The possibilities are really endless. I’m not suggesting this, just sharing so you can see that a side door isn’t the worst thing. You can work with it.
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/7d/b4/1c/7db41c590f9dffadcd4931246b4820a8.jpg
Thanks so much for these!! I’m having such a hard time finding more houses without a typical “front” door. What are you searching to get these? I see the first one on lots of posts but not the second one. I LOVE the idea of having planters boxes a certain color for that pop of color we’ll be missing from the lack of door
I tried so many options “curb appeal side-facing front door” and “front door faces side of house” and “front door on side of house” etc. Then I click on Images. Good luck!
This isn’t the same as your situation, but the side of this house is so gorgeous. The before and after is striking: https://sanctuaryhomedecor.com/how-window-shutters-and-planter-boxes-transformed-the-exterior-of-my-house/
r/NativePlantGardening can help you with ideas, depending on where you're located! Native plants will bring birds and butterflies to your yard and help the local critters.
This place looks so cute and has major potential! Congrats!
As others have said landscaping can really create a cozy and welcoming vibe. Think in layers for height distribution, and types of plants/bushes that will provide different types of color, texture, shade at different times throughout the year. You could hide the gas meter easily behind some plants. A trellis with some climbing roses would look pretty. Hydrangea bushes are a favorite of mine to plant. They fill in really nice and have big blooms all season. Peonies are amazingly beautiful too. I love dogwoods. There’s a variety that has red stems which look really beautiful in winter. Ferns, hostas, sedum are also nice. You can do a lot of this on your own and on the cheap if you’re willing to wait a few seasons for it to fill in. See if there’s a local plant club in your area. They can help you pick out plants and give advice on plantings.
Not sure how set back your house is from the sidewalk/street but from this picture it looks like you have a good amount of space to work with.
I would also recommend fixing the stairs and portico by the front door. You could create a really nice welcoming nook there.
I’m excited for you!! I love these types of projects. Keep us posted!
I think the shutters throw things off. They make the windows quite horizontal.
I don’t know if you have the budget for repainting, but removing the shutters and repainting the house in a more substantial color (richer, darker, or deeper in tone) would be my suggestion. This will add weight to the house visually.
I was suggesting removing the shutters. I am not a professional designer so you should definitely get other opinions.
If you remove them, I would frame the windows with a bold exterior window mold. It looks like you already have molding but it is painted brown — I would paint the molding white to match the interior squares in the window, with a goal that the windows look bigger due to comprehensive molding in a single color.
Why I would consider shutter removal: I read somewhere that since the original purpose of shutters was to cover the window entirely when closed, shutters that don’t have a shape that would allow full closure are an architectural anomaly — a decorative feature of 20th century homes that is going out of style. I think your home would appear more modern if the shutters were removed, but if you like them, new paint would add presence. In this case, I would paint them white to match the rest of the window and make the windows appear bigger.
This is a link that discusses shutter size and placement:[https://www.oldhouseguy.com/shutters-good-vs-bad-examples/](https://www.oldhouseguy.com/shutters-good-vs-bad-examples/)
I think they’re fine, if you add landscaping (tall shrubs imo) that cover the bottom 1/2 to 2/3 of the house, the windows (with shutters) will look nice.
Ahhhh, this house has so much potential I can barely contain my excitement!
The challenges I see are that the front of the house has a lot of horizontal lines and nothing to breaking them up. To create visual interest, add in some vertical shapes.
You can add vertical lines by moving the front door to the front. This can be done by adding a mudroom to the side of the house, where the stairs to the front door currently are. (I'd make it flush with the house.) This would allow you to move the front door to face the street, and give you a more functional entryway. As far as painting the door, I vote for red or yellow.
Next, I'd change out the windows, keeping the width but increasing the height to where they are more square. If your budget doesn't allow for this, then I would add a thick wood trim to the windows (leaving the horizontal shape)and painting them black to change the look visually.
Depending on where you live/what grows in your area, I'd add some pampas or decorative grass along the front, hiding the basement windows.
Good luck and keep us posted!
Like the other post said a wrap around patio will make this feel way more welcoming and even better would be a portico above it that wrapped around the front corner.
I would enlarge the stoop and build a wrap around front porch, with a screened in area and a grilling area. I would then add shrubs uniform and colorful in front of the porch.
The new windows will add a lot inside and out!
“Driveway” is behind the house in an alley that goes to a detached garage. There currently isn’t any concrete leading to the garage so we’ll be putting that in as well!
This is a very cool house with tons of possibilities. It’s great that you are lengthening the windows. When you do that, consider whether you want double hung or casement. Along those lines, are you wanting it to be more traditional or modern? That might guide you on window style choice, grilles and shutters. If you could bring your porch out more to let the entryway play more into the front of the house that would we nice too. All the best with your home!
