Garage facelift needed

11 years ago

last modified: 11 years ago

Suggestions please for simple, not too expensive, ways (paint, trim, lighting) to make this boxy utilitarian garage visually more compatible with the 1929 whimsical house next to it in the picture. Paint for the (aluminum?) siding on the sides of the garage and upper half story of the house needs to stay on the light side. I'm going to be landscaping the front yard in a cottage style.

Featured Answer

Shelley Halpain

11 years ago

I would paint the garage in a complimentary, lighter brown leaving the upper triangle (like the above poster said) and faux finish the garage door to look like wood. Then I would plant a vine on either side of the garage door (in big pots). A false pergola above the garage door would be a place for the vine to grow. Also, consider staining the driveway.

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Comments (24)

Emily H
11 years ago
Is there a secondary trim color on the house on the right? It looks like there might be a lighter brown under the windows? If so, maybe use that for the walls on the garage and leave the upper triangular portion, the same as the siding on the house.
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Chris Price
11 years ago
I love Shelley's ideas! I would paint the entire front of the garage the same color as your brick and the rest your trim color. Definitely make the doors look look different with faux paint, check out other garage doors on houzz. Love the house! Can't wait to see the after.photo! Good luck.
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Stepping Stone Staging
11 years ago
The peaks of the house have heavier white trim; I would do the same on the garage to match. Hinges and handles on the garage door would make it look like a coach door. It also needs much bigger light fixtures on either side. I agree with the above posters on painting the lower part a light brown.
minaqua
11 years ago
There are kits that change your plain garage door into a carriage style door. They include a window overlay and carriage style hardware.
http://www.coachhouseaccents.com/products/traditional-series-hardware-bronze/
PRO
ArtZenFlowers Color & Design
11 years ago
IMHO I would first paint the home's siding a shade to coordinate with the brick facade, following which I would repeat the same color on the siding of the garage and repeat the trim on both. Something like Benjamin Moore's Historic color HC 47 Brookline Beige for body/field color and for trim Benjamin Moore's Off White color OC96 Gentle Cream.
PS> Garage door must be painted in the body color not trim.
KL InIdaho
11 years ago
I would match the upper triangle with the medium brown on the brick of the house. The light fixtures you can change to make more ornamental, maybe a large rustic lantern style, to draw attention off the box and I would put 2 of those tall, swirly topiary shrubs on either side of the garage to get some green there and draw the eye off the box. I can't tell what is in the middle of the triangle but you could replace that with one of those big stars, or use a sun or whatever kind of metal ornament that you like -- paint that rusty brown. I would take off the address sign. All of those things I think will move the eye around and off the white box and will be affordable and easy to do -- good luck, what a neat project!
ddurha31
11 years ago
Completely Re-face the front. I would install a small window at peak & get the look of vinyl cedar shakes and never paint again in the traingular peak, contrast white trim will set it off.
Nancie Erhard
Original Author
11 years ago
Excellent advice! Thank you so much! I'm getting excited about what we can do.
jingstad
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I would paint ALL the siding and the garage door in a color that compliments the brick. Then put a trim board in the gable of the garage that matches the trim in the gable of the front of the house. A window matching the one in the peak in the front of the house in the gable of the garage. Then, put shutters on each side of the big front window and on each side of the garage door. Paint the shutters and the house doors in a contrast color. Another thought would be to build a garden gate between the house and garage with a peak in the frame to match the front door roofline. Remove the planters and the shrubs in front of the house and face the planting beds with a few rows of brick to match the house. Perhaps, even a window box under the large front window.
Kathy McEwen
11 years ago
Instead of concentrating on the garage, I would paint the brick on the house white, trim in black (?), contrast color front door. New bold house numbers. Potted plantings next to garage door. At some point remove the awning over the side door of the house and tie in to garage roof line connecting the two. Definitely would consider matching light fixtures with a more cottage feel and less "contemporary" (iron, mission, etc).
PRO
ArtZenFlowers Color & Design
11 years ago
Nancie, I used to spell my name the same way! Then the DMV got fussy with me about it! LOL!

