Meaning: different than originally envisioned
Rewrite 1: a house of a different color
Rewrite 2: a cat of a different stripe
Rewrite 3: a dog of a different breed
Rewrite 4: funny how looking at it in a different way casts in it a different light

Comment: This cliché was used effectively in the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz, turning it from a cliché about differences in perception to an actual horse of a different color. You have a large palette to work with here, using differences in color, material, texture, quality, and more.