We can afford to all of the work, but we only want to replace the rock if we get a big bang for the buck. I'm assuming the rock replacement would be around $10k to 15k, but that's really a guess.

The house was built in the mid-1970's, as was our whole neighborhood, so it doesn't look out of place.

I like your rock. How can real rock date?

I wonder if you could continue the rock into the porch area (behind the green bench area) for a more solid look?

Yes to a warmer paint color.

Tile the porch floor?

Paint the green bench perhaps.

Dee.

I would not take out the rock since it is common in your neighborhood (and I like it!) but do the other updates including a paint that better coordinates with it. I think a green on the siding with maybe a warm brown for the trim. ??

Could you also paint the patio concrete? I see a nice terracotta there.

I really like the rock as well. I would try different paint that would better complement the stone. Pretty house.

Hearing that rock is "dated" is a first for me. Please keep it. :)

Sorry, I thought it was faux! (Which it looks like in the first picture). Paint should be your first stop to see if you like it. I really can't tell if it's a great looking stone from here or not, but it doesn't sound like you think it is.

I like your rock, but think the paint is making the rock seem orange. I would try a gray tone that is similar to the mortar between the rock or a bit darker, then go with a darker gray around windows. Get some samples and paint out a good size sample board and carry around to different places near the rock, etc. to get a feel for what color works best.
Move downspout to right side of column (looks like there is room) where it is less conspicuous and paint a color that blends in.
I also think the current style of door fits the house better than the new one. The new one looks like an interior french door and doesn't seem impressive enough to be an entry door.

Thanks, everyone. Although I don't love the rock, I am glad to hear that the consensus is that we should not replace it. I was NOT looking forward to replacing all of that rock, and we were really worried about project creep - who knows what we would find under there! We can put those $$ into the landscaping/hardscaping project which will will be pretty extensive and include covering the patio (probably with large pavers), tearing out and re-doing the walk with a wider walk in the same pavers, a couple of planter boxes flanking the walk, a mailbox column, and of course, plants.

Thanks to all who suggested colors. I will do as lizbeth said and paint large sample boards. I may hire a color consultant, or at least use the ones at the paint store. I like cool colors better than warm colors, which is why I chose the colors that we have now. I always have lots of pots of cool colored impatiens on the porch in the summer, but in terra cotta pots :)

Lizbeth, you've got me worried about the door now. You're right, it is a french country style. We desperately need more light in the foyer, so we want lots of glass. DH & I don't care for fancy doors. We looked around at many door stores in town and really didn't like any camed glass or etched glass. So we went really simple and matched the mullions (muntins?) on the windows. Hmmm.

Thanks again, for all the help and opinions!

I think the rock looks fine if the rest of the house went with a warmer color palette that picked up on the rusts and salmons in the natural rock.

Don't paint the rock, but look into staining it...it will leave it with a more natural finish, should you decide to change the color, and far less expensive than re-rocking it.

Here is a link that might be useful: how to stain rock

I like the existing rock too and agree a warmer tone to tie it in would work great and save you lots of money too. Maybe then you can get started on the hardscaping earlier.

You might want to take a pic closer up of the house and use either sherwin Williams or Benjamin moore's programs to paint it to at least see what direction to go and what color family to start looking for.

I'm curious why you want to go back with double doors? don't read further if you are dead set on double doors.

For energy efficiency a single door with side lights would be better. Looks like you are in an area where it gets cold. Also think it would look more up to date and allow you to place your furniture better without blocking the door path.

Someone here once said "real" always trumps fake, as in wood vs laminate, rock vs siding etc. Even if it's not your most favorite in the world, it's still got great natural variation and depth to it. Making paint changes and porch updates as others have suggested will go a long way in integrating it into the overall look of of the house.

I like the rock.

I would, however, consider using color choice in the paint to make a dramatic change of emphasis on your facade. Right now the garage door is the pre-eminent focal point, while the front door is hidden deep within in its cave. Reverse that and you will have a much-more people-focused, welcoming look.

Front doors these days have become almost a kind of decorative grace note as people use backdoors or come and go inside only from their cars and garage doors. But it doesn't have to be that way, even if the only habitual front door users are trick-or-treaters and politicians.

Use color to draw the eye (past the stone, which is attractive but should be subordinate) right to the door itself. At present, even the window trim on the dormers has got more visual mojo than the front door.

