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heather32tc

heather32tc
12 years ago
Love our new home, but I feel like the outside is lacking something? It's kind of boring, I think. I don't know what others may think, but I have a few questions about garage door colors? Possibly darker? Possibly something w/ the porch too? Just wondered what other Houzzer's thought. Thanks in advance!

Comments (80)

  • teddee1
    12 years ago
    If you can only afford to do one thing now, get rid of the oil stain on the driveway.
  • est43
    12 years ago
    I say a big amen to the oil or what ever stain ...... really good cleaner or rust remover.
    With all of these great responses, I feel like adding my new house..... almost as boring
  • lefty47
    12 years ago
    After watching what everyone has said , even myself ---- I have come to this conclusion --- DON'T do anything yet with the house -- get the landscaping done first and live with it for awhile. Your house is brand new and looks fine right now -- then after a while if there are still things that bother you. Then revisit some of the ideas. I see this all the time -- when a NEW house is sitting on bare dirt with nothing around, then people tend to see the biggest features on the house as something wrong. Your home has a beautiful balanced compemporary look and I think you have to WAIT and put your funds into the landscaping first, and not waste your money trying to fix things that are not a problem .
  • TanCalGal
    12 years ago
    L47LLynda: Good summary! I agree! Too many ideas for this house! Why? If it ain't broke...... don't fix it....
  • PRO
    utopiangardens
    12 years ago
    I think your home is beautiful with the existing colours. Definitely hardscaping/landscaping is necessary to make it inviting. It is amazing what bringing natural material can do to stone and ashphalt. I will post some pictures to my site you can browse through, or go to www.utopiangardens.ca for some ideas
  • dubthomas
    12 years ago
    I changed some of the colors on your house and drive to give you an idea what they could look like. Hope this helps you. Do a landscape job next.
    Dub
  • heather32tc
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    Awww, I love all the responses and ideas! I greatly appreciate them. Leya what program do you use to edit the picture? I was trying to find something? The driveway is just wet, I just finished washing my car, so it's not a horrible stain. We DO need to upgrade the landscaping. I have very modern type taste. I love blue/green plants. The spiral tree in front of the garage is a spiral juniper. I love it!! I'd love to try to upgrade the concrete w/ acid stain or something? I just didn't know how that holds up w/ Michigan weather? If it's more of an upkeep? Thanks everyone!!!
  • perryl
    12 years ago
    P.S. says:

