Update Your Summer House: What Else Can You Do in Autumn

Owners of summer house plots gradually close the season, but there is still an opportunity to update an old summer house. Depending on the budget, you can add a veranda, renovate the facade, or simply repaint the windows and doors in a bright, cheerful color.

1. Refresh the Color

If you haven't done this yet, now is the time to add color to your summer house. But it should be done thoughtfully. For example, to ensure that the garden as a whole is dominated by flower beds and landscape decor, choose neutral, natural tones for the house facade.

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Black, dark blue, and gray-green facades look strict and graphic. These shades are chosen by lovers of Scandinavian interiors.

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Vibrant facade colors will definitely attract attention. Choose slightly muted shades, and keep the eaves, trim, and decor white.

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If you don't want to experiment with color, choose a gray palette. In dark shades, the house will look more modern.

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2. Replace the Driveway Around the House

The driveway is a surface around the perimeter of the house that protects the foundation, basement, and cellar from water and freezing. Driveways can be made of ceramic tiles, cobblestone, clay, concrete, gravel, or natural stone. Over time, the surface becomes worn out, so don't forget to update it along with the facade.

Design: Prosperity

3. Install Shutters

You can protect the house from nosy eyes, bright summer sunshine, and decorate the facade using wooden shutters. Choose real or decorative variants, in any case, this will add originality to your plot.

Design: Oksana Kostyuchenko

4. Change the Facade Finish

Sometimes it's impossible to restore the facade, and you have to remove all the cladding material completely. The most affordable option is pine shiplap, more expensive is larch shiplap. If you want more interesting options, consider plank "planken" or block-house siding with a wood-grain imitation.

Design: Elena Sergeeva

5. Add a Veranda

A summer house is impossible without a veranda. It doesn't have to be monolithic or made of heavy materials. For example, architect Oksana Kostyuchenko updated an old terrace using simple materials. The result was a light, airy structure. Bright yellow wooden slats not only serve a decorative function but also hide the house from nosy outsiders.

Design: Oksana Kostyuchenko

And, of course, don't forget about garden furniture, swings, and lighting that will bring both aesthetic and physical pleasure.