Updated Home Exterior for U.S. Marine

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We typically get clients who come to us with a vision for what they want their home to look like. Homeowners will mull over design tastes and style preferences and share their ideas with our team. But every once in a while, the process takes a more unique approach. Such was the case with Mary F., a repeat client who came back to us after receiving a design for her own home. This time she requested an updated home exterior design on behalf of her daughter-in-law Ilyse M. to use as a surprise for her son Patrick, a deployed U.S. Marine. 

Mary wrote us:

We are going to surprise him. He thinks the house is just getting painted while he’s away.

Keep reading to learn more about how we helped Ilyse surprise her husband with an updated home exterior to welcome him home from deployment, and see the transformation unfold from start to finish.

Whether you have an idea of specific updates you want to make to your home or you’re not sure what you want your design to look like, our designers are here to help. Learn more about our virtual exterior design services. If you’ve worked with brick&batten in the past and have a great “actual after” photo of your home, click here to upload it for a chance to be featured on our blog.

The Before

This suburban house is Ilyse and Patrick’s first home together. Ilyse wanted to give it a fresh, updated look to take its curb appeal up a notch. She wanted a straightforward, updated home exterior with subtle-yet-sleek changes.

The Design

Ilyse’s traditional house in North Carolina was in good shape before, but we offered updates to freshen up the exterior. Our design features one of our go-to white paint colors, Benjamin Moore’s Simply White, on the siding. To contrast the crisp, bright white siding, we recommended painting the garage door with Sherwin Williams’ Black Fox. Our team also suggested adding in some wood accents and a wood front door for more dimension. Finally, the designers helped Ilyse visualize  some black planters, walkway pavers, and updated landscaping.

As Mary said when she saw her deliverable:

Thank you so much for the design! We love, love, love ❤️ it! You got it perfect, simple and just what we wanted… You are the best, you took all the guesswork out of the project.

The Process

Ilyse enlisted the help of her father to tackle all of the updates DIY-style rather than outsourcing a contractor. Her HOA limited the updates that they were able to move forward with, like the dark garage door and wood accents, but she was able to move forward with several of our designers’ suggestions. 

With the help of her dad — who is also a veteran — Ilyse was able to repaint the siding and give it a more crisp look. They also updated light fixtures and added in some accents. Her dad flew in from Florida and spent his birthday weekend tackling all of these updates with Ilyse.

My dad and I decided we could do all the work ourselves while my husband Patrick is gone. We had such a good time! My father was also in the military and served for 30 years as a Naval aviator, like my husband. Both my brothers are also active duty and my grandfather was a Vietnam veteran as a helicopter pilot as well. Lots of military pride in the family.

Updated home exterior for a U.S. Marine, actual after

The Actual After

Ilyse stayed pretty close to our suggested design while still honoring the parameters of her HOA. To start, she used the suggested Simply White paint for the siding. She also purchased the suggested garage hardware and handles, house numbers, and smaller versions of the black planters. Plus, Ilyse added light fixtures similar to those shown in her design. 

Ilyse did a few things outside of the suggested design, too. Instead of updating the front door with a wood one, she painted it a sage green color. She also landscaped the yard a bit differently, but noted that she did draw inspiration from the design to clear away most of the bushes in the front.

So happy with the outcome. Still some landscaping to do, but I love it so far! I can’t wait to take that deployed flag down when Patrick comes home!

A Successful “Welcome Home” Surprise

Ilyse said the crisp and clean overhaul was a complete success and the final, updated home exterior was perfect way to officially welcome her husband home earlier this fall. They now have a beautiful first home to share together with the simple, welcoming aesthetic they dreamt of. Even the neighbors have admired all of her hard work.

I live in a fairly older neighborhood, population-wise, 70-years-old and up. They all cheered me on, made comments when they went on their daily morning walks, and always asked for updates. We have a pretty close neighborhood, and everyone was so excited to watch it all come together!

It is our first home together, and I love that we got to make it our own.

Whether you’re just exploring  paint colors or you want to overhaul your entire exterior, we can help you visualize all aspects of your home before you begin renovating, saving you time and money. Get started on your exterior design project today.

Author

brick&batten Contributor

Mackenzie has been writing for brick&batten for three years, and most of her exterior design knowledge comes from renovating her own home. She purchased a log home that was stuck in the '90s and the previous owners were unable to keep up with exterior maintenance. From reimagining the landscaping and hardscaping to revamping the porch and logs, Mackenzie and her family approached the entire project DIY-style. In her free time, Mackenzie enjoys cooking and spending time with her family of six on their farm, which includes cows, chickens, rabbits, dogs, and cats. She has been writing for 12 years and has explored a variety of materials from food writing to lifestyle pieces and, of course, virtual exterior design.