    My first thought is American Craftsman in feel, as Mike Welsh points out. I agree with Lefty 47, pulling that second light trim color onto the garage, so the garage area isn't so "in your face. Personally feel carriage hardware on the garage doors would be too fussy and is wrong for the style but leaving the windows is fine, while adding the pergola Mike shows in the drawing, along with his suggestion of large pots at the garage, would add needed layers/depth. If the columns he shows are too heavy for you, possibly the photo from fine design, with the simpler SHAPE on photo of the stained "corbels" (shape of white one in the photo next to it, again, may not reflect the feel of the cleaner lines) would do it for you. Taking just the idea of the planting bed of river rock and low shrubbery along the edge of the driveway, as Leya shows (but smaller,earth shades for the rocks) gives more texture, low maintenance, with a nod to the architecture. IF possible, choose a standout color for the front door that reflects what is happening once you step inside the house...example; Leya's green door or, say, a redish orange or rusty orange outside accents of same or coordinating colors, in pillows and other accessories inside (computer generated colors are not usually the exact color of your home so those colors are not necessarily colors that would go well with your exterior base color. Make it a color you love to see as you come up your driveway) Craftsman homes usually keep "busy" to a minimum in their landscapes and clean lines tend to dominate. Should you choose to head in this direction you may want to look at American craftsman images on line. You really will start to get a feel for plants, their placement, the right pot shape in colors that mimic the stone when you have explored this architectural style. Even if you like plants not suitable to your area, check with local nurseries to see which ones may provide someone knowledgable on site w
  • LEYA Matalas
    12 years ago
  • Jill Wyatt
    12 years ago
    Leya, how are you doing that to the house?
  • LEYA Matalas
    12 years ago
  • LEYA Matalas
    12 years ago
    J-There are many ways.. Accurate-I'd use Cad or revit, but I just did this fast on Pages.
  • achornproperties
    12 years ago
    last modified: 12 years ago
    The focus is on the white garage doors rather than on the entrance. Do you have the funds to extend the entrance roof line forward? Possibly extending forward with a covered or shadebeam porch/entrance walkway or enlarging the house forward. Of course the total roof line needs to be adjusted to blend with the garage roof peak. Landscaping and changing the paint from white would be helpful.
  • Ann Allen
    12 years ago
    Plant a tree! Tweaking colors and all is great, but investing in an appropriate tree (native, non-invasive) early on so it can get a start is such a wise investment. It's the one improvement you'll make that will increase in value as it ages. I think something large-scale will soften some of the harshness of all that concrete. Be sure to research to get a species that will grow in your soil type, climate, etc.
  • Adam
    12 years ago
    I thnk your house is fine as it is, but one thing I would do is to draw people's focus to the front door, rather than the triple garage doors which is obviously dominating your front facade. With so many wonderful suggestions I don' think changing the color of the garage door is as easy as doing it in a computer program, especially when they look like they are in pretty good condition. Some landscaping would definitely help to make your front lawn more inviting and stand out form the crowd in suburbia. At the moment your house looks a bit lifeless, I would find some large scaled flower pots so it adds some interest and features to the facade. Looks like there are some oil stains on the driveway, perhaps a powerwash with some detergent would help get rid of the stain. Good luck with updating your house.
  • kyrabennett
    12 years ago
    last modified: 12 years ago
    DO NOT trick up your house. It's lovely. Paint the door the darker colour (that's all), paint the front door aqua or red or black. Some rattan furniture on the porch, with some interesting cushions, etc. Maybe stain the concrete (it might be too much if you make the doors dark to have dark concrete too) Do the landscaping elegantly. FULL STOP. No more trims, etc are necessary.
  • elizg
    12 years ago
    LEYA Matalas, what is Pages? I'd like to do a quick and dirty mock up of house colors for my abode, so I want something quick and easy if not professional. Thanks.
  • jaypamwhite
    12 years ago
    My hint on landscaping so as not to hide the house AND to cut down (pun intended) on pruning: Go with DWARF varieties of any species. You don't have to do all shrubs in dwarf; but do as many as you can. You won't believe how much more manageable your pruning chore will be. Whatever species you like, check to see if comes in a dwarf variety. I wish I'd know that when we planted Foster Hollies near the foundation at our previous house. Let's say they would have made great year-round trees---in the yard. Great house you have. Good luck with changes!
  • p13h
    12 years ago
    you need to add a simple branchy tree in the center of the grass our front of your house. Maybe a cherry tree!:) i would add some plants and more vegetation. add some planter beds around your house. put colorful plants in the beds. But larger plants in the back and smaller towards the front. for the smaller plants i recommend small round boxwood plants. add a terris above your garage. put a climbing plant along the terris. i would also put a hand painted bench on the porch. maybe even some old vintage milk cans next to the bench (if your into country:) ).
  • jaypamwhite
    12 years ago
    PS: Red door! Fire-engine red. Along with toning down white garage doors by painting the same taupe(?) as house. Adding a simple pergola as shown by others to garage would be a great touch. Otherwise you've got great suggestions for landscaping. Just pick what suits you---and don't over ornament outside with too much millwork. Draw eye and people to the front door. Might widen access walkway from driveway to front door. That'$ about it!
  • Lynn Oxenford
    12 years ago
    The stone on the house is where I'd pull my colers from. You've got dark, dark and more dark, the trim is the only thing that is breaking it up is the trim. I'd change the body of the house color to a Westminster Gold from Benjamin Moore. Keep the white trim , but paint in the three triangle peeks with the white. If it's affordable, change out the ole standard garage doors for some rich wooden ones. Take a look at the ones on this site, and see how it works with the dark stone you have . If you can't afford the cost, you can find someone to paint a flux wood in the style you like. Break up the landscaping with a island and add some flowering trees. Paint the driveway black to bring in a darker color, it will make the house appear lighter. It will do away with the stains too. Think happy rich colors !!! http://www.accessdoorcompany.com/home
