Advice on changing the front of my house
Discussion
DonkeyApple said:
It looks nice in the whole. The colour scheme and absence of a porch just makes it look a little bit like an outlet store at Bicester Village. Just changing the colours and adding the right sort of porch would probably transform it enormously.
Haha yes that’s it. I was trying to find the words. Maybe I should get a discount range of Ralph Lauren Polo shirts and display them in the living room window. I’m leaning towards the cedar cladding which will make the biggest difference I think and a brick porch in matching brick
sociopath said:
I must be unusual, I think it looks ok and wouldn't be giving myself jobs where I might f
k up the building if I didn't need to.
Who knows what's under the cladding. Maybe they did it for a reason.
I think it was to simplify the side extension as otherwise matching in the bricks to the old bricks is a lot harder. k up the building if I didn't need to.Who knows what's under the cladding. Maybe they did it for a reason.
Carbon Sasquatch said:
What's under the cladding ?
If it's the original brick it may be possible just to hide whatever holes were put into it to fix the cladding to ?
It’s not all the original brick - it will be breezeblocks on much of it due to the extension the previous owners added. If it's the original brick it may be possible just to hide whatever holes were put into it to fix the cladding to ?
nickod said:
Haha yes that’s it. I was trying to find the words. Maybe I should get a discount range of Ralph Lauren Polo shirts and display them in the living room window.
The queue of orange heffers outside would mess the nice lawn up though. 
Can you ask someone to do a few simple photoshops? Bare wood and a porch could certainly be the perfect finishing touch.
sociopath said:
I must be unusual, I think it looks ok and wouldn't be giving myself jobs where I might fk up the building if I didn't need to.
Who knows what's under the cladding. Maybe they did it for a reason.
Same here really, I'm more relaxed about the cladding than the render, which will look mucky in due course.k up the building if I didn't need to.Who knows what's under the cladding. Maybe they did it for a reason.
Cedar cladding looks OK, then just looks like a decaying maintenance requirement.
It will still look like an afterthought attempt at pastiche.
I'd get rid of the dark downpipe which makes it look like a pair of semis.
Chap who did our windows was pretty good at editing photos to see the effect of different styles.
try a different colour on the render?
Add in some plants?
Maybe some art? or archi salvage 'feature'?
A great big clock?
How would it look if you changed the windows to bays?
OutInTheShed said:
Same here really, I'm more relaxed about the cladding than the render, which will look mucky in due course.
Cedar cladding looks OK, then just looks like a decaying maintenance requirement.
It will still look like an afterthought attempt at pastiche.
I'd get rid of the dark downpipe which makes it look like a pair of semis.
Chap who did our windows was pretty good at editing photos to see the effect of different styles.
try a different colour on the render?
Add in some plants?
Maybe some art? or archi salvage 'feature'?
A great big clock?
How would it look if you changed the windows to bays?
Like the down pipe idea and it does make it look like that - I hadn’t really considered it that way. Cedar cladding looks OK, then just looks like a decaying maintenance requirement.
It will still look like an afterthought attempt at pastiche.
I'd get rid of the dark downpipe which makes it look like a pair of semis.
Chap who did our windows was pretty good at editing photos to see the effect of different styles.
try a different colour on the render?
Add in some plants?
Maybe some art? or archi salvage 'feature'?
A great big clock?
How would it look if you changed the windows to bays?
I am leaning towards Cedar cladding though - I understand it needs treating every two years to keep the colour which doesnt feel too bad ( if correct)
The render actually looks nicer in real life - nice texture and colour - off white leaning towards cream.
OutInTheShed said:
sociopath said:
I must be unusual, I think it looks ok and wouldn't be giving myself jobs where I might fk up the building if I didn't need to.
Who knows what's under the cladding. Maybe they did it for a reason.
Same here really, I'm more relaxed about the cladding than the render, which will look mucky in due course.k up the building if I didn't need to.Who knows what's under the cladding. Maybe they did it for a reason.
Cedar cladding looks OK, then just looks like a decaying maintenance requirement.
It will still look like an afterthought attempt at pastiche.
I'd get rid of the dark downpipe which makes it look like a pair of semis.
Chap who did our windows was pretty good at editing photos to see the effect of different styles.
try a different colour on the render?
Add in some plants?
Maybe some art? or archi salvage 'feature'?
A great big clock?
How would it look if you changed the windows to bays?
Down pipe and garage door are the biggest distractions right now... Photoshop ping should be pretty easy...
Wood cladding will need a decent amount of maintenance to keep looking neat.
Phooey said:
Any updates? I have a similar dilemma with our house.. I like the 'New England' look, but it has to be done right. White sash windows / woodwork (porch/pillars etc) is a must IMO.
Sorry only just seen this. Not much done yet. I’ve concentrated on the inside so far as it’s pretty soulless and I’m trying to put some character into it ( reclaimed parquet , ripped out all the spotlights, degrayed as much as possible etc)
Planning to replace the windows with white 1960’s style, paint the cladding white and replace the front door with a wooden / glass door I bought on eBay.
I’m not totally sure what to replace the guttering with but possibly white or off white painted aliminium. And I can’t decide what to do with the front section of monocouche render however I am tempted to clad it in stone which I appreciate will not appeal to everybody but I like it and I’m staying here.
I personally think changing the windows to white will look terrible. They will add to the expanse of white/off white on the building front and will stick out like a sore thumb on the brick fronted extension.
I get that banishing anything AFG is the done thing on PistonHeads but if you've ever been to a PistonHeads meet then you'll know that experts on aesthetics are not in abundance here.
You need to find some way of making the 2 parts of the building sympathetic to each other rather than just throwing money at changing the fashionable stuff that PistonHeads sneers at. There's nothing wrong with either part of the building, they just look like 2 different buildings. The easiest path would be to make the extension more like the main part.
I get that banishing anything AFG is the done thing on PistonHeads but if you've ever been to a PistonHeads meet then you'll know that experts on aesthetics are not in abundance here.
You need to find some way of making the 2 parts of the building sympathetic to each other rather than just throwing money at changing the fashionable stuff that PistonHeads sneers at. There's nothing wrong with either part of the building, they just look like 2 different buildings. The easiest path would be to make the extension more like the main part.
nickod said:
Thanks - the brick part on the left is part of the house and is how the whole house looked previously. This picture gives a better perspective. I like the idea of the porch being in the same brick to link it in - I’m going to do that. 
So the bricks are still under the render? It can be removed at a cost. I drove past someone's house after seeing a few modernised houses with awful dreary grey window frames and noticed they had soft pastel green frames. I thought, "Ooh!" Really worked but I can't remember what colour the walls were. But there's an idea - try a softer, lighter, non-white frame? I guess you can always repaint them if you don't like it. Google "pastel window frames" for some inspiration.
Here's the house I spotted the other day. I think it looks quite tasteful. (As opposed to the one next door with the anthracite which looks awful.)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7iPAmxHzB3mQLdmj8
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7iPAmxHzB3mQLdmj8
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