I have the same question when you change the shape! I would think it wouldn't make any difference to cover over more of the siding as long as the vent opening itself is the right size. (Just paint it black behind.)

I don't see why you couldn't replace a vent cover. Home Depot or Lowes could probably get them but you can see them and probably find some additional info at places like Architectural Depot online. Some are functional, others just decorative details.

Wow - what a huge improvement removing the railing & beefing up the posts made. Terrific!

Definitely need to beef up the posts and railings if they prefer that style : )

I like the red door!

Lindy, LOL on the gramma post. Maybe you should photoshop her walking down the street checking out the new digs as a nosey gramma neighbor.

PrairieGirl - I think those functional vents have a sleeve that fits inside the opening. Not sure if it's necessary if wanting a different shape vent down the road -- ie, wondering if you can just attach a decorative one to the face of the building, no sleeve.

Squirrelheaven, thanks for your work on it. What you did gives it a totally different look - that's amazing to see all of the different looks. It's so hard for me to visualize how something could look without seeing it with my own eyes and you guys have accomplished that. Boy, they are going to have a hard time deciding.....

Thanks to everyone else too!!

Dawn~I think the last color is very nice too!

Squirrel~thanks for pointing me in the right direction. We don't have "room" to change the shape of the vent covers. They're in a gable, three squares, all in a row. I didn't know what the heck to even call them, LOL.

I vote for keeping the gray and changing the doors and shutter to a cranberry or a williamsburg blue. No scallops. Get the ridge vent totally across the roof. Also when landscaping look for some background plants that would give you green during the summer and interest in the winter....a miniature red twig dogwood perhaps. The red twigs in the winter would look sharp against the gray.

Hey!!! Gramma here (with bra) LOL.

Tngardengirl, ok now that we've seen what your view is possibly going to be, turnabout is fair play. I think we need a pic of your house to see what view Grandma and Grandpa are going to get.

Okay, Gramma - here's my house. My parent's house is actually located across the street from our driveway, where you see my garage doors. My house is on a corner lot.

The 1st pic is from a few days ago, so nothing is green/in bloom. The other 2 pics are from the end of last summer.

At some point, I would love to get ideas for my own house, but for now, I'm focusing on helping my parents :)
{{!gwi}}

Beautiful home, lovely neighborhood, lucky grandparents. Thanks for the pics!!!

Flyleft...I'm sorry I can't help about zone 8..I live in zone 3 sometimes a 2, so I only know what to do here. I do know that with most shrubs, if prunable in zone 3, you can cut back in either fall or spring before leafing out. I do cut my purple sandleaf cherry, wigelia and spireas back (plus cut away all dead stuff) and try to keep them somewhat shaped, but I also do things to my plants others would NEVER do and am lucky enough to have gotten 'away with it'. With pruning you need to know what plant flowers on new or old growth, so if you are willing to wait a season, try it out!
tngardengirl.......I really like your home! And your Crepe Myrtle is lovely....something I could never grow here but really admire. I like the colors of both yours & your parents homes.
I like the photoshop pic squirrelhaven did that shows your parents home without the porch fence just the pillars........it really opens it up. I also like the wider shutters that someone showed above (I think squirrel, with a red door).
What do you think of these scalloped peaks? I added to squirrels touch up with 2 different scallop types.
{{!gwi}}

Thanks, squirrel! I really love that gray-blue for an updated look, but I can see why the sunny yellow might appeal.

Think that was Lindy's gray-blue? I like that color too. I kept it the gray, which looks really pretty with the black and white.

Saska -- nope for me : ) Style clash with the Victorian/gingerbread trimwork and the classic details I had added : ) You're right, though, needs more substantial detailing with those tall peaks. I tried a wider faceboard along the roofline and bigger corner supports (whatever they're called), along with the longer arched vent covers and window headers in most of the pics, which seemed to fill things pretty well. Very classic looking. Tried a trimpiece along the base of the peak, but it just didn't look right, either.

I guess this is a warm gray with cream trim, somewhat like your siding color, I guess. The facing on the peak is the narrow original one, as that probably won't happen. So the porch header is also narrower now.

That's supposed to be one of those tall narrow hollies on the right, although there's probably not enough room.

Have an additional handrail on the left side now. Seems to look alright, although I'm not sure if it makes sense in real life. Would have to look for some pics or see it. There's also a code restriction for the amount of drop with no rail on the porch.

Here's one of those old-fashioned chunky rails. Black rail, courtesy of Cattknap : ) These are still rounded columns but the narrower style. A deep charcoal or soft black rather than a stark blue-black on the shutters.