  • kimcooper
    12 years ago
    what Leya did with the landscaping and making the garage door with the white strip where the windows are was great.
    The strapping is all wrong for this style: this is Craftsman because of the porch and pyramidal columns. what it needs is a bit more Craftsman style: rafter tails in the gables. Painted the color of the trim.
    As for colors: Craftsman used earthy tones, so the trim should be more cream than snow white. But that's just a nitpik -- use the color you like. I'd probably make the front door a deep rust color, or natural oak.
    Thanks for asking for our advice -- but, as Allen Sherman said, "free advice costs nothing and it's worth the price."
  • PRO
    Robert kiejdan
    12 years ago
    last modified: 12 years ago
    Cheap fix. Have your better half rent a concrete cutting saw and cut out a 30- 36 wide strip out the driveway. It will visually break up the massiveness of the slab.Then plant some small treesand shrubs in-between.
    Along the side walk and along the driveway cut out the grass and make some big nice freeform planting beds. Add a railing between the columns on the porch to tie them visually together. The railing will define the porch as personal space.
    lastly the suggestion of putting some pergola extortion will add some character to the garage.
    Your front yard needs some nice shade trees.
  • Carol Westover
    12 years ago
    I would not recommend a planting bed adjacent to the driveway for a number of reasons. It reinforces the sight line to the garage door when you actually want to divert attention away from this view. You cannot open the car doors and step out when the car is on the driveway. And where will you stack the snow in the winter? You need a strong foreground planting away from the house and some tall trees behind your house that will grow taller than your roof. This will give your house a foreground and visually push the house to the midground with the trees forming a background as they mature - a three dimensional picture plane. A good designer can guide you to a design that enhances your home without covering up all the nice architectual features of your home. There are ways to minimize the mass of a three car driveway but they are not inexpensive.
  • slnkiwi
    12 years ago
    I had exactly the same problem, so I've just installed a hedge. Much cheaper than a fence and you can get some lovely ideas, like pomegranates, lemons and oranges.
    Then put in a large shade tree. Here in Queensland Australia we grow wonderful poinseannas. Sorry for the spelling, so thats what I've planted smack in the middle of the lawn. Fast growing and scarlet flowers.
    Wow.
  • Deb Boede
    12 years ago
    Paint the garage doors just a shade darker than the house. They will be beautiful and the front door will be the most important....especially if it's white'
  • PRO
    Mike Welsh
    12 years ago
    Please keep us all posted as to what ideas you plan to use.....
    thanks
  • bsauermann
    12 years ago
    Hi, great ideas posted here. I agree with the suggestion of some landscaping, and think it would be a good investment (shrubbery, flowers, maybe a tree or trees- but nothing too big, too close, that would block the view of your beautiful home). I would be sure that whatever landscaping chosen would include some bright colored plants toward the front door (in the flower beds), to draw attention there. I think adding another color to the home would bring a "pop" and add a bit of further dimension and interest, to enhance its beauty. If it were me, I would simply add black shutters (or a darker or brighter color than the slate gray) to the two front windows, paint the front door bright red (or something bright for your pop of color), and select a color for the cedar shaker siding above garage and windows in the peaks/gables; I would select something darker than the siding's color by at least 3 or 4 shades, if not more, depending on your taste). I think that would be the perfect jewelry or make-up to enhance your already lovely home's beauty (and may be cheaper than some of the other wonderful suggestions).
  • hollydove
    12 years ago
    I agree with the others on the landscaping. I also think that shutters on the windows matching a brighter colored front door would also improve its curb appeal. Maybe a cranberry color.
  • Robbin Moede
    12 years ago
    last modified: 12 years ago
    The only garage door idea sugested above i like is the one the person side paint it the same color as the walls of your house except keep the white trim around the garage door windows. To me it's that or leave them alone. I'd keep the pillers white they go with the white trim and they shouldn't be a focal point just like your garage doors.
    All you need to paint is your front door, a color that looks good with what you have but is brighter enough so your eye catches it. So it stands out from the rest of your home. After all if you were trying to sell your house you'd want folks to be able to find the door. Then the house it self is perfect. Now that the door is the focal point and the rest of your house sings together on key. DO SOME LANSCAPING !
    I agree with the white birch tree. I'd play around with the middle to just off the middle area as to where to put that tree. Low growing shrubs is best unless you are good at keeping the pruning up year after year for along your front. You realy should plant something along your sidewalk to your drive and if you go all the way down the drive well thats up to you BUT I would stop at about 3 feet down the drive from the sidewalkand NOT go all the way to the end. Thus keeping the eye up towards the house and door.
    Your house is a newer style, drive around and pick some ideas from other homes you like the lanscaping of to get some ideas for what plants and ETC. Or ck out lanscaping web sites. I also like the idea of two white rockers with a small table inbetween. Even if you never use them it will make your home look like a home.
    Don't forget the seasons when lanscapeing so that you have good color for each season, watch those bloom dates.
    As to the driveway itself. Save it for last before you deside. Then deside if you want to spend that much money because it won't increase your homes resell value and redoing a driveway will be a lot of money. The other things (lanscaping and painted door) will be enough t
  • robinstamm
    12 years ago
    last modified: 12 years ago
    Paint the entire exterior and lighten it up. Use 4 colors. (One for the main house, one for the main trim (not including the heavy posts by the front door), one for the all the doors, including the garage doors, and one for accept pieces (such as the posts). I'd paint the posts ivory.

