Looking to make Los Angeles home exterior more fresh and modern. Need help with choosing exterior paint or stucco? (roof, windows)

[marlene711]

Hello,

I am hoping to get some help with a house just purchased. Need help with color and ideas. I'm looking to make the house look more updated, it's a little boring to me. It is a strange house, you have to walk to the side left gate, through the deck to get to the front door so I am going to have to build an entry gate as well where the black gate is. The deck will be changed to redwood deck with cable wire. I'm new to all this so forgive me if I don't explain myself well...

Here are some ideas I have so far, this is so scary because of the cost to do this so I really need help with people who know color and design. I've attached old photos of the house when I first purchased it and added links below with exterior colors that I like.

1. Remove the windows on the top of the garage and remove trim.

2. Leave siding on the left side of garage, stucco the top right side of the garage. Not sure about this idea??

3. Add new window panels on the garage door, paint door or replace with a faux wood garage door, need to figure this out to match the entry gate door.

4. The siding on where the deck is located is not looking good. My contractor thinks I should stucco before we replace the deck scheduled in a few weeks. I am having a tough time deciding whether to stucco the house a darker gray or gray green? Which trim and do I put around the windows? I wanted to reside the house, but they quoted me $15k.

5. The entry gate door will be made of wood with vertical lines. The wall, pillars for entry gate door, and planter on the left side of garage will be covered in stone panels.

6. The green concrete block wall will be painted, I just don't know what color if I go with green or gray. The wall runs all the way around my house to the back, its a big green eyesore. I like green but not this color green.

7. Driveway will either be painted gray or new layer of stained concrete with squares depending on my funds.


The house next to ours is a woodsy brown house with wood siding, a beige house on the other side of us, across the street is dark taupy green.Here are paint colors I am thinking of...

exteriors - traditional - exterior - minneapolis - by Minnetonka Custom Homes, Inc
Exterior - traditional - exterior - other metro - by Aneka Interiors Inc.
Paint and roof color?
West Coast Contemporary Exterior - modern - exterior - calgary - by Veranda Estate Homes & Interiors
Warm Modern in Noe Valley rear - modern - exterior - san francisco - by Mark Brand Architecture
Earthy Modern - contemporary - exterior - san francisco - by Noel Cross+Architects
Cloud Street Residence - modern - exterior - san francisco - by awarchitect.com
Greenlake Craftsman - traditional - exterior - seattle - by RW Anderson Homes

[Chicano3000X]

Stucco since L.A. seems to be obsessed with it..

[Bunjee]

Invest in updating the garage door first. That might be enough, before considering a new color or change in the wall surface. Lots of really great looking doors out there, and they can get correspondingly very expensive!

[K'ledgeBldr]

Your house was discussed back some time ago- I remember the photos.
But since your user name only shows 5 posts you obviously posted under a different user name.
I don't think it warrants being hashed again!

[luv4horses]

Put all your money into a new unpainted wood garage door. If not real wood then something that looks like real wood. Craftsman style or something that looks like carriage house doors/barn doors. That would make a world of difference.

[kadylady]

I agree. Start with the garage door.

[mpm777]

I agree with luv4horses "Put all your money into a new unpainted wood garage door. If not real wood then something that looks like real wood. Craftsman style or something that looks like carriage house doors/barn doors. That would make a world of difference."

[southernnaturelover]

The garage door windows are upside down.

[DewDropInn]

Is that oleander to the right of the house? How's it look? If it's got any dead spots it's a sign that it's got the oleander blight that's swept through So Cal. (I'm amazed it's survived this long if it's oleander.) Keep in mind that if that's a privacy barrier and it gets the blight it will die.

Save some money to put up a fence if you don't want the neighbors knowing your business.

One more thought: Have you lived in the hills previously? How's the roof? Make sure it's got the best fire-rating possible. I'd seriously make sure the house was as fire and mud-slide protected as possible before I sunk any money in cosmetics. (Judging by the photos there's a small slide on the hill across the street.) Cut back anything that's growing close to the roof or is up against the house. Don't let anything grow over the roof. It's all nice and green in the photos but one hot Santa Ana with fire in the hills and, trust me on this, you are going to be REALLY glad you took steps to protect it. Find a neighbor who's lived there a long time and talk to him. He'll be able to help you on what you need to do. As will the fire dept. Don't mean to rain on your new-home parade but brush fire is a fact of life in those hills. Be smart and do what you need to do now.

Aaand (I assume you're hating this) think about something besides redwood (or wood) for the deck. Termites. (They'll tell you it's treated. Termites don't care if it's treated.)