When we bought our 3-acre plot, and the funky little fixer that sat on it, there wasn’t a whole lot of landscaping goin’ on…
We’ve spent the past few years mainly working on the inside of the house, but my master gardener Mom has helped us add a few touches of color here and there…
I took advantage of the nice weather this past weekend and got some much-needed weeding and exterior-related cleaning done. The chairs on the porch had definitely started looking more shabby than chic…
I hosed them off and sprayed them with some leftover oil rubbed bronze spray paint I had from our Eagan mirror project…
I washed the inexpensive Ikea cushions we have on them too…
Amazing what a quick coat of paint and a spin in the ol’ washing machine can do!
And I finally got my beloved begonias. I planted two light pink ones in the big pot between the chairs, and this ravishing red one in a smaller pot by the front door…
And speaking of fun flowers- I got couple of them in the mail this week too…
They came from Santa Rosa Gardens in Florida. (My Mom just got a job there, so I just had to place an order!)
I don’t think I’ve ever received a live plant in the mail before now, but I gotta say, it was pretty neat. (And their customer service lady is SO friendly!)
They were buried in puffy layers of brown paper, and wrapped up snug in little netted ‘socks’…
I got the baby daylily to go next to the big one you can see back there in the distance…
I think I’ll get one more to completely soften the edge of that curve at some point.
I also received this fuzzy little fella…
I planted it in front of the hanging plants we got last week…which, by the way, are so pretty when the sun comes out…
Their little flower heads stay closed if it’s cloudy out. (Kinda like mine- LOL!)
So, the house doesn’t look quite as drab today…
…but there’s still lots of work to do out there. Kev’s chompin’ at the bit to paint the place, and he’s determined to do it him$elf, ifyaknowwhatI’m$ayin.
Here’s (sort of) what we’re thinking…
(Come on over Google reader! We’ve got some presto change-o’s to show ya!)
(Move your cursor on and off of the photo below)
A warmer paint color on the house, new DIY wood shutters, and crisp, white-painted window trim.
And maybe we’ll go wild and wrap our round columns with wood, to make them square, kinda like these…
Move your cursor on and off of the photo below to see what that would (sort of) look like…
I’m not sure it’s totally necessary, but we’re clearly obsessed with making changes always up for tryin’ something new!
This next presto change-o shows what we’re thinking about doing to our currently unfinished front door…
Don’t you think a little warm walnut-colored stain would look loverly on it?
There are so many different things we could do to the exterior, but we’re trying to keep costs down as low as possible, so maybe we’ll just tackle a few of these types of (semi) cost effective changes a little at a time…
(Move your cursor on and off of the photo below)
(FYI- none of these colors or ideas are set in stone)
We’d also kinda like to investigate the option of replacing the vinyl siding in the eaves with some kind of cedar shake material…
(Move your cursor on and off of the photo below)
(Maybe the front door and/or shutters would be a different color then? Kinda diggin’ the green!)
Who knows!
Kev and I always say that creating our own place together feels kinda like living in the ‘big kid’ version of a couch cushion fort.
There are so many opportunities for DIY adventure within those wacky walls!
PS- Here are the still photos in case you can’t view the presto change-o’s above…
Inspiration A:
Inspiration B:
And for more couch cushion inspiration…I give you: Lily…
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I love the round columns,and the shutters you already have,the grass isn’t always greener ya know! I get why you itch to change but it really looks beachy now! Maybe just add some pops of colour but I think it’s perfect as is…
See I just saved you a bundle of cash now you can put in a pool LOL
Natalie
Hey Natalie!
Well, if you could see how terribly bowed those old shutters are, you might not think they look that great! 🙂
And I’m toooootally feelin’ ya on the pool thing, but there’s too many mosquitos in them thar woods! LOL!
Love the cedar shake.
I love the cedar shakes too—I would love that but my hubby said the woodpeckers tear them apart. We have 2 WONDERFUL woodpeckers that wake me up very early every morning. LOL Love em. I think the house plans are great—I have been wanting to do some new curb appeal—unfortunately our house has siding—and the budget right now doesn’t have room for new siding—disappointing for sure. So, I live through your postings. Pls keep them coming. Haven’t met you but feel like we are kindred spirits. Pray for your adoption daily. xoxoxo
Thank you so much Debbie!