    I did it with olive green (main house), olive green (trim), and dark grey (doors).
  • sarbald
    12 years ago
    This is hilarious how many ideas people are coming up with - all are very interesting. I think your home is basically very lovely so it's fun to just add personality to it. I'll throw out some, shall we say, wacky ideas that perhaps you hadn't thought of. I have no idea of your design style or level of conservatisim in your Michigan neighborhood but what about a Neon colored front door? Neon is really big in fashion right now. Might be fun. I probably wouldn't do it if you have a nice quality wood front door (hard to tell from the photo). You could repeat the neon in chairs, planters, assesories on the front porch. That would really draw the eye to the front door! That being said, I think the colors should tie in with the colors INSIDE your home - bringing the inside out and outside in.
    Also, what about painting the peaks of the roof (maybe a little lighter gray) - I'm envious because I wish my home had a more interesting roof line. Here's an example:
    Salem Avenue Renovation · More Info

    And lastly, I would strongly recommend LOW maintenance landscaping. I love gardening and am slowly changing my yard to lower mainenance plants that grow well in my climate - that's how exhausting having the wrong plant can be. No landscape is no maintenance so go as low maintenance as you can. Have fun! We all are with your home - thanks for sharing.
  • heather32tc
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    Thanks everyone! I will be sure to keep you updated! Even though the outside of the home is more traditional, I am actually quite modern in taste. The front door is a nice wood door, quite expensive. it is stained a dark mahagonay (blackish tone). The inside of our house is modern in decor w/ colors of light teal, camel, silver, maple cabinets. I'll attach pictures tomorrow, as I have some on my work computer. So I'd like to bring more of my modern taste to the outside, but not go overboard. We do live in a nice neighborhood, but I want to show some of my style on the outside- If that makes sense. I have a wicker chair and table for the front porch, but seeing it's winter, I took it down. It's very traditional though, so I am looking for something different up there.
    Sarbald- I do like that Houzz photo. I like this one too, that's what i was thinking of for the garage doors??
    West Arm Cottage · More Info

    Our front door is similar to that color of this photo above too.....

    Thanks again everyone!!!
  • ellimar
    12 years ago
    Have you looked into painting a design like flagstone or slate on the concrete driveway to give the approach some texture without putting on too many layers of wood trim on the garage doors and/or roofline and peaks? You could incorporate your base gray and accent whites, creams, stone, light blues, whatever, into the shading of the design areas that would keep the front of the house and garage uncluttered and reduce the big flat area of the concrete driveway as it is now. Low maintenance, less pieces to paint, less expense to create the "serving platter" to display the entrance to your home as an inviting facade. Yes, paint the front door to bring it out of the shadow of the garage and paint the lower portion of the garage doors but leave the transom windows a light color to break up the big flat space.

