompany.com/how-to-choose-a-siding-color I wouldnt paint the brick, but try to find a siding color that matches the brick

  • 7 days ago
    last modified: 7 days ago

    This brick is very busy with lots of variation in color; I would want to tone that down. This forum says Romabio limewash works well. I'd choose a warm beige/tan, applied as evenly as possible but not fully opaque. Then maybe a warm cream for the non-brick areas--but choose that color after the brick is done. (I would probably remove the arched thing-y over the entrance, if possible, and just run that opening up to the slant of the roof.)

    That still leaves the very assertive red-orange roof. Maybe tie that in with some red/orange/yellow in the landscaping (here a couple of reddish boulders, some California poppies, and an orange phormium as a sculptural accent in the center arched panel)? Easily changed, if you wish, once the roof is gone. I would also want less spotty-looking plantings, but I'm assuming the landscaping is new and just needs to grow in. The gray rocks don't tie into the warm color scheme we're after, so I removed them--or rather, AI did!