How improve front of house?

[17CherryTreeLane]

We live in a house which is lovely inside, but ver ugly on the outside. We have brown windows, which don't help, and kind of beige roughcast. I think I'd like the windows to be grey (awaits Mumsnet sighs), but not sure what else to do.

Ours is a modern house, well...it's an old house with a modern wrapper round it, sitting on a beautiful street of Edwardian houses. We stick out like a sore thumb! Wondering about stone cladding etc, and how we'd go about that. Has anyone done similar?

I'd paint the roughcast a warm cream colour and put a couple of large potted plants either side of the front door. Bay trees would work or maybe two big hydrangeas to add a bit of colour. The front would need to be sunny & relatively warm though.

Painting it will transform it.

I'd be inclined to plant a Virginia creeper and let it gradually cover the exterior, giving lovely seasonal colours.

It would shed its leaves in autumn but you'd have the tracery of the vines to add interest all winter.

Creepers are very hardy.

I'd go classic - paint the house a rich cream with black accents - windowsills, lintel, and white painted window frames. Dark red or sage green door.

A lovely oak framed porch would make all the difference. And some bright plants.

Ooh what fun! Another vote for warm, pale cream, a porch and climbing plants! 🪴 maybe even a full width veranda type porch?

I think try some paint on a side elevation to see how it affects the windows but I wouldn’t choose grey as they’ll date quickly. I’d refit with wooden double glazed, virtually no plastic and easy to repaint.

Also use a breathable masonry paint, something like Earthborn EcoPro.

There are some great transformations on C4’s Ugly House with George whatshisface. An architect might be able to add details that echoes the period details next door but with a modern twist.

Loving all of these ideas! I'm definitely leaning towards doing the porch part in some kind of black/oak weatherboard and painting the rest a cream colour.

Also googling climber type plants...

Bear in mind any kind of weatherboard/external wooden cladding is going to require regular maintenance and have a limited life. Personally I’d avoid buying anywhere with that kind of exterior, having seen them look very tatty 5-10 years down the line.