    Also shape the walkway to the front door in an ess curve to meander on the lawn and make it wide enough (3.5 ft. should be a good width) to allow for bulky packages or wheelchairs to navigate to the front door and back to the driveway. It will break up the angular lines of the house and soften the overall effect. K.I.S.S. for this lovely home. The accessories on the porch would then have more context, I think. Birch trees to enhance and repeat the colors are probably a really good idea. Other trees would be to add color and softness. Yummy.
  • bebblanco
    12 years ago
    You need pops of color. Simple, easy and inexpensive ways to achieve is through your landscape. Add colorful annuals or perennials in addition to the variations of green foliage. Consider painting your front door a bold, bright favorite color. The key to decorating is make sure you do not exceed 3 colors. Keep those 3 colors compatible. (I definitely wouldn't change the garage doors.) Best wishes on your new home! --Designs by Blanco
  • bebblanco
    12 years ago
    As a side note, I recommend to my clients they take a quick digital photo of their home and make copies of the photo. This can be color photos on regular copy papy from the do-it-yourself copy center or office supply store. Find markers, crayons or colored pencils in the shades you like and color on the picture. This replicates the same result we designers get when using computer software to show our clients a visual of the proposed changes. -- In your case, you could color in circles of shades to immitate flowers. I now see your note about the expensive mahogany door. Considering that, I wouldn't recommend painting it. Instead you can hang a colorful, full wreath in the same palatte as the flowers you plant. This will draw the attention to the door/entrance.
  • PRO
    Ayala T
    12 years ago
    last modified: 12 years ago
    Add a colonial style railing between the two columns on the left, which will make the deck area into more of a porch. Paint them a bright white to match the garage doors, and it will bring a little more lightness to the left side of the house, taking some of the focus off the garage door, and highlighting the way to your front entry. And paint the front door white as well to make it pop out of the dark porch.
  • rkymtnsnowflake
    12 years ago
    I would have some hanging plants to each side of the garage holding red geraniums or two large pots on pedestals holding the red geraniums. Paint the front door red also. Add a cute low picket fence around the front bed, add a flower garden with a variety of colors and taller flowers such as snapdragons. Add two rockers painted red and some red, grey and white floral print cushions. A wreath on the door is a must. Add a small tree in the front yard with lots of wood chips surrounding it and surrounding the wood chips, more flowers and smaller plants. And a bird bath with a whimsical look will be an invitation for our feathered friends who will keep your yard fertilized !
  • PRO
    Liquidscapes
    12 years ago
    I agree with several of the previous comments made, there is too much emphasis on the driveway and the garage doors, opposed to the entry of your home. Painting the garage doors a more neutral color that compliments the color pallet of your home would play them down and possibly doing an acid stain to the concrete drive as well. Which would be less costly than replacing the driveway surface, unless it is in your budget.

    A new walkway, with a new/better material and shape would help. Maybe a brick that has some color to visually draw attention to the entry (a deep brownish/orange brick tone, pick up samples and bring them home). It depends upon the tones you select for the garage doors and drive, continuity is very important in creating a pleasing design theme for your home/yard.

    Then the landscaping along the foundation, ornamental trees in the lawn will create scale, depth and interest. It is important that you find a competent landscape designer or architect that understands plant colors, textures,complimentary combinations, growth habits, etc., so it matures properly (not get over grown and disproportion).

    Check out their work and finished product (minimum 5 years in the ground). Bulbs, lighting, etc. will also had great interests and value during your season and evenings.

    Do not wing it, get a plan that makes sense on paper. Again, make sure the designer is qualified and understands your needs, goals and budget.
  • heather32tc
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    Thanks Everyone.... wanted to update you on what it looked like now! It's getting better!!
  • bsauermann
    11 years ago
    Very nice!
  • Ann Dupuis_Malone
    11 years ago
    Pretty! I haven't seen anyone suggest, perhaps, some decorative yet practical light fixtures?
  • PRO
    Liquidscapes
    11 years ago
    Incorporate plantings on the other side of the sidewalk and around the edges of the property with a strong contour/bed line. Make the front yard feel like a back yard by softening and screening the road, so when you open the front door or look out the windows, your viewing a garden space. Include the front yard and lawn into the space and home, oppose to the typical, where the front lawn is for the neighbors and street. You need vertical forms with trees as well to frame the house and give a sense of scale.

    I'll see if I have a picture of that application in my image library.
  • Heather Easterday
    11 years ago
    There are many styles of carriage hardware available, take a look for something a little different that adds some fresh perspective. That and some landscaping and I think you'll be thrilled!
  • jannielee
    11 years ago
    Your house is so nice. I still feel the white garage doors make them too prominent a feature but something as dark as the house color wasn't so appealing either. How about pulling a mushroom-ish shade from the stacked stone that would be a couple shades lighter than the house, but keep the white trim that surrounds the glass on those windows? Also, for some reason, I keep picturing your house with a blue front door. How about http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/cc-760. ? It's called Northern Air. Or maybe something closer to your blue plant colors like http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/nileblue ?
  • Nancy Hehmann
    11 years ago
    I think you should go for a stained wood garage door. I will try to attach a link to one. It was the only one that I could get to copy. But if you go to the home page of Houzz and just type in garage doors lots of pictures of finished stained garage doors pop up. When we were in France there were several gates, shutters etc on some of the houses when driving through the country and they always looke wonderful. If your garage is showing in the front of your house, need to make it a great feature.


    http://www.houzz.com/photos/products/wood-garage-doors
  • herblady
    11 years ago
    Add an interesting light up in the triangular area. It draws the eye up towards the architectural details of the roof line rather than the doors. Trellis' are also a favorite of mine for taking the focus away from garage doors.
  • Kelly Gillespie
    8 months ago

    Can you tell me what vender and color of your siding that you selected? I know it has been 11 years but I really like your color of siding.