I read and understand that I've no idea about seventies. Probably because our seventies were your fifties and sixties.. So I associate seventies with mid century modern. That's why I like it actually-reminds me of childhood. eighties-yes, I already remember some shift..but probably toward eighties? I never saw colored fixtures until I came here..so to me this is like, wow, cool. Our current house was built either 68 or 70. It's a ranch. A Spanish ranch. I really love it. Even though I struggled with having standard ceilings in most of the house..that's because our standard ceilings were minimum a foot higher than standard ceilings here..and we lived with even higher ceilings, older houses, built pre-war etc. So that part was really new to me. Luckily previous homeowners put some skylights in. And we also put one in our addition. Totally changes your perception of height. And I also painted the ceilings the color of the walls, each room..or rather the proportion of the color that would look like it's the color of the wall. Makes it less ..white lid effect. Less oppressing. Also added layered lighting everywhere, including central lights-although many advise against it since it accentuates ceiling is low? Well I didn't find it being true, at all. You have focal point, instead of just staring at the ceiling..it breaks it..takes your attention off the height. Some things are strange or I dislike regardless the decade..say we were choosing bathroom fixtures etc and saw a stainless steel toilet, for 800 or so I think? in one of the stores It's an exact copy of what they used to have in prisons. I couldn't believe my eyes. I still laugh when I think of that toilet..really? But probably someone who doesn't have other cultural associations finds it cool? If it's being manufactured? And costs 800 bucks, at that? As for depressing colors..it's very personal, really. And cultural too I guess, to some degree. Every color has a potential to be happy or sad..some have bigger potential to alternate between both, like yellow. It's like, in some countries black is associated with mourning. And in others, white is. I heard a story somewhere about a cruise ship from here that went to Far East..maybe China, but I'm not sure? Most of the passengers happily wore white-very summer-y color..and then they boarded..and then locals looked at them in a very very strange way..they didn't understand why so many people are dressed like they're going to a funeral, but have such wide smiles..:)

Do you want it as an accent wall? If so, leave as is. If not, either paint or rip off. I would not go to the trouble of ripping it off and re-installing. The boards would probably be wrecked. You can have furniture slightly away from walls to allow for drapes to hang. Less is more with decorating. Either live with the wall and learn to love the chevron, or bite the bullet and take it down right now, before you get all moved in. Depending on how it is attached and what it is attached to, it might not be that difficult to take off. But if it is plaster, I'd leave well enough alone if it's glued or something like that, if money was tight. Save your money for a nicer front door. I lived in a 1929 plaster walled house. I loved the walls for muffling sound, but they were a bi-you-know-what to fix. Patching not so bad, but we had to tear out the plaster wall around our tub, OMG, not only plaster but something akin to chicken wire that it was adhered to in the good ol' days plus lathe behind that. Great solid walls, as long as you don't need to do major alterations! On the other hand, it might be just nailed or screwed on or something in which case you could probably patch rather easily.

@Lisa M I hear you but when updating, one needs to also consider if there is any true architectural significance to what you are changing. Plus one needs to consider if the original was actually done well or was it just done to the trends of the time? Is preserving trends of the time of architectural value? Maybe. But we live in the real world with budgets, labor/material availability and new concerns impacting our decisions. Horizontal siding application requires expertise to avoid the risk of water leakage around windows, doors and other openings. Water finds its way and when it does it's damaging and can have adverse health impacts. Accommodating the horizontal cuts results in a lot more wasted material. So does today's enlightened awareness of sustainability and reducing waste secure a higher place on the priority list than preserving a look that recalls the trends of the 70's? Not sure if you are working with outside tradespeople on your shed, but finding quality craftspeople to do specialized work well is a lesson in patience, often literally years out, in my very active region. Specialized labor plus more material equals more cost. What are the family's other budget priorities? Does preserving a 70's trend outweigh saving for a child's education or your own retirement? To answer your question: "why would you buy a very specific 1980 house and try to use it as a springboard to faking the look of new build houses on your inspa lists." In the current real estate market, most folks buy a house based on location, cost and the ability to actually get your hands on a house in this crazy bidding market. The house style often has little to do with the purchase decision. May I point out that the OP has two, not four or five different siding styles on her home. Even FLW used two siding types on his own Oak Park house. If it's good enough for ole Frankie, I'll take it! Could he have bricked the entire house? Yes, so is that shake siding an arbitrary decoration? Who's to say what's an arbitrary decision on any structure? Some thought went into everything chosen. Not everything is precious on/in houses of their time. I just gutted a classic harvest gold bathroom. Should I have replaced it with the same since it is of the times of the house? No thank you. It had a good run and kuddos to the tile craftsperson who installed a shower pan that lasted 53 years. And BTW, thank ya Jesus for "James" Hardie. Had the company he established not pioneered fiber cement products, we'd have a lot more asbestos, rotting wood, black mold and ear piercing wood peckers waking us up at dawn. Big questions are interesting to ponder. Just not sure making assumptions about a poster on Houzz and the decisions they made is the place for it. Probably better to post your big questions as your own posts for comment. But...that's my opinion.

I'd do a dramatic color, but I'd lose the horizontal siding and do a board and batten. Like this one. vertical is much better looking. This is white, but you could do it in black, forest green, navy, whatever mix in some natural wood around the front door (painted a bold color) and you'd get this look this one mixes the veritcal w/some horizontal. look at the landscape design. it's stunning. add in the hardscape w/the stone path, rocks, wood fence/posts, modern address/lights. wow. Surrounded by the greenery of the PNW, I think this combo is stunning. The wood tones are a must if you're going this dark. Vertical siding, dark wood garage door (or composite wood) This is a similar layout home. look at the landscaping. this would look nice in your yard another vertical siding, black windows (or window trim) cedar posts, glass front door, and lots of hardscape How about this vibrant blue/gray? (hate the garage door, but the rest is fine) I'll post some other colors in my next comment