That's not a house that can wear shutters.

Whenever you have an "L" shape like that, you have to paint the garage door the same color as the body which means you have to keep that in mind when choosing the body color. The thought process is different with an "L" shape than a front-loading garage door.

A big punch color on the front door is a really good idea. I like this: "Coventry Gray with a glossy Paints of Europe style tomato orange-red front door?"

So funcolors, you think the garage door should be green like the rest of the house? I am interested in the reasons why an L shape means no shutters? I am not up much on my knowledge of exterior styles, so the more info--the better!

Any other ideas for color schemes funcolors? If I did the house in Coventry, for example, should I go with something like Wickham Gray for the garage door and fascia (is that the proper name for the piece under the roof line?) I would kind of want to downplay those odd pieces on the columns by the front door instead of highlighting them. I even thought about the possiblity of replacing the stucco columns with simple wood doric-style columns.

I am just not a brown/beige or earth-tone person anymore and thought something like gray-blue would be more interesting while still working with the red brick.

A new paver driveway or maybe just a stamped stained concrete driveway could do a whole lot to improve the curb appeal. Here is one example (not my house- wish it was!) The link below has lots of information. We recently redid our front walk and porch with pavers and it is incredible how much it improved the looks of the whole front of the house.

Here is a link that might be useful: Belgard hardscapes

This post was edited by badgergal on Sat, Dec 15, 12 at 20:11

It's not the "l" that doesn't sync up with shutters, it's the overall contemporary style of the architecture that doesn't align with shuttered windows.

Yes, the garage door should be green on that house, not white. Which is why you have to choose the body color of an "l" shaped house carefully. There will be a lot of the body color reflecting back and forth hinged at, and radiating out from, the 90 degree pocket (or corner). Trim color is also important; can add trim around garage door to break up expanse of body color, add subtle definition/detail.

This post was edited by funcolors on Sat, Dec 15, 12 at 18:49

I can't photoshop worth a darn , but i'm sick on the couch and bored, so here: ;-)

circuspeanut, I think you did a terrific job.

jockewing, what if you just added some stucco detail on the corners, like this one? (But not this pastel blue color)

circuspeanut--thanks! That's a little darker than I was thinking, but I think it looks better already.

It's just my luck that that there are only 2 houses for sale right now out of the at least 200 in the neighborhood I really, really love. This one, which is one of the least attractive on the outside, and another one that is a FSBO, but even worse because it has horrible light pink bricks and the owner is at least $40K too high on the asking. This is the only house I have been able to find under $250K (note this is S. Louisiana in the suburbs which is probably equivalent to $600K + on either of the coasts - how do ya'll afford those mortgages!) that I like. No one seems to upgrade beyond builder grade here. The only other house I saw that I like was in the process of being built was beautiful, but the yard was half the size, it was 500 sq feet smaller, and $40K more in price. At least this one has been upgraded with lovely Brazilian teak (cumaru) floors (not laminate--RE listings around here brag about having laminate). I will posts some pics from the listing to get your opinion on the inside. The major problem to me is that fact this is a 2300 sq feet house and probably 400 sq feet is taken up by a formal livind and dining room that are nice, but not truly needed. This results in a smallish family room, and no pantry and a pass-through laundry room(have to walk through to enter from garage) with no room for shelving or extra storage.

Let me confuse you, because I am. Here is a huge paint selection for stucco. The other posters can help you out with this far better. I did have a large house in the mountains which was a green stain and disliked it.

Interesting about the L info.

Here is a link that might be useful: Stucco colors

I don't think it is nondescript or uninteresting at all.
It just needs some love in the landscaping department.
Between the poor plant choices/siting and the backboard there it is skewing your view.

If it was me I would paint the front door and coordinate some of my annual color to match and compliment.
I would redo all of the landscaping in the spring to better compliment the house- what is there now is hiding the good features and highlighting the bad.
Then I would sit back and wait through a year or two to see how everything develops. If after that I was still unhappy with the exterior I would consider monumental changes like painting or resurfacing.

