apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Paint the stucco/stone a fresh color that appeals to you (grey, spring green, think about if you want to fit in or stand out and plan accordingly). Then you can either leave the brick as is or paint it all white to make the other color pop. Then another color for the door...it won't be too hard!

If you aren't in any kind of HOA, then you can do what you want but it could effect resale. If you are in a HOA, you will need some approval.

The burglar bars are a little scary to me. I would either take those down or replace them with some more classic, wrought iron ones. Some window boxes would also make it look a bit more inviting.

This house is better-looking than you think it is. Congratulations on your great find!

First things first: that air conditioner is quite the eyesore. Research greener ways to cool your home, methods that don't include the back end of that ugly thing sticking out of your window.

I'm not one for painted brick. I agree that painting the stucco will help. If that top part is stone, please don't paint it. My hope for you is that moving into this sweet place signals the beginning of a run of great luck that will bring you the money to have the brick and stonework sandblasted to their original condition. It would be great if you could also strip off what looks to be layers of paint on the window frames. How fabulous would it be to find some wonderful wood under all that paint, wood that you could stain and seal?

The "ne plus ultra" crowning glory would be to find a talented artist who works in tile who could re-do the strip of stucco. You'd have a real showpiece then.

The transoms are so wonderful. Consider stained-glass (not church-like, Arts-and-Crafts-like) for the transoms between the doors, and hand-painted old fashioned gold lettering above the doors. The lettering could make it clear which entrance you want people to use: "123 Main St." on one and "Enter Here" on the other.

For some street-level privacy, you might want patterned glass instead of clear. A place here in LA makes glass for windows with, for example, a pattern of tiny all-over fleurs de lys.

You have so much fun ahead of you bringing this baby back to life! Best to you in your efforts.

I would not paint the stucco (which may be about to deteriorate b/c of the age), but I would cover it with vinyl siding in a earth toned shade. I am thinking the top area (with the diamond shaped design) would be cool if you attached the same siding in a diagonal pattern to bring some visual interest to the top. Doing so would disguise the boxiness of the building. Sand blast the brick to even out the color, but do not paint it at all...you will regret it later when it starts to peel. To me nothing is more unattractive than that on the exterior of a building.
Can you fit in new windows on your budget? Perhaps one piece thick glass windows or maybe even glass brick. I am sure you do not have an attractive view out of them, so the glass brick would not take away anything and would still allow light to enter. If not affordable, paint the frames in a contrasting color to the siding. Remove those window bars (if you make it secure with thick windows or glass bricks).
Definately matching doors in a rich wood finish and some sort of carved design. Attach the house address numbers to the middle panel of the door or if the panels above the doors are not glass, mount the numbers there. Find a nice font for these numbers...always adds interest to a building. Attach brass kick plates and decorative brass hardware as well. Make sure the doors have some sort of window, that always looks great. If those are window panels above the doors, perhaps some sort of decorative glass finish, even if it is a faux finish or window film or if not, some pulled tight curtains mounted with rods on top and bottom.
Can you install some sort of sconces on the sides of the doors? If so, match the finish with the door hardware to bring it all together.
During the spring/summer attach some second floor window box planters with some nice plants...I can see some nicely trimmed vines and some center taller plants as well.
Replace the rain gutters as they do not seem to match.
Hope you can incorporate some of these ideas to your building. They are all basic exterior improvements that would give you a great curb appeal return on your investment.

I forgot, can you remove that window AC unit? It does draw from the lines a great deal. If no central air, perhaps think about using Spacepak to cool the interior.

Also, the electric service to your home comes in on the upper-left hand side. You could rid yourself of that ugliness by finding out how old that connection is. It's likely to be quite old, and you might be able to talk the electric company into running a new line (for safety and higher-quality transmission) -- which you could request be run in through the back and not the front.

Is that the downspout for your gutters on the upper right? There are much better looking options. Here in LA the big splurge is to use copper with copper with Asian-style copper rain-chains instead of downspouts. If that doesn't suit, I'm sure there are other options that will get you out of galvanized-pipe-land.

Again, good luck!

I don't know much about painting stucco, but I don't think this place looks as bad as you think. One thing that I know really could help curb appeal is if the windows are wood, paint them a darker color. The white stands out too much against the brick and makes them look vinyl. If they ARE vinyl, there are paints specifically designed for painting vinyl. A warm dark color will look so much less harsh.

Oh and if you do get it, please please PLEASE do not use vinyl siding. That will look absolutely terrible, especially if slapped right on top of the stucco so it's sticking way out from the brick face. Awful.