😀
ok do the cedar shakes,but let them get grey over time..and a turquoise front door…appease me will ya!
make a presto change o like that
Natalie
Hey Natalie!
I actually tried every color in the rainbow on that door, but the green one appealed to me the most!
🙂
I really like the walnut stained shutters, door, and trim very, very much. It definitely gives the house a nice casual look and works very well with your window shades. Nice job on the yard too.
Love the warm colors. Plus the green front door is just perfect! But I am partial to colored front doors. Quick question…are you going to paint the vinyl is you do not do the cedar shakes? We would love to change the color of our house but it is all vinyl. I just didn’t think you could paint vinyl.
Hey Katie!
I’m not sure about whether or not you can paint it, but you can bet your bottom dollar I’m gonna find out!
😀
Just thought I’d chime in here. Yes, you can paint vinyl siding. Most major paint Co.s SW, BM, PP have an exterior vinyl siding paint. We painted our vinyl siding light gray (with black shutters…Ha!) 5 years ago and not a chip, crack, or flake. It’s good stuff. I think we used Pittsburgh Paint.
Awesome! Thanks Jami! My husband may not be as excited to hear about it though. 😉
Love the color concept…especially that green door! Your yard is looking pretty, too. Mine on the other hand…I need your mama here!
Happy week,
Jami
Love your ideas! I think they will look great!
Love the cedar shakes! What about a pop of color for the front door? Maybe a cool aqua or a red?
Hey Jody!
It’s sort of hard to see but I added a green front door in that last pic. I tried out every color but that’s the one that appealed to me the most!
🙂
Love the color ideas, but where are the blankets and couch cushions? (..and chips, and cookies, and games??)
Why on the inside of the house, of course! LOL! 😀
I definitely love the look of the cedar. It reminds me of the houses down by the Jersey shore =)
I just realized I don’t think I had ever seen a picture of the front of your house! I think chunking up those posts would make a world of difference and give them some weight on your porch. Is the driveway really big or does it just appear that way in the picture? Kind of hard to tell from the angle.
Love your ideas for exterior changes! I’m trying to figure out something for our cottage too — painting the gray siding isn’t an option….but the door and the shutters — are up for anything.
Since you are already on a “roll” with exteriors — take a look at the Presto Chango of the front of my house that I sent ya!
K. Thanks.
C
I really like the cedar shake on the front. It really warms the look of your home.
I noticed that your roof looks like it my be a metal roof? If so that is the perfect roof for the new solar laminent for solar power! Solar laminent is like putting a big sticker on your roof. I have to replace my entire roof in order to do that.
I think a RED door would really be a good touch!
Hey Judy!
I actually tried pretty much every color in the rainbow (including red), but I kept going back to the green! I’m normally such a ‘red girl’, so it kinda surprised me! 😀
For what it’s worth….I like your house the way it is. The white siding is fresh looking and there is nothing wrong with the grey. If it were me, I’d save the money. 🙂
Awww…thanks Lesley! I guess it just looks more drab in person than it does on film, and compared to the rest of the houses on this street. Nice to know it’s not as bad as we were thinkin’ it was! 😀
PS- I should mention that the siding is actually light gray though. 🙂 The whole thing is gray from top to bottom!
It looks really pretty yet clean. I love it! I also appreciate that the inside resembles my home as well! LOL!
I love the paint change idea, shutters, shingles & door stain : o )
Perfect!
I like the idea of a colour pop for your front door though think I prefer the eves white.
Hey Layla, any chance you could do a short Photoshop tute on how you change the colour of stuff in your images? I know basic Photoshop though am sure I do things the hard way and find so many of the tutes out there just plain jibberish. Would love to know how you do it.
I love your exterior plans, especially B! My dh and I made DIY shutters last spring that look very much like the ones you are considering – 10 windows worth! We love how they changed the look of the house. http://lettresdemonmoulin.wordpress.com/2010/05/06/curb-appeal-painting-and-shutters-check/
Now we are working on the landscaping including DIY flower boxes. Maybe you should include flower boxes to add a little more color. Best of luck!