I think the so-called "dated-ness" of the stone is an incorrect analysis - it's the blandness of the front door that's not carrying its own weight. That has allowed the nearby stone to take over the lead.

But the real culprit is the expansive blob of the garage door. Put it back in its place visually (it's just a service door, after all, albeit a huge and front-facing one) and your house will re-emerge.

Does anyone else find the term "hardscaping" as cringe- inducing as nails on a chalkboard? Pretty soon we'll all be talking in commercial jargon.

L.

Step away from the stone!

I love your stone - it's the siding color that's the problem. Your house reminded me of a house in my town. I know it sounds crazy, but the siding color is red and it's just the cutest house. Luckily, I was able to find a Google image of the house:

Here's a mockup:

I would keep the stone and paint the rest of the house. There are lots of colors that would look nice. My fav's are "D" and "E".

I am so pleased with all of your help. And thank you kelly for the pic and photo shop - that really helps!

As far as the double doors vs sidelights: we have considered this, and I think double doors are a much grander entrance, and I think they are making a comeback. Yes, they are less energy efficient and we are in a cold area, but I prefer double doors. We do actually open both of them sometimes, when moving furniture.

Here is the inspiration pic for our landscaping. We are still working out our plan with our designer, but our front walk will be shifted and wider like the inspiration and a tree will partially block the garage as in the pic - we will have a tree (in a planter) in the strip between the walk and drive about 1/2 way down. The hope is to create a welcoming entrance and block the garage and driveway some. The approach to our house by car (or walking, for that matter) is from the right as you look at the house - we are on the right side of the street, so I like the shifting of the walk in the inspiration away from the garage.

Kikuchi & Associates on houzz:

[Contemporary Exterior[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-exterior-home-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_736~s_2103) by San Francisco Landscape Architects & Designers Kikuchi & Associates

Are you going for something like this?

Wow, Kelly. So helpful! How do you do that, and so quickly? Thank you, thank you, thank you! Yes, that's pretty much exactly what I'm going for, except to keep the shifting direction of walk the same as the inspiration pic. I can see that you did a mirror image of the original to get the tree in the right spot.

jterrilynn - also very helpful. I think I like B and D, with a darker trim like A to pick up on the darker parts of the stone? I am so terrible with color...

I would look into cement washing the stone in a warm gray that looks natural to stone, and continuing the color all over the siding.

I'd also think about repeating the glazing pattern of your upper windows in your new doors, rather than using a different shape and proportion.

I agree with everyone....can't see spending $10-15,000 to replace the stone. I think paint will solve your problem. Do hire a colorist or a good landscape designer should also be knowledgeable about exterior paint colors..after all, their job is to make sure the entire picture coordinates and looks good..not just the garden. I like jterrilynns colors..more gray and muted.

Annie and bronwynsmom - I will definitely check out staining and cement washing. That might be the right answer for me! And if I change to a 6 light door (instead of 4), will that be better? I am worried about doing 9 panes because it starts to look like a back door to me, for some reason.

As far as the landscape designers suggesting colors, they both told me to hire a color consultant. Of course our designer chose plants with red and yellow flowers and I prefer purples, pinks, whites and blues.

If you can get a color change to the gray (or other colors you like), I would do that. Maybe you can test an area on the back of the house, then revert back if it doesn't look real? I think it would be easier to live with than the orange and would work better with the gray roofing.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Sun, Jun 16, 13 at 13:41

I love your rock, too. IMO the following Benjamin Moore paint colors would go well with your home.

DayâÂÂs End or French Beret or Deep Space
Paper White or Gray Lake

Brown Sugar
Woodmont Cream

I would keep all the trim cream. By choosing the right paint color you will neutralize the stone very grandly and nicely. I would do this front door but do a cream trim around it so it doesnâÂÂt just blend into the darkness. Sorry but I just cannot see another material such as a brick mixed in your landscaping. I canâÂÂt see anything with a color variation. Maybe a solid would work. Big brass bling for door hardware would look stunning.

Cooler flower colors go great with warmer natural stone. Down by the river right now the purple and pink foxglove are in bloom against the natural orangy rock and its beatiful. I again with everyone on keeping the stone and painting the house.

I agree, keep the rock! I like it.

A neighbor has very similar rock, it had a very orange-y hue to it that they didn't like. They stained it more gray, then painted the house taupe with black doors and shutters, and it looks fabulous. The house is a lot like yours, too.

