Ideas for old brick exterior

Just looking for some ideas on how people would improve this front-facing brick (eg render or cladding or painting)

I am not a fan of the current design, and not quite sure why they have given the window areas different bricks like this

How would you improve it?

TIA

 

That stonework looks terrible incl as a base - The flintstones !! . A surface cladding might lift the look. The window screens arent great.
New windows
Bobcat the front yard and returf etc with fresh plants etc too

Vinyl Cladding used over Brick on the Central Coast | House paint exterior, Vinyl cladding, Weatherboard house
Cedar and painted brick ? Horizontal boards
Textured paint coating rather than flat paint?

 

I don't think it's a style that suits cladding except for maybe a feature somewhere and then only if it's vertical cladding. It's a very particular mid century modern so you could paint the brick or maybe render it.

 

I'm in the paint camp ... and put some sort of open screen (laser cut or timber slats or 60s style besa blocks) down between the front veranda and driveway.

Personally I cannot stand cream windows, but they are everywhere in home builds from the 1970s onwards, so try and find something that semi-matches the cream, while being a modern colour - perhaps a warm grey - and change out the security screens for something solid like "crimsafe".

It is a very flat front so, if you're not planning on gardening in the front, it will need some form of "something" to lift it from being in-your-face-bland

 

I used to have a similar house. Get rid of the heritage colours. I painted the patio and front in Ironstone. I would render the front.

 

Paint the cream monument and the roof line. Leave the bricks Agree mid modern

 

Agree with the mid-century vibe. Work with it, don't make it another bland whitewash.

This could be really nice without the expense and maintenance hassles that come with painting or rendering brick. The windows and trims are letting it down. Charcoal grey trims and accents can look really nice with this sort of brick, some nice landscaping would make a difference as well.

Some midcentury themed balastrade or laser cut screens or breezeblocks could be used to add some dimension and interest around the entry way area.

 

If we all liked the same things, life would be boring, wouldn't it?

I agree that the panels between the windows are the thing that are the most off putting, although the cream windows are a close second. I wonder if the original windows were removed at some point and thats when the panels went in. White timber windows would look nice on this house as well.

Sorry if I sounded a bit dissing the use of white or painting brick, because I often think it can be an option that is the right choice for some houses.

I often like a lovely white Palm Springs style house in the right context. And despite trying to find a stronger exterior scheme for my 1970s timber home, I have accepted that that we are probably going to have to go with white and charcoal trim for the original house, because I can't find any other scheme that looks right for it.

I just think on this house, the result will look a bit flat and bland compared to what could be achieved with adding a bit more interest with windows and trims that work better with the colour of the brick, and jazzing up entry way and landscaping.

I think I might be feeling a bit of backlash from watching way too many renovation programs recently with unsympathetic makeover of mid-century houses where everything is painted white, including beautiful timber ceiling beams that were a key architectural feature of the style and looked amazing as they were originally.

 

What about something like this. Paint patio and I think it’s called Fascia grey. Then just render a little bit and keep the rest original brick. Modern pics for colour inspiration, I wouldn’t render the second section near front door, that was a mistake

 

How much is the budget?

Often homes with a low roof pitch seem to have large windows on the front facade.

Also a point of difference is added to the front, using stone feature, or Besser Blocks, or a white wall.

Some tall plants in the front to add some layers/depth.

Here are some examples of the above.

 

I suspect the light coloured bricks (yuk) have been added in the 70s or 80s when people removed timber or other board cladding and wanted everything to be brick. I want to remove a couple of the cream bricks to see what is behind them, and go from there. I also want to swap out the current front windows for wider timber ones. This would be $$$.

Sorry, it's not my house, but I "want to" ......

 

Google images for "modernised mid century homes exterior" - there are so many delicious ideas

modernised mid century home exterior - Google Search

This one sucked me in - love the look - and I know it's not brick, but the idea is to (perhaps) put a different material over the brick in an area, such as within the veranda confines, such as powdercoated colorbond, in a contrasting colour to what you paint the rest of the house

ABASEA a gorgeous, beautifully modernised original Byron Bay 1950’s home. - Byron Bay

No need to replace the windows with timber - which is high upkeep and expensive - although I'd consider replacing them with white powdercoated and a white timber trim around for the "look"

 

Something simple like this would look great ... even simply painted rather than rendered (which is expensive

 

I think there is less painting of bricks in Melbourne than in some other states. In recent times, I mean.

People tend to prefer render - if they plan to keep the house. At least in the bayside suburbs.

 

Depends on the quality of the cement between the bricks ... but agree ... rendering first is better, but more expensive, so need to consider how much it adds value. Suspect Bayside has a wee bit more money than other locales

 

The colour and style of brick is usually reason to render. eg the old red brick ages a property. Its like blue roof tiles should always be replaced or painted. Who thought that was a good trend ? These "style" issues apply to curtains, carpets (shag !!), roof, kitchen laminates (red / orange), glasswork on entry doors etc, bricks and even driveways. Every renovator will want to remove those period features and modernise to get bang for the buck.

Rendering is a issue when it comes to repainting. A render / coating wall may be a alternative. The coating is a heavy plastic based textured "paint" that will vastly remove the need to repaint. Textures can be smooth or fine or course. The stuff sticks like **** to a blanket.

Guide to render cost : 2020 How much does rendering cost?. They suggest the cost can achieve a value enhancement well above ( up to 10x) the spend.

 

I would work with the style of house and apply a modernist touch to it ie Palm Springs feel to it eg