Well, you know I love the taupey-tan, the cedar shakes, and the square columns! I think it warms up a place and brings on the cozy (especially with woods right near your home – it just fits the setting) I like the green door in the picture…never tried that on mine…although I did try red. It lasted all of one day for me (and you know I’m a red addict) so I might have to give green a shot. In your spare time (ha ha) you two should wander up to Highlands, NC and look at some of the architecture up there. A lot of the exteriors there have the color combo and style you look to be going toward.
kelly
p.s. Can’t wait on your soon to be magazine and Kevin’s photography blog launch!
My do to list two weekends from now– begin those same DIY shutters!! I really want to paint our brick. Is this something that could DIY’d our is this a project best left to the professionals. The thought of paying someone thousands of dollars really doesn’t sound great to me… nor do I have that kind of dough sitting around.
Hey Heather! 😀
I’m sure it can be done…I imagine a good primer will be in order first though!
Thanks!! Hope you guys are doing well!
I adore presto change-o posts – so fun to instantly see the desired change.
You picked a great color for the exterior. I’m all for the square columns and wood shutters too.
Layla,
The yard is looking lovely:)
I love inspiration B presto chango.
Did you however think of maybe flipping the colors and going chocolate brown on the bottom stone and a warm cedar shingle on the top?
Love the warm wood choices to soften the stone and the color you picked is great. Before you know it your outsides will match your insides : )
Ooooh, those inspiration photos are so warm and inviting. You’re inspiring me to tackle the great outdoors now that the weather is finally getting warmer!
Is your roof metal? We put a metal roof on our house last year and we lurrrrve it! I thought maybe if you ripped out the concrete at the front of your house and did some planting there it would look great, but instead of that, what if you put a variety of potted plants there and maybe some window boxes?
LOVE inspiration A and B…go for it!!!
Really like the vision. What do you think about putting faux stone to compliment the new colors, on the fireplace?
YES!! Paint the door!! Mine is Sun Dried Tomato and I love it!!! I mentally paint all my neighbors doors. Periwinkle here, orange there-ooo that one should be teal, yes, much better! Colorful doors say welcome and can be a pop of fun color that is easy to change!!
Love the possible change ideas for the house!!! Just followed you on Twitter and saw where you guys live in PRATT-VEGAS!!!! Aaaaahhhhhh!!!!! That’s my hometown!! Why do I feel like I know a celebrity now?!?!?!! Ha!! All my family still lives there and we are about 3 hours away. Cool! Made my day!
This is so fun to read because we are in the process of buying our first house and it has 0 plants in the yard. Not a single one. This makes me excited to get going on some landscaping.
I love the changes and would really love some flower boxes too! but my favorite of all…was Lilly with her English accent. I could watch it over and over!!!! Good luck with with your adorable house!!
Three acres? How come we didn’t know you had that much space there???
‘Cause it’s all pretty much unusable! 🙁
I live on Cape Cod where we shingle everything that doesn’t move 🙂 Some people use a thin/light coat of white Milk Paint on the new shingles to soften them and that could bridge your taupe/white/brown scheme and keep the front elevation tall and textured looking? . Maybe try a sample piece to see if you like it too? Also wondered if you considered a large planter at the right corner of the house to bring the landscape across the whole front? A little more budget friendly than removing a portion of concrete, I think?
Love your color scheme and your weekly genius, Layla and Kev.
I’ve always wondered what the outside of your house looks like, now I know! I love the warmer exterior paint color and shutters you have planned. It will allow your home to sink more into those big trees behind it and with nature. 🙂
Fun presto-change-o’s! I also love how quickly you transformed the chairs and cushions and those potted flowers are gorgeous. I live in FL, everything blooms year round, but it’s funny to think about shipping plants.
I love grey. Just saying. I think your house is cute as it is currently, but if you’re looking for a change, look to the TX hill country vibe. Limestone-y color to accent the stone look and the shutters you’ve planned would look great…even painting the window trim a darker color could be really nice. Rustic, but cottage-y at the same time. And some really chunky window boxes under the windows on the ends of the house would be amazing.