Warm beige with cream trim:

Light gold with creamy white trim:

{{!gwi}}

Medium gold with cream trim:

I really like the gold/yellows on this house so much! Gray is nice but as soon as I saw the new gold ones Squirrel did, it made me smile. Pretty!

I like the beefier lintels and porch posts. The red door is TO DIE FOR. Yes. What about a sagey/mossy gray-green with a deep red door? Not a big fan of the gable scallops.

Would love to see some shrubs with a deep red leaf as well.

A thought about the rail on the front porch. I *think* Tennesse code requires a rail if the porch is 3 ft off the ground (I'm in TN, too). It's hard to tell how high up this one is, but it looks like it might be close? I personally like it best with the pillars and not the railing. Great buy on a beautiful house! You're also lucky to have your parents so close, what a blessing.

I think the scallops REALLY dates the house - makes it look like it was built in the 60's. Many of the 60's built houses around here have those.

You might consider a Japanese maple to the left of the house. They are nice for their dark wine foliage. Does the parking area come in from the right side? If so you might think of an entrance there....an arbor or maybe a grouping of perennials on each side, maybe ornamental grasses and daylilies, they are easy to care for, something guests would walk through to get to the front entrance walkway and to separate the front yard from the parking area.

Light, grayed green with black shutters:

Same, different ornamentals in the landscape:

Dark brown shutters:

Medium brown shutters:

{{!gwi}}

Olive-y green shutters:

Deep dusty turquoise shutters:

Soft, grayed teal with ... hmm, let's call it mulberry! shutters and a dark green-teal door.

Oh! The grey-green with the olive shutters and red door! I vote for that one. Perfection!

Here it is w/o the black rail, and then again with a cream color to brighten the interior of the porch : )

Yep, love the gray-green with the red door and the dark green shutters.... Very stately.

Goodness, this will be a tough decision for them - each look is so awesome!

lafonda, not sure what the TN code is - but that is something to think about. Yes, I am very blessed to have them so close - Especially at dinner time!!!

flowerchild, yes, there is the parking/garage to the right of the house. There's a small brick wall there as well that looks really nice to work with.

Squirrel, thanks for all of your different layouts. I'm now sort of torn between the landscaping of lindy's or squirrel's..I love both, but I sort of like the "clean" look of not having anything up against the house and to show off the nice brick foundation? Then again, I LOVE all of the colorful plantings.....At least we've got a great direction to go in now and until this, I would have never dreamed what the house could look like.

Thanks to everyone!!!

Dawn

Don't forget this is just a small area in the pic. I've added something down by the garage, at the driveway or end of the walkway and in the backyard on the left. Clump of flowers under the Lilac/Crape Myrtle.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could just materialize some of these mature trees, like in virtuals!

Everything is in bloom now, though : )

Oh, those purples just pop with that grey-green. What color paint is that, squirrel, or did you just pull it off of a color wheel?

I may have to borrow that.

Any chance you could try a cream trim on this one?

This grey green is the color of my house. It was painted this color when I bought it, so I am not sure what the paint is. However, I need to repaint the trim and I am thinking of antique white or cream-- actually, EK's Buttercream. It seems to look good with this grey green color, at least in the amateur ps attempt I made.

I have some purple Lanta and purple Clematis that pops with it.

didn't mean to so blithely ask you to ps more! I know from my amateur efforts how much work that is....just got excited cuz i thought the cream would look super warm and friendly, like grandparents:-)

thanks!

Decorpas, that is cream/off-white trim! lol. Kind of neutral.

Sarah, it's a Squirrel-y mix : )

Maybe this will look creamier to you -- bringing out more of the yellow : )

Squirrel, You did a great job! I love the last picture you posted of the house with the wonderful landscaping. You really should open up a business in design that helps others visualize their ideas. You also have so many great idea especially with landscaping and accessorizing.

I love my townhouse but one day I want a home that I can do pretty landscaping on the outside, a yard for my dogs to play in with me outside watching them and catching up with my readings rather than the small patio with stones that I have now that has a privacy fence. I would love lots of windows for natural light. But I guess right now, a townhouse is the right lifestyle with me not having time to do the yard. But one day...

Thanks, Lynn :)

I would love a single home, too. Far away from townhouse living. I actually have to do the yard here -- and a whole, whole lot more. No one gets the very front area of their house done at all, either (unless there's grass to cut). So you can imagine. That's actually how I got into gardening -- necessity and desperation : ) Even though it's a th. Luckily, my Dad was very into it when I was growing up (Mom, too really, more at flowers), so it was a natural extension for me. So, now I want full rein!

