I am trying to figure out what to do with the exterior of the home I plan to purchase. The home was recently rebuilt and there was an attempt to give it a California/Colonial bungalow look, but it is still in need of something as it has a bland "ranch" style appearance on the exterior! I have attached a photo of a 1920 California bungalow with a trellis, but not sure if this would work for my house since the porch is offset from the center. I would greatly appreciate any feedback if you think that this trellis would work or anything else that could be done to make the exterior more attractive!

I don't think it is bland at all!

It's a great house!

I would paint the front door red for some contrast.

I believe that you were referring to the last photo when you indicated that you would paint the door red for contrast. That isn't my house. Mine is the one depicted in the first two photos! I think the home in the last photo is great without altering anything!

I think you answered your own question in finding the beautiful Craftsman home that is similar in scale and massing to your home. Without looking closely at the house I can't tell you how to do this, but I think if you were able to do the following you would be more pleased with the appearance.

1) Change the window trim to replicate the Craftsman style trim of the house you admire. Being a purist, I would replace the windows too, with custom made Craftsman style divided light windows, but hey, that's just me. If you changed the trim, it would change the mood. You might have to "extend" the window sill to match the wider trim. I did just that on one of my 1923 homes. The sills had been trimmed off - probably in the 1950's - in an attempt to modernize the home. I milled, glued and screwed, and wood filled "window sill extension blocks" onto the ends of the existing sills so that I could replace the window trim with a replica of the original. 80 windows took some time but it eventually got done. I've got photos of my method if you're interested.

2) Construct brackets and faux support beams under the front eaves. While this may sound like a travesty to the owner of a Greene and Greene home, most of the working class bungalows from the teens and twenties (in Long Beach, CA) used faux beams that ended about 12 inches inside the attic. Go faux, but you'll have to remove the stucco in the area where you are attaching the beams so that you can get the structural strength you need. When I constructed replicas of my original porch brackets on a 1923 Prairie style Craftsman, I removed the lath and plaster from the inside, then reinforced the 2x4s, then drilled and countersunk holes for 1/2" diameter, 51/2 long screws. Enough of those and the house will fall down before the brackets sag. You might be able to do the same in a corner of the attic, versus removing (in your case) a patch of drywall. Don't compromise on size - you'll almost certainly have to go "outside the big box" to get the size and quality of clear grain Douglas Fir you'll need for the brackets and beams. (To clarify, you don't need to run your beams to the inside of your attic, just make sure they are Very securely fastened to the existing structure, and beef up the structure if needed.)

3) Add wide wood trim on your porch overhang to mimic the picture you found. Again, awesome find on the picture. It speaks volumes. Get finish grade lumber for the trim....I use Doug Fir because that is the original wood used in my houses. Avoid knots as they will stand out over time and cheapen the look.

4) You might be able to find a gorgeous Craftsman style door to replace your existing front door. You could get one special order from Home Depot or from any full service lumber yard. New might run you $700 - $1,250. Used - maybe free, depending on the neighborhood, but possibly up to $2,500 at an architectural salvage yard. Don't stress if this isn't in your budget right now, it could be a wish list item.

5) Finally, go with the trellis. It adds beauty. Don't ignore the other details though, they're not as intimidating as they may sound in this email.

Thanks Dlorah! I appreciate your feedback! Yes, I think that the faux support beams attached to brackets on the front of the porch sounds like a reasonable method. With respect to the trellis, I'm uncertain if I could run a beam across the top of the two existing columns in front. I might have to set in front of or behind the columns. I'm also wondering whether it makes sense to extend the trellis across the front of the garage, in addition to the left side of the porch. Doing so might retain the appearance of the front porch being centered, as in the home I'm trying to emulate.

With respect to the stucco siding, I was wondering if it might be worthwhile to attach faux wood siding, such as James Hardie fiber cement siding. I've seen this product, and it is super! Does anyone know if I could simply attach to the existing stucco? Also, I'm curious if only applying this siding to the front of the house and not the sides and back would look ok.

I would like to thank those that had responded to me with suggestions for this house. Unfortunately, I didn't get the house! It was a short sale, and another all cash buyer was selected. Maybe I'll be able to find an authentic American bungalow now!

I'll add that you might think about replacing the far left window to match the front two you are going to replace. Get rid of the hedge and roses(you can relocate them) and build a pergola over that area in front of the bedroom window. There could be a nice little sitting area under the pergola or a walk way up to the porch. Pergola's were very traditional and help tie that part of the house in with your relatively small porch.

Something like this(not white though ) from the left side of the porch out to the end of the house. Plant climbing vines along with a small paved sitting area. I'd also recommend a siding and trim paint combo that is more traditional. Dark green/browns with brighter (not white!) trim.


Nice site with some generic before and after pictures(not of craftsmans)
http://www.wfbach.com/10743/10785.html