Please do not put vinyl siding over the stucco. If it needs repair, find a guy to repair it. There are still people that do. But it badly needs painting. Stucco is beautiful when freshly painted. Pick a color that complements the brick.

The facade is not as much of an eyesore as you think. You said it right--it needs TLC. Once it looks like someone loves it again and there are signs of life coming from within, it will start to fit right into the block.

Holy crap you are buying this Philly house? This lil dude has been on the market forever! (I've been looking a full year and am settling myself at the end of the month) While I never saw this property in person, have you taken into account costs that might also crop up during the inspection in addition to all the cosmetic stuff you'll be doing? I can tell you from experience with these older homes, even the ones that look to be in good shape may have a few issues that end up being really expensive (my current updated rowhome has about a 20k list, these things add up!)

Not that I want to discourage you, but be really really sure you are ready to take on a large reno. I walked from a similar deal in Rittenhouse sq and ultimately i think it had the potential to turn into an overwhelming money pit. With patience I was able to find a great house on a lovely block that is perfect for me - and I am SO glad I walked away from the other house. I know the Philly market has been a little slow for new quality listings in the last few months, but actually it seems like more listings are starting to pick up, and don't forget, fall is prime time for scoring deals as fewer buyers are out looking.

Good luck, and I hope you are happy with whatever decision you end up making!

congrats on your find :) is this building in queens? reminds me of the buildings near my grandma in jackson heights back in the day...

in a perfect world with no HOA, i would suggest painting the brick portions white and the stucco black or a deep navy for a nice contrast. paint the doors a bold blue, or magenta, or maybe that mimosa color people are going batty over. install heavy ornate wrought iron window guards and matching iron screen doors over the other doors to make security more pleasing to the eye, while still doing its job.

wrought iron does not have to be all scrolls and vines...you could find a reputable ironworks/welding company to fabricate and install custom designed ones for you. i have seen some goregous art deco repro ones. just do your research first, i think the window guards have to be able to withstand a certain amount of weight in order to be up to city code.

good luck

white paint cures all number of ills. I'd paint the stucco white, window frames gray, and then Match the doors in a fresh painted color, and i think you have a lovely home.

Good gravy, I can't believe someone actually suggested vinyl siding. For the love of all that is good, please do not put vinyl siding anywhere on this building!

Also, no sandblasting! You will destroy the integrity of the bricks, mortar, and the stucco. Gentle pressure-washing, however, could definitely make this place look a LOT fresher. You'd be amazed what a difference just cleaning brick and stucco can make.

Aside from cleaning, I would start with matching doors in an excellent color (depending on HOA, as others have mentioned), and then wait before doing any other cosmetic work on the exterior for a while. As the owner of a 125-year-old fixer-upper row house, I can assure you that the interior renovations are going to cost a whole lot more money and take a whole lot more time than you're anticipating. That's not to say it's not worth it, of course!! This is a very cute house, and and it looks like a great project. Congratulations!! :)

I think you should spend your money inside. There are lots of city homes that look like nothing on the outside, but are spectacular once you go in. Do the exterior after you've got all your own living spaces done.

I'm not familiar with the vernacular architecture of Philly, but generally this sot of building style would have been all-brick: that (ugly pasty) stucco does not look original to me. I suspect it is hiding a brick facade that needs work -- perhaps it needs repointing or there has been staining.

This is something you should investigate. Try and see if there are any spots on the exterior where the stucco has been damaged, and check what is underneath. You could take a good guess by finding similar buildings in the vicinity -- I doubt this was a one-off.

In any case -- please do not paint the exterior crazy shades. And please, please don't ever consider sandblasting the brick to clean it -- brick is very porous, and sandblasting will damage it, pock-marking it and making it porous, leading to crumbling.

The way to clean brick without damaging it depends on what you are trying to clean off, but generally, you apply poultices that "lift off" the grime, paint, etc.

It is a small facade, and so the work should not be overwhelming. The windows will need to be re-glazed, if not re-built (my husband and I did all the wood windows in our first home, adamantly refusing to install vinyl ones -- yuck).

In this recession, you should be able to find someone capable and willing to do with work for a fair amount.

I would find a local heritage resource center (there must be something at the municipal and/or state level which provides advice and assistance to homeowners).

To me, the facade looks commercial -- perhaps offices or apartment above, and offices or store below.

Good luck!

The problem isn't the stucco, it's the brick -- the lines & proportions are really nice (and even kind of Art Deco), but the brick makes it look cluttered & crappy. I'd consider stucco-ing the whole front, following the raised & recessed areas of the original with a smooth finish. Maybe widen the sill under the second floor windows to match the width above. If it were mine, I'd tint the stucco a pale gray-green, do the trim a shade darker, and then a nice accent color for the doors.