You have no location listed so it is hard to say but in many areas this is not the most attractive season.
I'd get moved in and settled and revisit the exterior in the spring when everything inside is done.

It just needs some landscaping and a new door color for now. For some point in the future, plan to do a roof with architectural shingles to give that big hip some dimensional interest. And possibly to do the drive in the stained and stamped concrete. Those are both 10K projects though, so they aren't what I'd want to plan to do right off the bat. Even the landscaping will cost you 10K with a lot of DIY though, so unless this house is well below your budget numbers that you need, tread lightly on these major expenditures that you're thinking about. It really isn't bad as it is if the landscaping was addressed.

Can you post a picture that includes the brick? Unless you are planning to paint the brick also, seems like you would want to coordinate paint with the tones in the brick.

Love the idea of pale silvery gray with fresh white trim -- and a big vote here to paint out the garage doors to the color of the main body of the house!

Yes -- please post a close-up of the red brick so we can see the gray tones and the color of the mortar too ...

Right now -- the garage door is the main focal point of the house ---- so painting it out (as shown with the wonderful virtual!) would really make a huge difference.

I would paint the front door in fresh bright white -- to bring it "forward" and out of the shadows. The white door -- along with the white painted sidelights -- would appear to be much larger -- and far more cohesive to the eye.

PLUS -- consider adding two large planters -- one in front of each column -- and add tall grasses or even great seasonal color ....

Just a thought (really!) I wonder if the front entrance (the arch plus the columns) would look good in white -- with the rest in the pale gray?

Who the heck thought army green was the right choice for that house? It's okay for now because it's fresh and crisp but I would sure go a different direction when it was time to repaint. Pale grey would be very nice I think, and I would definitely give some thought to Teacats' suggestion of doing the entire front arch business in white.

I don't think it'll take much to make that house look ready for a magazine shoot. It has some pretty nice details and a sensible layout as well. Don't let the color scare you off! :)

Here are some closeup pictures of the entry and front of the house, and also of the brick. Also a couple pictures of the inside.

Obviously there would be a lot of changes on the inside to, but compared to most of the interiors I've seen this one just needs some refreshening.

Yes -- a pale or medium gray would certainly work -- both with the tones of the brick and the color of the roof.

Yes -- I do think that painting the front door in white would work very nicely.

But I'd really like to see a virtual (please ...) with the front arch and columns in white ....

Also -- just another thought after looking at the photos above -- you might consider adding gutters to the sides of the house ... just for drainage control ....

After reading about it on another thread -- I checked out BM Fieldstone (1558) -- and it may a color that you will want to consider ... along with darker Steel Wool 2121-20 and for the trim Polar Frost 1506 ....

all Benjamin Moore tones .....

I'm not a PS expert either, but gave it a shot painting the arch and columns white along with the front door. I don't think I care for it, but it's not my house! Couldn't find any gray that looked good for the stucco. (I really wonder if a "bluish" gray will blend with the roof and bricks.) What about a "taupeish" gray?

Re-try with a "taupeish" gray

I love the house! I'm not a huge fan of the current color but I don't hate it. I think a dark grey color (including garage door) with a white door would be gorgeous. Re-do the driveway with pavers and get rid of the basketball net, and some attractive plantings and you will have a gorgeous house there.

The close up pics look like a totally different color than far away. Am wondering what the actual color is or perhaps my monitor. Like the close up color. My house in the woods painted green was what yours looks like from far way, a color that depressed me.

I guess I wasted 2 hours of my time. :-(

Meowzer, it's the holidays...maybe s/he's away or working on an offer on the house. Or found another. I'm sure s/he will appreciate your time and effort when s/he sees it.

Meowzer, I saw the pictures you worked up and I appreciate the effort.

I have kind of cooled on this house for now. I just feel like I need to see some other houses I like before committing to the first thing I see. And I just don't love this house enough to commit myself for 30 years without some type of comparison.

I do kind of like the taupe version you posted.

You're welcome! And thanks for the feedback as I did sort of wonder . . . what happened? (I knew you were still around here because you had started a newer topic.) Good luck with finding just the right house for you.