What makes the stone look so orange now is the paint around it. Leave the stone and paint the house to make the stone look good.

Add more of it as part of the sidewalk to tie the house to the ground. Where there are those crosswise stripes on the sidewalk - put a slab of a similar color sandstone.

"Cement washing" is unpredictable, and unless very skillfully done it leaves stone looking like it was badly protected during a messy cement job, or a toddler with a mortar tub was unsupervised.

You need to go warmer and browner for the trim, and a creamier light color for the pale parts. Or a warm cream for the trim and a color from the medium tan shades of the stone for the body.

Spend your money on plantings and patio. Replacing perfectly good natural rock on the grounds it's "outdated" is just landscape architect who doesn't know how to work with what is on the premises.

I may be missing something here, but I think I would be careful with the stonework in your landscaping. Maybe thats just your inspiration ideas, but there are a lot of different things going on there.

Your house is beautiful. Maybe the landscape designers were objecting to the rock on the house in combination with brick planters and the pavers on the walk. The scale just seems off to me.

Now you've got me wondering, Jamie. Too many materials? But I'm pretty sure that was not what the designers were thinking (for example one designer dismissed my inspiration straight away because it would be too pricey).

I'm not sure what you mean about the scale being off. Do you mean the scale of the 3 'rock' materials (house, planter, pavers) with each other? Or the scale of the whole landscaping project?

I love the stone just as it is. Use warmer paint colors, and add more landscaping near the house to soften it. I liked your first front door choice, but I'm not a purist. And I'd stain the doors - not paint them.

it would be crazy to spend $ on replacing stone imo...

i would steer away from the orangey paint colors tho, myself... unless you really loved the orange, that is!! i think tones more along the lines of c and e might be more the way to go... b & d seem to have pinky tones in them which you would probably want to avoid... you will definitely take into consideration your new door colors... i think the new door style will look great! you'll love the light coming into your house!!!

I agree with Jamies about being careful with your materials. There is already enough going on with the house. I also think using pavers when you have natural stone does not work well. Also agree with busybee that unless you really love orange, it will likely become overload to do the whole house in it and you will likely tire of it sooner.

I personally find the rock too orange. And while you could downplay that with paint, I personally would start by putting some sort of color wash over the stone to bring down the color. If you also do not care for the color of the stone, I would address that first rather than try to distract the eye.

Good luck!

I'd look for a mid- to medium- warm grey that picks up the tones of the mortar and use it for the siding color and the garage door. I would paint out the area around the large lower window similarly to the uppers, with only the immediate trim board framing the window in trim color, the rest the siding color to recede. I'd look at cream for trim.

I wouldn't introduce stone into the landscaping. When painting the garage door I would keep the color solid (rather than using trim color around its windows). I would not use an orange-toned paint anywhere, including the door. Might look at black for the front door.

Finally, I would't allow a landscape designer to dictate finishes for a house or flower colors. There's no reason flowers need to match the house! You should love the plants you plant!

Another vote for preserving that nice stone. I really like your inspiration landscape idea, with the offset planters and pathway.

If it were mine, I'd paint the siding, upgrade any details I wanted in an already very nice entry, and then invest in excellent landscaping, which it really needs. It's a rare building that isn't finished until it becomes part of its landscape, and this one is still waiting for that to happen after all these years. Handsome foliage will also soften and hide much of the stone, which will itself will set the greenery off beautifully, and vice versa.

One thing on my list that isn't in your inspiration picture--doing what I had to to make the driveway and garage as unnoticeable as possible. The landscaping in the inspiration picture puts the emphasis where it belongs--on the entry area, but it doesn't have a giant door and parking area competing for attention to the left, so I'd want to carry landscaping right across the drive to recess them into the background, preferably using quiet paint for the door and trim on that side and dappled shade from plantings for the driveway.

If you add stonework planters and walls, I would use the same stone as on the house (although I agree with mtn, from what we can see from here). For the walk and wall caps, I'd use a natural gray flagstone that picks up on the roof and mortar color used on the house.

OK. I'm really confused now. Lots of competing opinions. You've all given me a lot to think about and I appreciate each and every comment, opinion and idea.

I like what mtn says - I do not like the orange stone, so we are going to look into the staining. And I also agree with those who say not to use orange-toned paint even if it would blend in with the rock. I would not be happy with an orangey or pinkish house.