Make a xerox enlargement of the original photo, and use a pencil eraser to erase the details & darkness of the brick. You'll see what I mean....

I think this is a charming facade--or will be when it's given a little affection.

I concur with the above suggestions to remove (or tone down) the burglar bars, paint the stucco (but never the brick!), clean the stonework, and paint both doors something eyecatching (I like the red, personally), and see if you can get the electrical re-run.

Please, please do not "remuddle" the facade, as some posters are suggesting -- do not cover the brick with stucco (it is a key design element, and the pasty stucco is hideous), not cover with vinyl, do not paint the brick, do not paint the stucco dark blue -- hie thee hence to a local heritage conservation office, and check out this info from the National Park Service:

http://www.nps.gov/history/HPS/tps/online_ed.htm

There are a lot of this style in Queen Village/Pennsport. Maybe wander and see what the neighbors have done. I know of one near Bainbridge that has a similar exterior and is painted with fairly bright colors, and I think it looks great. Depends what style you are going for. Perhaps there are old photos of the house or similar ones- maybe here http://www.phillyhistory.org/PhotoArchive/ - to guide you. Good luck!

i think it just needs to be cleaned up. dinginess makes everything seem much worse than it is.
assume the matching doors, fresh paint, and no iron grate or a/c. i'd do a soft bluish gray on the stucco to contrast the brick, and bright white window trim. imagine it then with some greenery: a line of window boxes on the top, and some large potted plants by the door you want people to enter. you're 90% there already.

the brick and stucco combo is lovely, especially because it is specific to a period. if you play into the strengths of the original style instead of trying to mask them, the house will be charming. masking and muddling styles never works out well.

I think all you need is:

- A good washing and a new coat of paint (stucco only)
- Matching front doors
- Removal or relocation of the air conditioner, if possible
- Bars that blend in better with the window- maybe paint them the same white/off-white as the window frame?

Congratulations! Lovely modulated facade! Under-estimating its unassuming handsomeness, perhaps?

I vote for gentle pressure-washing and re-stuccoing. No sandblasting or painting brick/stone.

And definitely run far and fast from vinyl siding. That stuff is going to be outlawed some day... we can only hope.

I also suggest adding hanging planters from the upper windows, and using lots of plants in front to help soften the facade.

I love it the way it is. Just match your doors, lose the air conditioner and add some window boxes.

Wonderful place... congrats!

First off, hire a building inspector to go through the place with you and get his/her advice on what is doable and not with your budget. Alarming things can crop up that don't look so bad until you understand what it takes to really fix them. You might not be able to proceed at all once you know what's involved.

But if you do, I agree with some of the previous suggestions. (After running them by your professional, of course!! He/she would know more than me!)

Pressure wash, paint the stucco or re-stucco as needed, make sure all the glass is in good repair (if you can upgrade to Energystar windows, it might be worth it.) Get matching doors (I think I'd go with brightly painted metal fire/security doors, maybe "four panel".) Consider replacing the grill work but if security is an issue, I'd keep it until you can buy something prettier that does the job. (Don't forgo safety for glamor.)

Remove the AC unit. Use colors that work with the brick -- I'd consider traditional colors like forest green and cream, but you might get good ideas in the neighborhood. Add some planters under the windows that are heavy enough not to disappear (if they are allowed on the sidewalk.)

One thought, if you are DIY-handy, is to do something decorative in that stucco area over the doors -- I can see a tile mosaic in an Arts & Crafts pattern, maybe... using tiles in your trim colors or in earth tones (like 2 inch slate?) Obviously this could wait until you got around to it, but it might make the place stand out.

But first I'd take care of all structural issues, figure out what you need to do inside (especially if you plan to live in one unit and rent the other one -- income coming in would help with all the other projects...) and start with the minimal exterior projects to make it appealing to renters once the living quarters are ready for them.

Great find. I have been looking more and more into duplex rowhomes in my area as a great first home for myself.

Here's what I think:
-Major power washing to get all that dirt and grime that has obviously built up over the years.
-Find a fresh and natural tone to paint over the stucco with to bring it back to life and give it a modern, personalized twist.
-Get rid of the storefront window bars and replace with a more unique iron option (like another poster suggested).
-As for the doors, since it’s a duplex, I say pick two unique but bright colors and paint each door one of the colors. Just make sure you coordinate that with the stucco paint color for a cohesive feel.

All in all, this rowhouse looks like it has the barebones you want, but just needs some TLC. Good luck!