Squirrel,

Yes! That is the color-- I guess EK's Buttercream is more yellow, which you wouldn't normally try with the grey green, but I just love it. It looks gardeny to me-- Like the colors of plants. It's just darn cheery. I guess those are actually old Craftsman colors, but with maybe a more orange or brown tone to the red. Are you remembering this color scheme I'm thinking of? I've seen it done here on some older homes-- grey green, buttercream, and a brownish red.

Your landscaping is fantastic....don't you wish the real plants would behave like ps-ed plants? urgh.

Squirrel -- you're killing me with these mixes! I print them out and take them to the paint store and they laugh at me. Can't match from an internet photo... harumph. Back to the fan decks.

Try matte photo paper. What type of printout are you taking there? Some have been lucky taking a printed photo and comparing to the paint strips.

Why can't they ballpark a paint name from their lines? What paint store is this ; )

Yes, I can see the color scheme you're talking about. The green is a bit sharper, more yellow or olive-y I think. And the cream also. I did something like that, Craftsman cottage in the woods, some time back. We used a wood stain door though. It was an amazing transformation. You can probably tell, I like garden style : )

I think you can download the picture, open it in PS, and use the dropper to get the color on the Pantone custom color wheel...But maybe you don't have PS, and it's kind of expensive for just this purpose! I must agree, she makes me want to repaint my house with everyone of her great colors.

I droppered this color for you-- it's 9FA193. hope this helps!

Cool! Thanks, decorpas. We don't have a BM store around here -- it's Dunn Edwards. Not sure the difference in paint quality, but all of the professionals around here swear by by DE.

Well that's a nifty little trick, Decorpas!

glad if it helps! the tough thing is to get the paint people to work off the pantone numbers, but there's a site where you can match up your pantone numbers to different manufacturer's paint names. I don't have the link, but I'll be sure to save it next time I end up there. I think I got there from this site, ironically enough.

DE paint is what we always called for in the specs for custom homes-- never had any problems, but then that was a long time ago!

ColorCharts.org ?

ah, I just found it as I was googling "crocodile tears".

(i'll check out colorcharts, though- thanks!)
here it is:

Here is a link that might be useful: pantone match for paint

Thanks, decorpas and squirrel. And apologies to tngardengirl for the highjack of her thread.

HOLY WOW! Has this thread ever taken a lot of hits since I looked last : ) Great ideas too.
I still like the color of your parent home the way it is...but I would go with a different (larger) shutter in a complimenting color. I like the idea of bright accent for your door too. I'm still keen on the purple floral tones too : ) I also like the wood trim above the windows, it really adds character. Not to crazy about the flower boxes, too hard to water, keep moist and dirt will splash the windows, I'm a freak about my windows LOL and a bit lazy too.
Did you find out if you can remove the railing around the front porch? If that is something you've considered. Or pillar accents? I like those too.
One thing to consider is that when you plant near the foundation is helps deter 'dishonest' ppl from sneaking/viewing into the windows, especially when you plant something with a bit of thorns nearer the back. Uplighting helps too!
What have your parents thought so far? Spring is coming and I'm sure they are eager to get started. Your children will love being close to G & G, just as much as they will : )

About plantings up against the house -- we live in termite country, so this may or may not apply, I don't know, but plants up against the house are done around here all the time, but they void the termite warranties (pretty much everyone plants anyway and just tents the house every 5-10 years). I prefer not to invite the little buggers in at all, so I like potted plants better than plant beds up against the house.

Sarah,

I recently moved into termite country. Good to know. Good excuse to haul out the overgrown azaleas, too:-)

Looking forward to hearing what her parents pick out!

EEWWW...sorry to hear about the termites. I guess where I live it's just to cold for them, which can be considered a good thing?! We don't plant right up against the houses either (for air circulation too)but fortunately I only have to worry about ants, they don't mind -30c LOL! Pots would definately work too.
Just a quick question OT....what is termite warranty? Do they go through brick too?

Well, when you live in the Western states, a house includes a "termite warranty," which warrants the structure from termite damage (usually good for 5 years, but renewable if you abide by the rules -- no plant beds up against the house, termite inspection/treatment every year). If you are selling a house, you will be required to have a termite inspection and pay for any necessary treatment or repairs as a condition of the sale. The warranty is part of the sale/purchase of the house.