Neat! I want to see the rest! Was it a church or something once?

What is on the columns? How restorable is the flagstone walk? Can you show it with whatever is there now? I think the photoshopping might have mangled it a little (but I could be wrong!).

It has always been a residence, as far as we know. The columns are covered in cinder blocks made to sort of look like stone. The same treatment is used inside the house, on the four interior beams. It has an open loft feel to it in the den and kitchen, with 18 foot ceilings. You can see the metal beams on the ceiling,and the metal roof, as well as the a/c duct. I love it! (My pictures of the interior didn't come out too well.)
I'm sure we could redo the pavestone and level it out. I did a mock up of what the front might look like with a stone veneer, but clearly my skills with the Paint program are very basic. :) That, or stone veneer isn't the answer!! Will post that picture in a minute.

Here is one of my stone veneer mock ups. (Very rough, I know!) Without landscaping, I can't see any improvement...
I really don't know what to do with this facade, but I'm hoping some creative genius will!

The stone makes it more institutional. What it needs is WINDOWS of the correct proportion for it's modern lines. And some color. Paint the exposed iron red. Maybe look at painting the stucco a concrete gray or white. Also consider breaking up the facade into distinct boxes, with maybe different siding treatments. Even galvanized metal.

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

Contact an architect for some help with a few modifications and your not so ugly duckling can certainly become a very modern swan.

Very clean, modern lines. I agree, a couple carefully placed and sized windows would improve curb appeal.

I'd post a picture on the landscape design forum and see what magic they can work with landscaping.

Where is the driveway?

hollysprings, great example and pictures. After reading and seeing your pics, I actually think this awful looking building can be made appealing.

No offense. :)

Windows with metal, wood or clean smooth stucco would be my choices, but I would contract an architect for design and to make sure nothing structural gets altered for windows. I do think with lots of floor to ceiling glass and landscaping, it could look amazing.

I would like to see a mockup of the two columns carried to the roof, thus covering up most of the two posts. I agree about well placed, nicely proportioned windows on the sides of the door, and the change of materials could be interesting as well. My initial reaction to the picture is that the second (upper) set of windows makes it look very much like school. I would like to see it with only the two upper middle windows and the lower four windows. I hope someone can photoshop it. I would think that buying a couple of hours of an architect's time would be well worth it.
Diane

I would be tempted to get inspiration from commercial buildings from the 50s-70s. Especially banks with drive thrus. :) Every so often I run across one of those older commercial buildings in a swanky part of town and they can be just lovely in a groovy kind of way.

Are there windows in the other faces of the house? If you have enough windows, adding more just to "house up" the front wouldn't be the way I'd go. It's not that kind of house. It's like an Eichler--fortress-like privacy to the front, total love-in once you enter. :)

What is your climate?

Also, what direction does the front of the house face?

Do you think there may have been a method to the madness, Julie? That would make sense. It's clearly a custom house!

try looking at dwell magazine for some inspiration. i think it has potential to be really cool. please show us how it turns out. oh, agreed that it needs some windows on those walls

Thank you all for your replies of hope! It is definitely a one of a kind house around here (Texas Gulf Coast). We are in a very humid climate fori, with hurricanes occasionally coming through. I feel like this house would hold up better than a traditional brick home. I looked up Joseph Eichler - very interesting. This house does have concrete flooring in the den and kitchen area, painted as a giant Texas flag. Although it needs to be repainted, it is one of the things I fell in love with right away. So unique.

In regards to the windows, adding some to the front would be strictly cosmetic (which is the whole goal), as the other sides of the house have plenty of light coming in through a row of windows all along the top of the house. (Picture below is best I could get)

As many of you suggested, I will most definitely be hiring an architect for help!

hollysprings, thank you for the pictures! I'm adopting your comment about my not so ugly duckling becoming a very modern swan, as my mantra!

LauraNJ, there are 2 driveways. One is a circular one that runs in front of the house, meeting up with the pavestone. The driveway leading to the garage at the back of the house, runs parallel to the left side of the house.

Julie, the facing direction of the house is Northeast (about 57 degrees on my Feng Shui compass)

bmh4796 - I will check out dwell magazine.

Looking forward to posting how it turns out!

Diane, I went into the Paint program and extended the columns to the roof line. I also added some windows. Someone needs to just tell me to step AWAY from the mouse...

Breathtaking. I can see why you fell in love.

So the exposed metal roof supports and columns outside are just a continuation of the columns and metal bits inside? It's awfully cool! (And hopefully all that concrete keeps it cool since those lofty ceilings are otherwise going to be brutal on the AC bill!)

Wow, I really like the inside! Very modern and light filled.

Post some of your mock-ups, your house is intriguing.

If there is no need for light, I'd be tempted to go with panels to break up the facade. I'll see if I can find some pics of what I mean. Here in the PNW, you see them with more of an asian theme and often with bamboo as a tall plant of choice. I have no idea what type of plant would do that for you in TX (maybe even Bamboo!)

An interesting idea to consider is the black-charred wood technique shou sugi ban. I saw this on Houzz a few months ago. Some hardscape using it incorporated with a walkway and landscape might be very interesting.

And I asked what direction the house faced to evaluate the light and HVAC implications of adding in windows. Since it is primarily north, you would not add much to your cooling load, but wouldn't add much bright light either.

Here is a link that might be useful: [shou sugi ban[(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/yakisugi-ita-is-setting-the-siding-world-on-fire-stsetivw-vs~2323908)