I need to add some character to the front of my house
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I would consider painting the brick to match the stone
Paint the brick and garage doors one of the colors from the rock. Keep the shutters. Add window boxes. Pop of different color on front door like coral.
Paint it like the rest of the house and plant some plants and redo the drive way and don't for the rebar under the cemen so it doesn't crack like that again. Just a thought 😊
put a climbing vine with trellis on the window walll or yard art or plant bushes in that bed in various heights....anything really to draw the eye away from what you don't want people to focus on. and yes, paint the front door a bright colour (not red) and I would paint the garage doors a colour that contrasts less (maybe a grey like the roof?)
My thoughts were to plant several blooming plants in the area by the windows. And in front of the rock wall. I would love to have flower boxes under the windows, I just send to know how to make them and how to mount them on a concrete wall.
Definitely need some planters or bushes of some kind. Paint the garage doors and the front door.
Then consider painting the rock wall instead to blend with the brick
You need to blend the color scheme - there is too much contrast between the light stone, the white doors and the the dark brick. You really have 2 choices - either lighten the bricks or darken the stone. Then paint the garage and front doors to complement them. Suggestion--- paint the stone to match the brick and paint the garage door, front door and shutters a burnt orange color. Suggestion #2 - paint the brick a light color to match the stone and paint the doors and shutters either a dark red or blue. HINT: Make some B&W copies on your copier and try out the ideas with crayon or colored pencil to get an idea of what it will look like before spending time and money!!!!
I would do the garage doors a stone grey or grey beige (pick up the colour from the stone of the garage wall) Front door...would depend upon how you dress up your window wall, but my temptation would be to use a new leaf green or daffodil yellow...something that compliments what you plan to do to the window wall...flower boxes or foundation plantings. dont know what planting zone you are in, but another inexpensive way of adding pizazz to the front would be to have a brightly coloured, large ceramic pot/planter in the corner between the garage and front door, add some height with a clematis or morning glory trained up a simple obelisk..again draws the eye away from the garage to focus where you want.
Another thought, depending upon how much work you want to do...sculpt a curve onto the front bed using large river rock as your edging,(I would start the curve at the mid point of the window wall and out toards the right) replace the existing stone with river rock (smaller than the edging) and put in a water feature and/or rock garden....this will marry up the stone of the garage to the rest of the house
You could change the color of the mulch to dark black, line it with bricks, and add plants. That would make a huge difference. And depending on how much you hate the wall you could work with it and add a dark mulch and plants over there too the same as the front. Make it blend with the rest of the house a little more. Lastly I would do the garage doors a different color and shudders. Maybe a navyish blue or grey depending on how bold you want it to be. That would match the colors for you more and bring everything together.
Right now your house says "Welcome to my two car garage!" Paint it dark, maybe add some wood strip framing to make it barn door like.
I would paint the garage and front door a colonial blue. In front of the bricks by the windows you need some plants or bushes. In front of the rock wall I would put some plants or bushes that are big to hide the wall. Maybe even put down some pavers or stone and put a bench or chairs.
I would start by possibly painting your garage doors as well as your shutters a like a gray color that matches your rocks on the front wall. Then I would build a planter along the brick wall with either bricks or matching rocks & I would make it the length of the entire wall and like just over 1.5' tall. I would plant like 2 or 3 topiary trees in the planter and then also in front of the garage doors ( one each on the outsides of the doors & 1 in the middle). Is fill the remaining space of the planters w flowers like hydrangeas or a mix of wild flowers. Also down the road is possibly do like a concrete stamp with a deal or polish and I'd put either some wild flowers & tall wild grass or shrubs of some sort in front of the rock faced wall as well (If you did a lil flower garden I would make the edge along the grass like a wavy uneven pattern if that makes sense) geez that was a long one. ☆HaPpY DyI-ing ☆
You have a great house to work with just a few ideas and you will have is mastered .
first I would paint the garages and front door in barn red and added decorative hardware to the garages that can be found at Home Depot. Then add a black bench to the left of your front door and a hanging small planter and 2-outdoor toss pillows in red and black stripe. Add a flower pot between both garages as a focal point. Add long planter between windows . Add 2 tall bushes one on each end and 2-3 round bushes between them spaces to add hosta Plants. The drive there is a granite paint thats wonderful from Home Depot that comes in many colors and so easy to use. I'm including pictures below in case you want a visual ideas.
I painted my red bricks white and went back and painted a random pattern of bricks with terra cottage red. My house looks so much more intrredting I have gotten lots of complements . I love the change from blah to wow
Hi!
I would add some wood on the side you don't like... Something that looks like teck, without the price!! I would also add a little balcony in the same material. I would paint all doors in black and do some landscaping.
See sketch below of what it could look like!
I wanted at how or what app for the make over, love it
Deborah Wells: I LOVE that you brightened the bricks! WOW! What an job that must have been. It would be awesome to cover the stone with faux bricks to match the rest of the house, or possibly paint it with the same shade that you used to stain the bricks. I agree with you that the stone wall just isn't appealing; (makes me wonder what the builder was thinking), but you are DEFINITELY on the right track with the black shutters and brick stain.
Someone else suggested that you paint the doors black; that would probably look pretty nice, or even the cobalt blue. You could even do a lemon yellow if you wanted! Or perhaps just add a pop of color by painting around the windows & doors, AND/OR with landscaping.
I think a storm door would be nice-looking, and maybe a different post by the front door (instead of the metal), unless you like it. If so, then work with the idea of using wrought iron accents. Perhaps a planter between the front door and first garage door. A 3'-4' one with a climbing vine on a lattice or an old metal headboard, adding a similar style between the windows.
Colorful flowers in a built-up planter (made of wood or brick) would brighten up the exterior--along the rock wall as well as between the driveway and front of the house. Depending on where you live, where the sun shines most, etc. with determine what flowers and bushes will work.
You may even want to add a water feature near the door or between the front & garage doors. A bench or some other type of seating would add interest and cover spots with which you are unhappy. You can ALWAYS move the items around once you begin to get the look you want!
Oh--you may want to put different light fixtures by the garage and front doors, perhaps even a lamp post in the yard, depending on the space available. Sometimes adding different lighting accomplishes as much as decorations!
Clock Canada has a great idea covering up the stone with stained siding. I would also add a bench near the front door, same stain as siding and flower boxes with the same stain. Black garage doors, front door and shutters and white trim everywhere else, windows too. Brightly colored shrubs and flowers to freshen all the dark colors. Nice house!