And I am seeing from Kelly's photoshop that adding two materials for the planters and pavers is too busy, especially since my inspiration is so linear. The linear design of my inspriation pic really appeals to me, but it doesn't go with the irregular, blobby shaped rock. I really don't want to use irregular shaped flagstones on our porch floor and walk though. Our neighbors did it and I do not like the finished product.

There is no way that we would use the same rock on the planters. Maybe the same shape, but not the color. Really, we would prefer not to even use the same blobby shape, so maybe we should just ditch the planters?

Rosie - I knew that a big difference between my house and the inspiration pic is the garage and driveway, but thanks for giving pointers on how to break it up and hide them. Your comment about using dappled shade to break up the big expanse of concrete and door really makes sense.

"I really don't want to use irregular shaped flagstones"

Does flagstone have to be irregular? I just meant gray stone which could be straight cuts. I think it would be a good contrast to the irregular stone you already have.

If you don't like the shape of your stone either and want a linear look, why not just go for what you want? I think it will look at odds to switch to linear on the new stone work. Too many materials will also not look good.

Collect ideas, as you are, but then you need to boil it down. You don't want to end up with a house that looks like it had different projects tacked on to it. The "collected" look doesn't look so hot on an exterior, lol.

Looking at pictures on a computer monitor is not like seeing something in real life. In your first picture I thought I was seeing that icky lava rocky stone. Once I saw your close up, I thought "wow, thats nice" not at all what I thought it was.

If you detest it get rid of it, or stain it, or cement wash it. If you don't truly hate it, leave it alone. Once you mess with it, there is no going back.

I would paint the siding in a tone more like the rock. Right now there is too much of a contrast. When you see the house, it registers rock and siding. Its not the color as much as the contrast between the two. The siding should be as dark as the stone.

With the landscaping, I would lose the planters. Your home is interesting enough, you don't need them. As for the pavers on the walk, it's the same thing. There is too much contrast in your example. It looks like a checkerboard. With the rock on your house, you don't want more contrast. Just choose pavers that are a darker color and less contrast with individual pavers. Like shades of darker gray. No light colors mixed in.

When I looked at your inspiration photo, all I saw was the walkway. Not the house. The stonework on the walkway sticks out like a sore thumb. It should be part of the whole picture, not the main attraction.

I had to add my two cents regarding paint: we moved into our home which came with this faux-painted REAL rock wall and stone hearth in the basement (wood stove on hearth). I DESPISED the color of the stone. I REALLY wanted to redo the stone, so much so that I thought about taking it down, or at least having it re-painted.
In the meantime, we painted the basement (which came white), a tan color that oddly matched parts of the stone and lo and behold, the stone that was so flipping HIDEOUS actually looked good! I haven't given the stone a second thought because now when I go down to the basement, the stone no longer screams "I am ugly!" All because of paint. Paint is miraculous.

Liriodendron,
Seriously, what word(s) would you use as a substitute for hardscape? It would take a paragraph to list the elements separately in design conversations. Everyone knows what I am talking about when saying hardscape, and I cannot think of another term that would cover the same concept.

"Paint is miraculous". AND Paint is supposed to be temporary, changeable. Stone/brick is not. It floors me the money Americans have to replace perfectly solid, functional elements. I get wanting to freshen but why do we need to have every home look like it was built this year? Embrace the rock! Work with it. Use your money for something that NEEDS repairing. Saying that some of the color mock ups remind me of a pumpkin..that would not be MY first choice for a home.

Hi pudgybaby, we are nothing if not opinionated :-)

The rock is far too orange for me. Natural material or not, I don't think I would ever come to terms with that color by trying to camouflage it by painting the siding. I agree that trying to stain or mortar wash the stone is your best bet.

That said, if you don't like orange, why have you chosen essentially the same color for the front door? I think stained, not painted, wood doors are perfect for your style house, but definitely in another stain color. I'd wait to choose those until you decide what to do with the major design element--- the stone. Double doors are, IMO, perfect for your house--- wide and welcoming. If your budget allows, could you replace the garage door with a real wood one stained to match the door (whatever color that turns out to be) ? You can't pretend the garage is not front and center, and I have never seen a garage "disappear" with paint.....if you paint it lighter it is a bright mass in front..... Darker and it becomes a black hole. There are some beautiful wood garage doors out there that,would tie in the front entrance and the garage stylistically, and give you another natural material that will go well with stone.