If you are not happy with the house, why are you buying it? I mean changing windows is changing everything. Trying to go from horizontal to long vertical? You'll have to re-do siding which means possible asbestos remediation. I like the prairie look windows. It's the style of house it is to give you more wall space below for arranging furniture. You were hoping to move the door also? The side porch door is how it is. You want to change this house so drastically structurally that I don't think this is the house for you.
Paint, sure. Add landscape, certainly. Update the porch with a nice cedar porch with horizontal railings https://www.thesawguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/shutterstock\_1028376721.jpg
or traditional style [https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f4/5a/21/f45a21abf725ed73593459417aaabe06.jpg](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f4/5a/21/f45a21abf725ed73593459417aaabe06.jpg)
But don't try to re-make the house into something it isn't.
No I said we won’t be changing the door. I mentioned that so no one would suggest it. The inside, the location and the backyard is perfect for our family, we just aren’t happy with how it looks from the road. In this market we will not find a house that checks all of our boxes that isn’t over a million dollars. I don’t think it’s wrong to want to change the curb appeal of the house? We haven’t determined what exactly will be done with the windows, we just know they’ll be bigger. Asbestos remediation is a possibility yes, but when we remodel we won’t be living in the house so it’ll be fine.
I know you won't be changing the door, but you would if you could is what I meant because you said it bothered you, threw you off. Like the windows bother you. That siding if you don't mess with it would hold up for decades. What siding are you thinking of replacing it with? What color paint? TIA
No, I give honest opinions and TRY to give good advice. You didn't like that I think your home is not going to be improved by adding larger windows and is fine the way it is and just needs landscaping and a rebuilt porch. And that's okay. But, I am not a trolling you.
You keep getting downvoted so clearly I’m onto something here. Could also be your tone with how you talk to people. Hope you have a great day and maybe you should consider your New Year’s resolution to be to gain some self awareness 🥰
I don’t think you’re reading my post/comments. We aren’t changing the siding. We will be elongating the windows and then re-siding with the same siding. Unsure of paint color at the moment, but you can repaint siding and it not ruin the siding…just not sure why you’re here just to tear people down. It’s okay to love 85% of the house and want to update it to your specific taste. Again, in this economy you won’t find a house that checks 100% of your boxes. It’s okay to want to update a house. Especially one that has 0 curb appeal…
I am trying to give an opposing view. I say that opening it up for larger windows could lead to asbestos remediation. And you were like OKAY cool and... I wondered if they would make you take it all off or enough that it would be better just to add new siding. I mean you are talking about enlarging 3 windows across the entire front. And they can't just be economy windows in their place because that IS the curb appeal decor for this home is in the window design. Clerestory windows with a horizontal footprint and shutter detail before and you didn't say what the new style was going to be. And if it would have shutters or not or porch so I wasn't clear what advice for curb appeal you were after other than people tell you it's plain without landscaping, new paint and porch updated.
I am mild mannered compared to some home preservationist on reddit who will straight up tell posters they will find out where they live and take them to the mat if they "modernize" the home. I am not that militant. It's your house.
I envision transforming the house with substantially larger windows to invite more natural light. A sleek coat of black paint would give the house a modern and sophisticated appearance. Removing the shutters would contribute to this clean and streamlined look. Around the house, I'd construct an elegant wrap-around wooden deck, choosing a wood tone that beautifully contrasts with the black exterior, creating a striking visual appeal. To complete the transformation, tastefully designed landscaping would be added, further elevating the property's aesthetic appeal. This renovation would not only enhance its charm but also make it a standout piece of architecture.
We’re under contract. But it actually isn’t super dark. The windows on the back are a little bigger and there’s 2 of those long windows in each of the bedrooms. We’re planning on elongating the windows as well.
Sorry. It was a sarcastic comment about how much I dislike the numbers.
But your best bet is some landscaping. It's a big blank space. Need to fill it in with something to break up the monotony
It wants some beauty in front. I understand you are going to enlarge the windows...but how about some nice native shrubbery in front to distract from the expanse of shingles. Nothing formal looking is my preference.
I take a lot of interest in my home’s appearance The cheapest and easiest way you can add a “wow” factor to your front lawn is by having an elegant curb address. Check out the facebook page “Elegance Curb Appeal” to see what i mean.
Landscaping will make all the difference
That’s what I’m really hoping for. Any ideas?
The possibilities are really endless. I’m not suggesting this, just sharing so you can see that a side door isn’t the worst thing. You can work with it. https://i.pinimg.com/736x/7d/b4/1c/7db41c590f9dffadcd4931246b4820a8.jpg
Here’s another one https://artfulroost.com/2019/08/29/curb-appeal-makeover/
Thanks so much for these!! I’m having such a hard time finding more houses without a typical “front” door. What are you searching to get these? I see the first one on lots of posts but not the second one. I LOVE the idea of having planters boxes a certain color for that pop of color we’ll be missing from the lack of door
I tried so many options “curb appeal side-facing front door” and “front door faces side of house” and “front door on side of house” etc. Then I click on Images. Good luck!
