Cottage Charm

Hi – how do you add character to a box of a house.  The original house is 109 years old but all character has been stripped.  It is two stories with baby blue vinyl siding in need of replacement.

Nothing has been stripped from this houses charm, maybe we should look at it in a new light with all the potential it has. I hope I can help you see the beauty in this home and add some character back to the exterior. This house screams Ireland cottage to me. For instance Ireland homes tend to be older, in a block style, and the main similarity is they tend to not have a defined entrance. So I think this house is the perfect candidate to mix styles.

1. Paint - this house needs defined colors. The colors now separate the house nicely but are not doing it justice. I would paint the main part of the house in a warm neutral.

SW7507 Stone Linen

The area painted green right now, which appears to be the main entrance and sun room, paint in a cool white. This color scheme will be more relaxing to the eye and give the house a fresh appeal. For instance here is a house with a similar color scheme...

2. Define the entrance. Add a little charm while defining the main entrance by adding a trellis to the front of the home. I would have it attached to the main exterior wall where the front door is. Have it expand out along the adjacent wall of the main house over the grill. I also recommend having it painted in the same color white as the main entrance and sun room. Wisteria would make an excellent choice to grow on the trellis as well!

3. Final touches. Just to finish the new design off you might consider adding a set of decorative shutters to the upstairs window

Add some foliage lining the walk way, and the door leading off of the sun room!

This is just one way of breathing new life into an old charm! I hope this helps to guide you in the right direction of giving this house a makeover. Feel free to ask me anything!