As for the appearance: You can alter the appearance of the block but adding a cement based foundation coating, cement stucco, synthetic stucco, cultured stone or brick veneer.

One of the easiest to use as a DIY project is colored synthetic stucco. There are many colors and textures available and they work well over masonry and concrete. Three good manufacturers of this material are Sto, Synergy, and Dryvit. With a little home study on the application techniques you could do this yourself.

(I would never recommend applying synthetic stucco system over anything other than masonry or concrete as a DIY project however because of the inherent moisture related problems that must be addressed by a professional installer.)

Glenn

At www.thefauxfactory.com