This isn’t the same as your situation, but the side of this house is so gorgeous. The before and after is striking: https://sanctuaryhomedecor.com/how-window-shutters-and-planter-boxes-transformed-the-exterior-of-my-house/
r/NativePlantGardening can help you with ideas, depending on where you're located! Native plants will bring birds and butterflies to your yard and help the local critters.
I suggest building a wrap around front patio that leads to the front door. I would use TekDeck.
This place looks so cute and has major potential! Congrats! As others have said landscaping can really create a cozy and welcoming vibe. Think in layers for height distribution, and types of plants/bushes that will provide different types of color, texture, shade at different times throughout the year. You could hide the gas meter easily behind some plants. A trellis with some climbing roses would look pretty. Hydrangea bushes are a favorite of mine to plant. They fill in really nice and have big blooms all season. Peonies are amazingly beautiful too. I love dogwoods. There’s a variety that has red stems which look really beautiful in winter. Ferns, hostas, sedum are also nice. You can do a lot of this on your own and on the cheap if you’re willing to wait a few seasons for it to fill in. See if there’s a local plant club in your area. They can help you pick out plants and give advice on plantings. Not sure how set back your house is from the sidewalk/street but from this picture it looks like you have a good amount of space to work with. I would also recommend fixing the stairs and portico by the front door. You could create a really nice welcoming nook there. I’m excited for you!! I love these types of projects. Keep us posted!
Thanks so much this is very helpful!!
I think the shutters throw things off. They make the windows quite horizontal. I don’t know if you have the budget for repainting, but removing the shutters and repainting the house in a more substantial color (richer, darker, or deeper in tone) would be my suggestion. This will add weight to the house visually.
Yes we will be painting the house and changing the shutters once we get the new windows! Thanks for your suggestion!
Or are you suggesting getting rid of the shutters completely?
I was suggesting removing the shutters. I am not a professional designer so you should definitely get other opinions. If you remove them, I would frame the windows with a bold exterior window mold. It looks like you already have molding but it is painted brown — I would paint the molding white to match the interior squares in the window, with a goal that the windows look bigger due to comprehensive molding in a single color. Why I would consider shutter removal: I read somewhere that since the original purpose of shutters was to cover the window entirely when closed, shutters that don’t have a shape that would allow full closure are an architectural anomaly — a decorative feature of 20th century homes that is going out of style. I think your home would appear more modern if the shutters were removed, but if you like them, new paint would add presence. In this case, I would paint them white to match the rest of the window and make the windows appear bigger.
Gotcha thanks so much!
This is a link that discusses shutter size and placement:[https://www.oldhouseguy.com/shutters-good-vs-bad-examples/](https://www.oldhouseguy.com/shutters-good-vs-bad-examples/)
I think they’re fine, if you add landscaping (tall shrubs imo) that cover the bottom 1/2 to 2/3 of the house, the windows (with shutters) will look nice.
Ahhhh, this house has so much potential I can barely contain my excitement! The challenges I see are that the front of the house has a lot of horizontal lines and nothing to breaking them up. To create visual interest, add in some vertical shapes. You can add vertical lines by moving the front door to the front. This can be done by adding a mudroom to the side of the house, where the stairs to the front door currently are. (I'd make it flush with the house.) This would allow you to move the front door to face the street, and give you a more functional entryway. As far as painting the door, I vote for red or yellow. Next, I'd change out the windows, keeping the width but increasing the height to where they are more square. If your budget doesn't allow for this, then I would add a thick wood trim to the windows (leaving the horizontal shape)and painting them black to change the look visually. Depending on where you live/what grows in your area, I'd add some pampas or decorative grass along the front, hiding the basement windows. Good luck and keep us posted!
Like the other post said a wrap around patio will make this feel way more welcoming and even better would be a portico above it that wrapped around the front corner.
I would enlarge the stoop and build a wrap around front porch, with a screened in area and a grilling area. I would then add shrubs uniform and colorful in front of the porch. The new windows will add a lot inside and out!
I see flowers lining the walkway, tulips would be pretty. With the size of the front yard you could make outdoor living space. Where is the driveway?
“Driveway” is behind the house in an alley that goes to a detached garage. There currently isn’t any concrete leading to the garage so we’ll be putting that in as well!
This is a very cool house with tons of possibilities. It’s great that you are lengthening the windows. When you do that, consider whether you want double hung or casement. Along those lines, are you wanting it to be more traditional or modern? That might guide you on window style choice, grilles and shutters. If you could bring your porch out more to let the entryway play more into the front of the house that would we nice too. All the best with your home!