Can’t wait to see what you choose to do…you have such great vision for your home!
GUUUURL. You are like the blog ninja with those changing pics! I was like “Crap how does she come up with these things.” As always you are my hero!!
Love your guts
mandi
ps I LOVE the wood siding
I love the warmer colors and the green door. A perfect match! We painted the outside of our house ourselves and I built the shutters. Totally worth the savings! Can’t wait to see what you do!
I lovethe warmer colors. Makes it look more welcoming.
Wish I could get my mom & Mimi to drive 11 hours to help me plant some pretty flowers! I was lucky enough to live in the same place until about 6 months ago. So now, I am channeling their green thumb-ness and hoping for the best. Love the presto chango! The shutters are my fav!
http://firefliesandmagnolias.com/2011/04/12/lovin-some-landscaping/
Definitely option #2. I love cedar shakes!! We’ve been wanting to add those to our house eves for a long time…maybe someday! Love the presto-change-o’s
Wow! Love “B”. What a difference it will make on the street. I have really never been a fan of round columns so go square!
Ahh! I love that green door. Tis my favorite color you know.. 😉
Looks so pretty, it’s still to cold to plant here, boo. But once it warms up a tad you know I’ll be at it. We’re thinking about getting new siding or painting too. 🙂 Ours….used to be white. 😉
xo
Your taste is flawless–so I say go with your gut. But if you are collecting fan input, here’s mine: I don’t like the new ideas at all! You’ve got your home’s interior so fresh and breezy, and this new beige exterior take away from that, I think.
Since you’ve got a warm grey metal roof (which I like), why not go with some of the colors of your kitchen: Alabaster and Mourning Dove with pops of black/charcoal and some natural wood here and there. You know how some of your kitchen photos have red apples on display and some have green ones? Well, there’s your green for the door (and the red that other folks keep mentioning).
Or maybe use some of the palette from the reading room/new guest room or your master bedroom. Would Moonlight White and Blue Hubbard, with some accent colors that use in both of those rooms (reds or colors from your multi-colored Pottery Barn quilt) work?
I’ve got this bias already: I live in a hot climate and have always loved white houses with grey or green trim, and red and white flowers. These houses just seem so fresh and cool. And I love white, grey, and blue-green interiors with natural accessories. But this bias is part of why I’m such a fan of your fresh, breezy style–and is also why this new plan just seem so different from your usual stuff and seems to clash with your current interior.
And if you love cedar shakes, go for it, but I’ve never seen cedar shakes that really age well and they just don’t seem to work with the metal roof. I’d nix that and try Hardie planks or something like that if you really want to switch out the light grey siding (which looks great to me as it is).
Anyway, while I’m giving a dissenting opinion, I love your work and look forward to seeing all your projects.
Until now, I’d never seen a photo of the exterior of your house– so cute, but not at all what I would have imagined! The touches of color in the plants is great, but those trees out back: WOW!
Now, I’ve got to go make a fort!
oh i love it! the house looks so much warmer with the creamy paint instead of the white (which i liked until you showed me the presto change o)
whatever happens you guys will make it look lovely functional and homey… for the littlest homey!
Couch cushion fort. I am dying. Dying right now. You guys are awesome. Just awesome. My kids make couch cushion forts all the time, and even now, I still think they are fun.
ps. could you give us a few more measurements on your board and batten in your room (ie. how far apart they are)? Cause, I want to rip you off and do it in my master bedroom. You guys always inspire me. Thanks.
la vie petite
I love inspiration B
Love your ideas. I like both of your updates. I guess one could do until $ comes around for the final overhaul with cedar shakes and green door bit. Great job! Can’t wait to see the real thing !
What about stone around the bottom half of the column to mimic the house and then wrapped in the wood for the top? Might add a little more heft and texture to the porch? 🙂
Hey Katie!
Yeah, I tried that in one of my earlier photoshop drawings, but because of how close the column sits to the edge of the porch, it looked like there was too much junk in the trunk!
😀