Plea for help with our facade
We have had plans drawn up ... what do you think of this facade and would anyone be so kind to assist with colours? Thanks for taking the time to read our plea's for help.
| Share: |
|
More Discussions
Dytecture ... I love the example you posted .. perfect colourings, thnk u.
Attched is the new plan .. the right way! oops sorry.
I think the front gable (and overall design) would look vastly better if it started the fretwork design at the same level as where the roof starts sloping.
I would do a standard shake detail in the gable end. I would do the whole side in clapboads in a wider exposure than noted on your drawing and a more craftsmant detail to the porch. I would also do a Craftsman door: Mountain Cabin Exterior.
For color I would start with the James Hardie and look at the standard colors they offer.
I think with a medium gray metal roof, these colors would look so fresh: Showhome 2010 - 2. The exterior is James Hardie Cement Board and Azek Trim/Corners/Casings. The siding color is Summerhouse Beige and the trim color is Canvas Tan.
This siding is Boothbay Blue and would look great with gray stone and gray metal roof: Peter Dorcas.
This is the third inspiration example in Woodstock Brown and Arctic White: Candlelight Homes' Custom Home. This home has a great front door that would be perfect for your home. Again a gray metal roof and stones in these colors would look good on you home.
II Inc. thank you also for posting. I should have given a little more info .. we live in the hinterland in Qld, Australia. We have the most adorable Queenslander homes here but unfortunately we cannot afford one so for the time being this is what we have to work with. Yes they are very old ... way older than the 80's and to some perhaps are dated looking, however this is the look I love. I was trying to replicate something like the attached pictures ... and this is what the draftsman came up with .. also keeping in mind our budget as we are totally gutting the inside and extending out the back. Cost of 'everything' is triple to what it is in USA.
The colors in the Queenslander photos are pale pastels with white accents. I don't see any brick. Are you planning to paint your brick the same color as the house?
Good luck!
I would not change the windows from all aluminium to a mixture of aluminium and wood. That will look mismatched. Aluminium windows can look fine but they should never be mixed with wood: avoiding this disaster will actually save you money. Its the same as mixing Hardieplank and brick: you should only do it if you have NO choice.
I do prefer Colourbond to tiles, but if I was forced to chose, I would leave the tiles on the front and put Colourbond on the back.
I'm not sure what colour to paint the Hardiboards. You have beige bricks and white window surrounds. Beige and white are hard colours to get to match. I would go with white trim to match the windows and paint the rest, perhaps, cream, or an onangy cream, like Taubmans Moo half, if it can do outsides.
I'm a little confused by a few details of the elevation. For example, why doesn't the porch extend all the way to the left wall? Why is there brick on the left and the right--is there a part of the house we don't see in the photo that is wider than the front? The front gable angle seems a little off on the elevation, so I wasn't sure.
Anyway, here is a rendering (sorry, very low resolution--should have used your first post) of what I would do to balance your facade.
1) Beefed up the square pillars a little bit--they are too spindly to visually take the weight. They are slender, but would look better bigger than a 4x4, and picture #2 (shows them with a slight base and some shape to them. If extending all the way across for the front porch, might need to adjust spacing.
2) Changed door and sidelight--arch type "colonial" is wrong style for house. Simple 4-panel, or something with glazing in Victorian pattern--perhaps a half or 3/4th light, or a divided light as shown, would work. Could be frosted or reeded or beveled glass. Also added door casing and moved it over a bit so it isn't smack-dab next to the wall. Or put sidelights on both sides, not just one.
3) Added casing around windows amd door, including sills and header (like pic 3) and thickened fascia. Added trim board that continues porch line across gable and to top of window trim. It is tight, so will have to be fudged a bit.
4) Really important that you don't use wimpy standard fascia. The bargeboards on the gable in particular needs to have some weight to it. Would be nice if gable could project slightly out from porch, possibly with some small support brackets (not the big Craftsman type, but something like in pic #3). Possibly could cantilever the sheathing a few inches and add the brackets, preferably attached to the studs.
4) Made the gable ornament a bit heftier and taller (pic 1 &3) and added lattice strapwork over vertical panel sheathing, something like Pic. #2. I feel the starburst design doesn't really work and emphasizes the fact that the windows and door are not centered on the gable.
5) Extending the lap siding to the edge of the building.
6) Add a tall pointed bush to echo the gable ornament (could be an ornamental element too, like a garden oblisk for training vines) and some foundation landscaping to camoflague awkward gap.