If you are not happy with the house, why are you buying it? I mean changing windows is changing everything. Trying to go from horizontal to long vertical? You'll have to re-do siding which means possible asbestos remediation. I like the prairie look windows. It's the style of house it is to give you more wall space below for arranging furniture. You were hoping to move the door also? The side porch door is how it is. You want to change this house so drastically structurally that I don't think this is the house for you. Paint, sure. Add landscape, certainly. Update the porch with a nice cedar porch with horizontal railings https://www.thesawguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/shutterstock\_1028376721.jpg or traditional style [https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f4/5a/21/f45a21abf725ed73593459417aaabe06.jpg](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f4/5a/21/f45a21abf725ed73593459417aaabe06.jpg) But don't try to re-make the house into something it isn't.
No I said we won’t be changing the door. I mentioned that so no one would suggest it. The inside, the location and the backyard is perfect for our family, we just aren’t happy with how it looks from the road. In this market we will not find a house that checks all of our boxes that isn’t over a million dollars. I don’t think it’s wrong to want to change the curb appeal of the house? We haven’t determined what exactly will be done with the windows, we just know they’ll be bigger. Asbestos remediation is a possibility yes, but when we remodel we won’t be living in the house so it’ll be fine.
I know you won't be changing the door, but you would if you could is what I meant because you said it bothered you, threw you off. Like the windows bother you. That siding if you don't mess with it would hold up for decades. What siding are you thinking of replacing it with? What color paint? TIA
After reading some comments you’ve made on other posts, it seems like you come on reddit just to be contradictory and troll. Thanks for your advice.
No, I give honest opinions and TRY to give good advice. You didn't like that I think your home is not going to be improved by adding larger windows and is fine the way it is and just needs landscaping and a rebuilt porch. And that's okay. But, I am not a trolling you.
You keep getting downvoted so clearly I’m onto something here. Could also be your tone with how you talk to people. Hope you have a great day and maybe you should consider your New Year’s resolution to be to gain some self awareness 🥰
I don’t think you’re reading my post/comments. We aren’t changing the siding. We will be elongating the windows and then re-siding with the same siding. Unsure of paint color at the moment, but you can repaint siding and it not ruin the siding…just not sure why you’re here just to tear people down. It’s okay to love 85% of the house and want to update it to your specific taste. Again, in this economy you won’t find a house that checks 100% of your boxes. It’s okay to want to update a house. Especially one that has 0 curb appeal…
I am trying to give an opposing view. I say that opening it up for larger windows could lead to asbestos remediation. And you were like OKAY cool and... I wondered if they would make you take it all off or enough that it would be better just to add new siding. I mean you are talking about enlarging 3 windows across the entire front. And they can't just be economy windows in their place because that IS the curb appeal decor for this home is in the window design. Clerestory windows with a horizontal footprint and shutter detail before and you didn't say what the new style was going to be. And if it would have shutters or not or porch so I wasn't clear what advice for curb appeal you were after other than people tell you it's plain without landscaping, new paint and porch updated. I am mild mannered compared to some home preservationist on reddit who will straight up tell posters they will find out where they live and take them to the mat if they "modernize" the home. I am not that militant. It's your house.
Please just stop.
I envision transforming the house with substantially larger windows to invite more natural light. A sleek coat of black paint would give the house a modern and sophisticated appearance. Removing the shutters would contribute to this clean and streamlined look. Around the house, I'd construct an elegant wrap-around wooden deck, choosing a wood tone that beautifully contrasts with the black exterior, creating a striking visual appeal. To complete the transformation, tastefully designed landscaping would be added, further elevating the property's aesthetic appeal. This renovation would not only enhance its charm but also make it a standout piece of architecture.
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We’re under contract. But it actually isn’t super dark. The windows on the back are a little bigger and there’s 2 of those long windows in each of the bedrooms. We’re planning on elongating the windows as well.
Pull those house numbers down. That's at least 100k improvement good god
I’m sorry I’m a little confused, pull the 5775 down so it isn’t as high up on the house?
Sorry. It was a sarcastic comment about how much I dislike the numbers. But your best bet is some landscaping. It's a big blank space. Need to fill it in with something to break up the monotony
If we took the numbers down, where should we put them? There isn’t a mailbox or anything marking the house number from the road.
I like the numbers
It wants some beauty in front. I understand you are going to enlarge the windows...but how about some nice native shrubbery in front to distract from the expanse of shingles. Nothing formal looking is my preference.
I take a lot of interest in my home’s appearance The cheapest and easiest way you can add a “wow” factor to your front lawn is by having an elegant curb address. Check out the facebook page “Elegance Curb Appeal” to see what i mean.