I would definitely do something with the concrete porch, either stain it, use quarry tile, or flagstone tile. Brick pavers is too much. But again, until you make a decision about the rock color you cannot pick a material for the concrete. The massing of the planters and paths is a task best left to your landscape designer, who should be able to give you the feel of your inspiration picture without duplicating it exactly.

I vote E from the above mockups, the color looks really contemporary and coordinates with the stone, pulling the grey tones out and making it less orange IMO.

Beth I like that too. All the colors in that mock up come from the true colors in the stone. I digitally enhanced the stone and took out color digits directly from that for the mock up. IâÂÂm not sure if I will have time but if I do I will do a whole mockup with that color. For those who think it will be too dark, cream trim will dramatically and drastically change that. However, IâÂÂm not sure if âÂÂEâ will make the colors the poster does not like in the stone pop moreâ¦we will see. I personally like âÂÂDâ which is more muted but also a color in the stone.

The color of your stone is very similar to brick tones widely found in our area. The most successful siding colors used with them are mid-tone tans or greys. Others use lighter taupes or creams; pretty, though a more choppy look. Black doors are common with this color brick.

Although I wouldn't seek out orange brick or orange stone, I think it looks very nice in these combinations, similar to your very nice inspiration photo (though I'd choose a slightly deeper grey with your stone to achieve similar values). Garage doors painted out in the mid-tone greys or tans IMO present a less choppy look without creating the black hole problem. I'd go back to your inspiration photo!

You are not going to believe what I just did!!! I have been working off an on doing a mock up of your house and erased it all by accident. IT LOOKED FANTASTIC!!! I did âÂÂEâ (see my above mockup) on the upper sections and a color between âÂÂEâ and âÂÂDâ for the garage door and that bit around the window to the lower right. All the trim was warm cream with a tad of gray in it. Your door was the one I showed above, shiny black double French doors with the cream/tad of gray trim around it so it didnâÂÂt blend into darkness. Next to the door on the left I put a black and brass wall lantern (it lined up with the windows above and over all balanced the doors / lantern to the windows above. By the time I put another tree in the front yard and some shrubbery it all looked really nice. The brick only added a charming but stately look but honestly you really didnâÂÂt notice it that much except it being some grand texture that only people with money could afford.

Argh! I would have loved to see that jterrilynn! I am interested in knowing how you pulled colors from the stone - did you use photoshop or something else? Good idea! I really love black doors, but I am worried about them getting lost in the cave, but your idea of using the lighter trim color is great.

kswl: I should have been clearer about the door pic I posted. I just copied that from the door website. I do not intend to use that color for the stain, although if I leave the stone as-is, I will pick a stain with some red/orange in it. Ad you're right, that's why I'm trying to figure out what to do with the stone first, so that I can then pick the other colors and materials.

I'm going to go to one or two great little paint stores this weekend and see what their color experts have to say. I will inquire about hiring them to come out the house (I trust them more than the landscape designer when it comes to color). I am also going to explore staining the rock, but we will be very careful with this, because as many of you have pointed out, there's no turning back with this option.

Thanks again, everyone!

Hi, yes IâÂÂm sick I accidently closed out the wrong page before I saved it. IâÂÂm not kidding it was nice.
Anyway, this would only be an aid in picking colors due to monitor variations and if printed out there would be variations that go with that. It can help start things off though with narrowing down chit samples to take home and try out. Just cut and copy a section of your stone and enlarge on photobucket or whatever other program you use. From there you can crop out individual squares and enlarge for sample colors.

This is your stone.

Oh and p.s , if you were to explore my color ideas stated above believe it or not finding those colors will be the easiest part. The hardest part will be getting the trim color just right. It was truly amazing to see my mock up come to life once the cream-ish trim was added (had to play around a lot with different colors). It needs to be light but with some warmth (not too bright) and it needs just a tic of gray for class but not so much as to take away all the warmth. Honestly, you will not believe how the trim will take the eye away from the stone at first look and how next you just see an all over look with the stone and other paint colors that is really very pleasing. The brass bling for door hardware and brass & black for the lantern are more things to focus on. Really nice!

This post was edited by jterrilynn on Thu, Jun 20, 13 at 15:20