I'd strip the brick, or paint it dark green...

This is a craftman house and should be converted back. Replace the windows, have not seen railing in brick but have seen it in stucco and is that vinyl siding? The front door needs a surround to increase it's importants. Put in some landscaping and those 3 columns on both sides at the least put a cap on the center ones. Sidewalk, Paint and TLC.

The widows and door on the front porch need to be lightened or brightened to noticed

Hi, would you tell us where your house is located? Are Craftsman homes common to the region and/or neighborhood?

You might consider the homes in the following links for inspiration:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3369/3591790258_bea2c3b6cd.jpg
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/899869

Personally, I think you could use the approach of the first example and it would work well with the look of your home. If you can increase the size of the windows in the gable, I would do it, but that may involve consulting a local professional. The louver look might work well if the center section cannot be a window. I think adding a thick defining horizontal line under those windows with siding of different patterns/materials (not vinyl!) above and below would really enhance the gable and break up its large area. The different patterns/materials could be carried onto the rest of the house.

The use of 3 different colors of paint, if done in a tasteful way, can add to the visual interest. It adds life and depth to the exterior. I would suggest painting a darker color at the bottom of the house - perhaps even dividing the brick color at the level of the porch floor. A darker base will be visually heavier and ground the house more. See the "Dean Residence" below as an example.

If there are other older homes in the area with painted brick, you might try to find out if they were painted historically in order to protect them from weathering. Some areas of the country had poor quality bricks which were painted to protect them. Stripping the paint off brick in the wrong manner could expose it to weathering or cause spalling of the brick faces (parts of the brick will pop off).


https://www.houzz.com/photos/1920s-craftsman-bungalow-traditional-exterior-san-diego-phvw-vp~1069522

Thanks!...Just examples...but trying to stay close to the style of the original post.

Donna, I think Linda's example of the Dean residence would be a great color scheme without you having to do the siding. You could paint the bottom of the brick just up to the porch floor level the dark reddish/brown as suggested. Paint the rest of the brick and columns to match your house color. Use the sort of taupey/brown that is on the shingled portion over the Dean porch for your green trim/other bits, the detailed pieces at the top and sides of the main house gable, and the top and bottom pieces of the porch columns. There are a lot of Craftsman style houses in my area, and many of them have put colored ceramic bowl shaped containers at the top of the staircase pillars, with one major "year round" plant, surrounded with annuals. And yes, landscaping along the bottom of the house. I don't know why, but I can just picture a lilac on the right hand side!

Definitely some landscaping around the bottom.

Linda.. this house sprinkled all over south Louisiana and Mississippi areas.

@nwduck, UO grad?

Linda: You bet. All Duck, All Day.

@nwduck: Right on. Me, too.

You have a fantastic house and with a few tweeks here and there, you will elevate to the stunning home it was.

1) Add concrete caps to all the ledges and pillars (clearly shown in pic #1).

2) Embellish the top section to the peak of the house, either a grid, like the one directly below, or the simple one, like over the garage door below (pic #2). Make sure whatever the design is that it is lined up with the windows.

3) As you can see by the first pic, choosing a color palette will give you a clear direction. A simple paint job with a new front door certainly will add character.

4) You could keep going, by adding a new stone facade, depending on the condition of the existing brick. If you add stone, clad the pillars with wood and stain it the same as the front door (pic #2).

You have a good house to start with. Don't forget to comment and let us know where you are going with this. We love to see the finished product! Good luck.

Hope this helps.

Old thread ...from 2013