I'd remove the bars from the windows as well as the window ariconditioner, powerwash the exterior, then strip and paint the doors, doorframes, window frames & sashes a Deep Green.

I'd also consider changing the windowsashes to double-paned energy-efficient units if you have the budget.

I think the window trim is the way to go here in terms of speed and freshening. I like the idea of light green- I'd get some color into the building face by playing up all the trim and painting it is a nice quick fix you can do without going nuts until you have more money and your interior is done. Match the doors and paint them with accents of your window trim. Put box planters under the first floor windows, with something like morning glories going up the security bars, and window boxes on the second floor and you are done. Also I'd look into what kind of clever work could be done to set it up so that the roofspout drains into the planters (I'm thinking of the Buster Simpson downspout planters for the "Growing Vine Street" Project, and finding a local machine shop or metalhead to do something sweet like that.)

A little later on I'd deal with the stucco-since that's the part that looks the most dirty, and from that picture it looks like the colors of the stucco are mismatched above and below your second story windows, so whatever you can do to link them more together would rock. And of course the air conditioner looks terrible, so that's like an instant 20% upgrade when you take it out of that window.

I think it will be really cute when you are done.

Oh honey, the stucco is just dirty. Threre is nothing wrong with this home. I do think white stucco, and white trim is a bit blah. Paint the doors the same color I say, but not in the red family i think it clashes with the brick. Maybe a spring green or peacock blue?
If you're allowed planters I'd try and find a rectangular one to fit between the doors and train vines up the bars. No ivy, or wisteria. You want vines that would break-away in the event of trying to escape a fire.
maybe window boxes in the center and two far windows.
I love the idea of painted numbers on the glass transom, that will be beautiful.

I havent read all of this, but I would suggest possibly putting mosaic in over the stucco, and replacing the window bars with some that are more ornate. In Pittsburgh a lot of storefronts on Penn Ave have done a variety of things like this and one or two that added mosaic are incredible looking now.

definitely no siding! yeeeeegahhhd

paint the doors or replace them, take out the air conditioner (maybe consider installing central air)

scrub it.

youll be good!

but it is good to note that it will cost some cash to rehab! good luck :)

I said use siding (and maybe not vinyl, but it is an inexpensive patch) IF...IF... the stucco is deteriorating. I have stripped stucco from brick before and it was a messy and costly job. More than likely there is brick under....and if you do strip it down, it will take a LOT of work (lol, more than a 'gentle' pressure washing) and $$$ in order to get it to look even close to the brick that is already exposed, which is weathered as well.
So then what are your options? I and most people agree not to paint the brick that is exposed. Do you merely want to slap a coat of paint on stucco that is damaged? IF it is?
The OP specifically stated there was not a lot of $$$ to work with and given the fact that other more important issues may be lurking inside after the inspection (as was mentioned by another poster) you want to go with what will look good for as little $$ invested for a temp fix.

I am not pulling these comments out of thin air. I have my own housing renovation business, dealing with many historic homes, and have been doing this type of work for over 25 years now. Everything from inner city rowhouses, townhouses to SFHs in rural settings... I have pretty much tackled every type of housing over the years and nothing surprises me anymore, esp on bldgs like this one.
Just from the picture it does seem as though the place has been neglected for a few years...and this was confirmed from someone familiar with the place. If an owner allowed it to get to this dingy and neglected exterior, you can bet there will be more pressing issues once you dive into the structure of the house.
That said, I stand by what I had posted earlier...if you don't have the resources to strip the stucco, rather than apply a coat of useless paint, (which will not last very long esp with that climate) cover it up until you have the time to strip it down to the brick and do it right. Don't care for vinyl? Other than being maintenance free for a period that allows you to save up for the refinishing, I might not like it either, but it would be a temp cover up. I just don't care to use paint as a cover up when there is the slightest chance that there may be issues underneath. It does seem many here think that by slapping some paint on EVERYTHING, even brick, your job is done!! I do get some comedic relief from reading threads here where the only plausible solution, no matter what the issue, was to PAINT IT. The last hilarious one was where many posters thought painting over marble was a way of updating the item!!
This is not a 'shabby chic' steamer trunk we are discussing here, it is a older building that appears to have been neglected in the past and the new owner wants a rather cost effective fix for now. I don't know what else I could recommend that does not require further work when the OP is ready to proceed with more extensive (and expensive) rehab work on the exterior? More paint perhaps?

I just want to reiterate. This is a gorgeous, old home. GIve it a good scrub, match your front doors and pretty it up with some window boxes and you're done. There's no reason to do major surgery on this gem. Congrats and post your after pics!!