7) Pay attention to where the downspouts to the gutters are going--I really hate it when they are attached to a porch post, especially when there aren't many and the downspout is about as wide as the pillar. If you can, run them back to the building, and then make sure extension is well away and downhill of the house, and not interfering with walkway or porch. May need to be partially buried.
The color you pick for the roof will impact the color you paint the house. I don't normally like to see brick painted--it becomes a maintenance chore, but the brick you have won't match the new house style. If you paint it to match the new siding, it will blend in but those odd bits on each side if not aligned with the edge of the window or anything will stand out.. I would get rid of it all except for the portion level with the bottom of the window, or even with the sides and bottoms of the windows.
Otherwise you have to rip it out and replace. I just did that because the elevation showed that it was changed. You could keep more of the brick and even it with the right side of the right window to make it look like it is supposed to be that way, or add brick all the way across the gable end because where it ends now is awkward and anything else will look patched in.
Pic 1-3 refers to the pics you posted of Queenslanders, clockwise. I should have been clearer. I used those pics and others I have seen as style clues for your desired house design, combined with practices common in the Victorian era and the revival. Most Victorian revival houses don't look quite right because they get the details and proportions wrong--doesn't have to be (and can never be) exactly like it would have been 100+ years ago, but fancy trim looks tacked on and unbalanced if isn't done with care.
For example, note the door styles of all your pics, esp. 4, and look at the rendering--it is all wrong. You could save a bit of money by reusing the door you have (can't see details, but looks like a basic 6 panel) with sidelights on BOTH sides. No room for a transom over the door.
If money is a big issue right now, I would stick with modified mid-century modern styling and pick simple square posts, perhaps with a little detail, the right doors and windows you want. Or simply repair what you have now, esp. the windows and doors and brick, which is fine, and go with board and batten or vertical planks for now, landscape and save up for bigger changes later.
It is usually much cheaper to keep the existing materials and style than to redo. A restrained hint of Queensland might work as shown below.
Option1 (pic1) is the first one I did above.
Option 2 (green door) is keeping the brick below the trim board all the way across the gable and adding a pilaster.wide trimboard and bracket on the corner for the porch and simplifiying trim a bit. This is actually less additional brick than indicated on your elevation.
Option 3 (blue door) is eliminating gable trim and extending brick just to trimboard and ending where it ends now. I didn't change all the siding, but I think board and batten would have a cleaner look and better transition to the brick and around the corner. A trellis is another option to soften the transition from materials--it always looks better in elevation than it will in real life because the line will show without some landscaping.
Option 4 (orange door) eliminates most of the trim, except possibly a gable spire (That could be eliminated too--just hard for me to draw without more work--might be OK to keep spire) and all vertical siding, no pilaster, and keeping existing brick cladding all the way to roofline.
I kept the new windows in all the renderings and deeper facia (trim on roofline). Door could be the one you have or new, or with sidelights on both sides. Option 4 is the least elaborate and expensive, and requires the least amount of demolition..
I personally like the cleaner lines of version 4 and it still has a cottagey look to it. I added a trimboard to match the fascia and porch trimboard to the edge of the brick. If you added the Queenslander trim, I would leave off the brackets, but it gives a clearer view to the door and windows without it.
Victorian Bungalow Wranch, you have an eye. That is what a difference skill makes. I suppose that by having heavier elements, you take the emphasis off the brick/board texture, but then you said to use heavier boards? Too, I see that the circles focus the eye.
ca69, maybe you need draftsman with an eye. Otherwise, you will be at his mercy for all of your house.
I agree with you Victorian definitely has an eye ... absolutely blew me away. Mmm ... I'm definitely a little concerned now .. I'm just going to hand him everything from victorianbungalowranch!
2632 Oakwood Dr SE 49506
The metal roof tiles are very interesting, I have never seen anything like that here in Australia. Either that, or it is so outrageously expensive here no one uses it!
Huy Ho: No snow here in Qld! I'd love some right now though ... its sweltering! The metal roof tiles are very interesting I'll if we have them in Australia ... probably way too exy but thnks for your ideas.
smcmanus: I havent seen the black exteriors but will look into it, thnk u.
hbatesau: hehe snow .. Qld! that put a smile on my face. 've not heard of metal roof tiles either .. yr probably right .. outrageously exy and as usual we get ripped off down under :(
cyn222: cute ideas there, I like what you did, what program is that you use? I'm thinking a pergola will look nice.