How about posting pics of the columns and garage door you're thinking of so one of us can apply them.

Do you mean you want stone corbels in place of the wood ones?

I know that this is not what you are asking, but did you Photoshop the plantings? The weeping cherry seems to be in two different spots in two photos. I am only asking because I know the growth habits of those trees and they are going to cause problems down the line in the spots where they are pictured now.

I am sorry I do not know Photoshop to help with what you asked.

What a cute house! Squirrelheaven to the rescue!!

I just wanted to say that it looks like a really neat house. I really like it. Good luck with the changes.

Joanne

Thanks for the nice comments. I hated the house when I first saw it. But it has grown on me over the last two years. It is more house than we need (no kids), but it is in a great area and we got it at a great price. It just needed some TLC!

dilly dally...the pictures of the WC are at two different times. I think one was in May/June and the other just a few days ago. What problems will I have???

Squirrel...I'm still looking for the columns. I thought I had taken pictures of some that I had seen, but haven't found them yet. I'll post when I find them. We would eliminate the corbels all together. Above the garage we would install a stone veneer. Thank you so much!!

Here is the garage door the DH likes

The one I like

HEre is the stone I *think* I like

Thank you :o)

here are the columns

Thanks!

Before making your final decisions, consider doing some research on the architectural style of your home. If you start dismantling and changing basic elements (removing the brackets and changing the porch posts) and begin mixing in characteristics of other styles (columns and stones), it might start to look weird. I don't know much about this, but I think that your home is reminiscent of Second Empire architecture. In addition, I think your DH may be on the right track with the finish of the garage door. If you paint it in the sandstone color, it will be come very prominent. Generally, the color should complement your home and blend in with the overall structure rather than stand out. Perhaps the wood finish would blend in better.

{{!gwi}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Designer Doors

Thank you...that is info that I'm looking for! I don't know much about what style our home is and what to change and what not to change. We thought the corbels dated the house, but maybe that is okay...right?? I don't know..I'm so torn. I really appreciate your input on this. What do you think about changing the yellow color to sandstone on the trim?? We'd wrap it in vinyl something (I don't know what DH calls it). Maybe we could just do that for now and see how it looks. Thank you!

OK, maybe it is a trick of the camera but in the first photo the weeping cherry appears to be to the right of the sidewalk. In the second it looks to be planted to the left.

If it is in the spot where I think it is in the first photo the person who did your plantings did not take into account the growth habit. Weeping Cherry trees do not get much taller than when you bought it BUT they do get wide. If you bought it from a typical nursery, that one looks to be in about it's third year(?) since purchase and not only will it be 15 feet wide but eventually the branches are going to reach the ground. You will block your sidewalk. If it has been moved to the left of the sidewalk it looks to be OK.

I do worry about the other trees though. They seem to be planted too close to the house. It is hard to tell from the long shot photo without a close up of the leaf, but it looks like a Japanese Maple in front of the window. That too, although smaller than an American Maple, it will get big. I can't tell the cultivator in the photo but that thing will probably end up hitting your eaves and growing over your porch walk. It will of course eventually block the view out of your window. Maybe your intent was to block the window for privacy, but then, a deciduous tree should not have been chosen. The roots will start growing under your porch. I have seen trees planted too close to porches and sidewalks actually lift the cement slabs. Maple trees are shallow rooted trees so this is a greater concern with them.

It that tree on the left a Dappled Willow? It looks like a Dappled Willow that has just experience recent flush growth. I can't tell from the faraway shot but "treewise" it is planted to close to the house and sidewalk. There is not room for growth and it may cause damage. The branches will block the side walk. If it is a Dappled Willow it too will get WIDE and have branches touching the ground. Dappled Willows can get very tall and even the dwarf varieties would not work in that spot. Willow trees love water and Willow roots go in search of water and may crack pipes searching for a water supply.

I am curious as to shy the rain spout is draining to the sidewalk rather than the plantings. Also what planting zone are you in?

dilly dally....thank you so much for the info on my trees. I am cluelss about trees and plants, so I really appreciate you takiing the time to help me understand. I am in zone 6 (St. Louis, MO). A local nursery helped me with the trees and layout (brought them a picture, talked about what I liked, they made suggestions). My Aunt then helped me with all of my plantings as far as placement. She has been doing landscaping in Tulsa, OK for many years (not professionally though).

The Weeping Cherry is to the left of the sidewalk..it has been there for two years now. My aunt said that it could be prunned back if it got too big for its location. In the picture below, it sidewalk is just to the right of the WC. It isn't really that close..it's about 4-5' to the left of the sidewalk.

The Japanese Maple is the Bloodgood variety. Again she said it could be prunned back, but that it should be okay. It is two years old as well. I am concerned though about its roots growing under the porch. It is about 6' (I think) from the porch. It is centered in that bed and was planted with half the ball above the ground (not sure what that is called) so it sits a litter higher. I love the JM and wanted to be able to see it from that window...that is why it is there. If I did move it further away from porch, when is the best time to move it?

The Dappled Willow tree isn't near the sidewalk. It is about 2-3' away from the house though. Again, I was under the impression that it could be prunned back to keep under control. Roots cracking pipes searching for water concerns me...I wasn't aware of that. I did consider moving it since it is leaning to the side a little...when is the best time to move it??