FYI, Nancie, I am a full time certified architectural color consultant and Benjamin Moore color expert. I see a lot of advice that would be costly and extensive, my feeling is that if the siding of both units were more complementary to the brick facade it would quickly come together as a unit. No other repairs or additions required.
Best to you!
Nancy(ie)
Stephanie White
11 years ago
Take your cues from the stair columns. I know those are planters sitting atop them at the front, but that look would be a really great flow for the columns aside the garage door. And obviously you should use the same brick exterior and white trim for the door.
Beth Morrow
11 years ago
Id match the sides and the front of the garage with the color of the brick on the house. Then leave the door and gable as is. Baddaboom.
marriet1
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Go here http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=garage+door+styles+residential&id=2C7C4D1627D76E56E393337FA9628033A83815D0&FORM=IQFRBA to see new attractive garage door styles. That will help a lot. Also add a hedge to the left side of the driveway to cozy it up. Maybe a vine across the top of the garage door to give it real Hansel and Gretel character.
PRO
Brush Park Studio
11 years ago
Connect the side door to the garage with a glass breezeway, then add limestone or brick on the corners of the garage where the exterior lights are, add a trim board just under the shingles or from the peak along the roof towards each end, and finally enhance the address and lighting.
mostlyblackcats
11 years ago
I agree with the comments about coordinating the paint colors with the house. However, there are two things you could do that would make a huge difference, but they're going to cost... The pitch of the garage roof needs to match that of the house -- not the pitch of the dormers, but the pitch of the main roof of the house. Second thing...new garage door. Something more Victorian, maybe carriage style.
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JaredViar
11 years ago
I agree with many of the great suggestions, BHG.com has some great before & after ideas. use google sketch up for tools & color play options, its so detail to attempt to even try and explain so many thoughts & I have the gifts of seeing finished in my head, so this might overwhelm in details but here goes a few subjective options , use any name brand paint co web sites coloring tools. The Tudor style cottage is charming, repeat the the upper A frame flashing s on the garage, paint some unexpected historical colors, that works on the both garage & upper left side of that house trims & all anchors the heavy brick facade, color will contrast, concrete stain the drive, make the gararge look like two faux tudor gated doors with the bold & fake hinges clued on a good wood like texture paint job, paint the entry of main house to match, if the budget allows build a Trellis Pergola over the
garage facade, will balance the lower weight of the two buildings, many art students & carpentry students in local vocational schools would love the project challenges, & could offer a very fair market labor fee. replant those pine bushes on the left side of the garage, or some pampas grasses, add some window boxes to charm up the house details that grow seasonal greens & flowers, shutters on that upper floor window & flower box , do in stages, paint, then each month add $ 50 or only a 100 dollar budget for accent s, grow with new & better ideas, but some unexpected colors accents like a deep dijon mustard with brick nutmeg & sage forest greens. find some deep contrast that will pop the over look. good luck !
larryhinkle
11 years ago
I think this would be a great time to paint the trim on the house! The neighboorhood i lived in for 20 years was mostly that syle/period of home. The ones with a little color always stood out. Regardless of when they were painted the ones with white trim blended in with all the houses that might not have been painted since 1959.
elcieg
11 years ago
Bretland Road, Camano Island WA · More Info

Is it possible to get two garage doors to replace the one big one? Then, as in this picture, add interest....vertical siding, pergola and great garage doors.
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Mint Design
11 years ago
I agree with judyg re 2 doors; if they will not fit or are not in the budget, consider having the door painted to appear to be 2 carriage doors. Add a pergola above and train climbing roses or bougainvillea depending on your climate. If you are going for a cottage garden, consider window boxes on the house. Please also consider using a deep cream or amber color on the upper parts of both the house and garage instead of white; it is too stark a contrast with the brick. The sides of the garage would be more compatible if painted the same color as the brick. I hope you will post photos as you progress. You have a lot of potential here. Have fun with it! :)
Nancie Erhard
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks again. I appreciate all the creativity. If I had the money, I would do some of the more ambitious things, but this is our retirement house. We're going to be on a fixed income, so I'm trying to keep this modest in terms of money and do much of the work ourselves.
PRO
Rosenthal Realty "Home and Design"
11 years ago
I agree with all the design suggestions however can appreciate the fixed income. You do not have to do it all at once start small, by adding the change in color to make the most impact. Rustic or Tudor style Hardware is easy and not expensive go to products in Houzz and you can find great deals or check out my idea book, great decor for less and try some of the companies. Believe it or not Habitat for Humanity or something as simple as Ace Hardware might have hardware you can use. The faux garage is worth the investment! Pay a professional for the garage door( about $1,000) maybe you can do the base coat and trim above the garage yourself to save money. Add the lantern believe it or not just saw one as low as $90 on sale at pottery barn. So go slow and budget! Good luck that is a great property! You can add lots or character and make it your own!
Nancie Erhard
Original Author
11 years ago
I definitely will change the colours on the garage and the gables of the house as soon as I can (next summer, probably). I have been playing around with Benjamin Moore's software, but the colour on the swatches looks really different when I click it onto areas in the photo. Nevertheless, it gives me a good idea of what I'm looking for. I'm delighted with the hardware ideas. I wouldn't have thought of that myself, for sure. And the other suggestions. I sketched out what different hardware, brick bases for the front and new lighting would look like. Wow. Things really pull together. And I'm dying to get rid of that ugly awning. Would you belief that they had them on all the windows! Maybe someday I could do some of the more ambitious or costly things, but there are other things I need to work on as well. Thanks again.

Garage facelift needed

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