Old House Restoration Services to Improve Curb Appeal

This house was all white except for the black shutters which are wrong for a casement window. This house should NOT have shutters however without them this house will look very bland and boring as shown in the image above.

The current vinyl windows were over 20 years old and ready for replacement. The homeowner wanted to see how the house could look without shutters and with purchasing new windows that are black or changing them to 6/1 double hung windows that are black. Also how the appearance would look with only a trim color change and then if needed a body color change also.

As you see, each step improves the curb appeal a bit more each time.

Scope of Work

• Remove shutters.
• Install black casement windows and 6/1 double hung windows to compare each.
• Paint trim color and then body color showing comparisons.

This 1958 Colonial Revival looks much older than it is. Beautiful true divided light windows and working shutters really make an impact. Although not very noticeable, a lot of repairs are needed on this house. The stone is just a veneer that is pulling away from the house. While repairing the stone veneer one option is to bring the stone all the way to the top. As you see in the samples here the house is shown both ways. I really do not have a preference. I like the stone both ways. The trim color works great with the stone for the white was too harsh. I added a bluestone walkway which leads to the front and the side where the garage is located. It is important to make the walkway a prominent feature and wide enough to make the house more welcoming. Pachysandra or another ground cover helps mark the walkway as it ushers in the guests to the entrance.

Scope of Work

• Show homeowner options with full stone
• Colonial revival house colors.
• Walkway and landscaping.

This homeowner  came to me for a full makeover. After studying the house it really didn’t need as much work as it seemed. The one weird area was at the windows under the gable. There is a panel under the windows that you see on some Colonial style homes. Next to the windows are shutters. Everything here and everywhere else is painted one tan color. Painting the shutters black allows the panel and window to work together. The only other change except for colors is the garage window which I changed to match the other casement windows. Casement windows should not have shutters however this is how the house was designed and the shutters under the gable couldn’t be removed because there was no brick behind them. I also added some basic landscaping. One important landscape hint. Planting in bulk makes a great impact.

Scope of Work

• Makeover – problems corrected with paint.
• New paint colors.
• Basic landscaping.

This house had a badly designed sun-parlor added on to it at one time. The shed roof and windows on the addition did not work well with the main house. The shed roof was replaced with a hip roof and new 6/1 windows to match the main house. Some landscaping was added. There is two sections of an old grown over oddly shaped walkway. The sections were joined to create a walkway that leads to a gazebo.

Scope of Work

• Sun-parlor makeover
• House colors.
• Landscaping for curb appeal.

This house is in a historic district and needs approval for the colors.  The HPC recommended keeping the same colors. Please be aware that just because there is a Historic Preservation Commission that does not mean they have the correct advise. Shutters during the 1700 and early 1800’s were dark green. White was very expensive and used only for trim. If the homeowner was wealthy the full house may be painted white. At the same time white was not the white we know today but a light tan. This homeowner plans to replace the replacement windows too.

Scope of Work

• Replace missing shutters.
• Replace replacement windows with wood 6/6 windows.
• Historic paint colors.