Thoughts on siding (material and color)

freeclimbmtb

Hey all, I didnt see an "exterior" specialty topic so I'm going to throw this in here. Move as you see fit.

I am not 100% happy with the exterior I have (shown in the first picture as it is now) I dont so much mind the cream color with the brick, but I also wouldnt have picked it myself.





The back of the house is really just painted plywood with some trim strips. Before I go and reshingle and paint the back of the house, I wanted to get some opinions on what you all might do. (I am open to a color change, as well as an alternative to cedar shingles...vinyl siding, etc) I have one of the lesser houses in the neighborhood and would like to try and bring up my curb apeal a little.

I plan to have a stone patio in the back and wanted to do a cement block kneewall with a stone veneer around the patio. But I want to make sure I have some way of transitioning from that idea to the existing brick without it looking like 2 independent designers were working behind curtains. Thoughts on using the stone veneer in the front of the house on the existing foundation up to the brick? as a way of linking the two design aspects? (Ive got plenty of time, just trying to get a plan together!)

joecaption

If you go on almost any major paint companys web site there's ways to take a picture of your home and view it on screen and play with differnat colors.

What's your realistic budget on this job.

freeclimbmtb

Like I said, I have plenty of time to think about it (and plan/save/adjust my budget accordingly) I refuse to do something 85% right because of cost. If it means I dont get to it for 3 years because I cant swing it right now, then I wait 3 years. So I would approach it from a "money isn't a major factor" and then scale back from there. Make sense?

joecaption

This site may help you to see what differant colors and styles of siding will look like.
http://www.certainteed.com/colorViewLanding.aspx

A few other things you may want to concider are adding faux stone over the brick.

Adding a small roof with some post over that doorway.

Adding some vinyl headers over those garage doors.

Go on the Cerainteed website and look at the differant window and door trims avalible to dress them up.

freeclimbmtb

I like the idea of headers over the garage doors, maybe decorative carriage house hardware too. Also the enhancements to the entryway, I would love to put a front door with sidelights too but that would involve a lot of brickwork and that might be a little more than I'd want to tackle. Ill have to do some thinking on how to make a small roof flow with the lines of the existing house.

As for the faux stone on the brick, Im not sure about going to that extreme, but I have a growing interst in going up to the brick and existing siding over the block foundation, and continue that line across the garage doors about 3 feet up...

I might take an updated picture today and do some fiddling around..