Here is another picture that shows the location of the trees a little better...
{{!gwi}}

The rain spout used to drain into the bed in front of the porch, but it was washing out all of the mulch. When we redo the columns, we will move it.

Thank you again..I really appreciate it!

I can't see the trim as "yellow", so it's difficult to appreciate the true appearance. It must really look awful against the bricks. I just noticed that your window frames appear to be white. If you don't plan to paint them, it will be a limiting factor in choosing the trim color. My suggestion is to take photos of the house to the Benjamin Moore paint store and ask one of the consultants for advice. I have found them to be a great resource. Take some time to get it right.

A trip to the library might give you the necessary information about the main theme in the architecture
of your home. It seems to be one of those eclectic interpretations of a classic style. In other words, some of the features like the Mansard roof, gables, and the roof cornices supported by ornamental brackets (modillions) are represented, but the windows are wrong (not arched or pedimented). However, since this is stylized architecture, I still feel that it might be a mistake to distort it. After your research, you might feel entirely different about the house.

I agree with Dally. Those trees will cause major problems and should be moved, especially the Willow and Maple. In our old house, we had a large Willow send its roots into the town sewer line and we had to pay to repair the damage. Cost a fortune. They should be planted far from the house and any water pipes. Maples send their roots up to the surface and will break through cement walk-ways. Should also be far from the house. Because their roots grow up near the surface, it is hard to mow around them or even walk without tripping.

Love the house,

Jane

Thanks n1cf2...I looked up some stuff online last night about the style of our home. But I was also thinking of running by the library to see what else I could find. I did learn that the windows are way wrong. The previous owners replaced them a couple of years before we bought the house. Not sure what type of windows were there prior to that (eventhough I drove past this house many many times).

We are in commercial construction, so I have paint suppliers that I could go to for advice. Never really thought about that. Thank you.

jane...thanks for the advice. Sorry you had to go through that...what a pain. That is what I'm looking to avoid. Now I just have to figure out where and when to move them!! I have a berm that I've just been relocating stuff to until I figure out what to do with everything...maybe I could put them there. Hmmmm....DH will be thrilled to have to move these :o)

If you are concerned with the drain spout washing mulch away, pile some pretty rocks at the end to 'break' the flow and divert the water in directions. This can be not only functional but the rocks can be arranged in a decorative manner and add beauty. Also, you can cover the thing with dirt so it is "buried" above ground. Then plant some things around it to help conceal it's existence.

I must say that pruning is not part of regular tree 'maintenance'. Pruning is done if there is a problem. There is a very specific way to prune a tree both for aesthetics and to keep from causing injury and death to a tree. Since you say you are inexperienced as a gardener you should not attempt this yourself.

You can expect that Bloodgood to reach twenty feet wide at maturity. That's gonna be a lot of pruning. Every time you prune you risk a wound in the tree that will invite pests and disease. All maples are prone to excessive bleeding when pruned unless root pruned also. BTW, Japanese Maples are actually one of the favorites used for bonsai. Do you really want to spend all your time pruning and pampering this tree?

If that Dappled Willow is 2'-3' from the house as you say, you should defiantly move it. In the photo it looked like a walkway was behind it but that might be mulch I see. That thing is going to get HUGE. You will have problems with the tree up against the house and also the roots pushing against the house searching for water.

You could coppice it, but keep in mind that cutting it back will stimulate growth and your tree will look like a shrub. Pollarding is when the Willow is pruned back entirely to the trunk. This must be done annually and will keep the tree like appearance. Do you really want to spend all your time doing this and have the tree look like a stub half the time? I would move it and let it go natural. Move it far enough away from the house so yo do not every have to worry about the roots. A rule of thumb in calculating is that the root system will be at least at the drip line plus what ever the distance from the truck to the drip line.

The Weeping Cherry tree is still too close to the sidewalk at 4'-5' feet. It will grow over the sidewalk. Sure you could prune it, but why hack it up and destroy it's beauty. You will risk killing it unless an expert does it or you study up on pruning techniques. There is a proper time of year to prune. There are specific ways to make the cut. Certain branches must be chosen.

Another view of the house is nl cf2's link -- could provide good ideas for your home. b-t-w, love your "drunken brick" (new term for me) -- has a fairy tale quality to it.

Here is a link that might be useful: similar house

Hi onedog3cats : ) I will try to pick up your project over the next few days but too many things are going on here right now! Please check back in.

Thanks mjlb...that is what I said when we first saw the house..that it looked like the mason had been drinking all day! Turns out that is really what it is called! I like the way it looks (wouldn't pay the premium myself if we built a house), but it is so difficult to work around. We had lots of fun putting the entry light up (DH had to chisel some of the brick off). We just replaced our back door...it took twice as long to get it installed. Oh well...it makes our home unique and I like that.

Thanks squirrel! I have gotten sidetracked with another project I'm working on. But I have managed to mess around with PS a little bit and make some changes....but nothing like what you come up with!! I know you have a life and you have other things to do besides PS :o) So, whenever you get to it..that is fine. If you don't...that is fine too!! Thanks :o)

Hi OneDog : ) Checking to make sure you're still around before I work on this over the weekend.

bump

Hi squirrel...I'm here :o)

Been busy with our basement project (water leak, demo, drywall...lots of fun!)

Thank you!!!

I'm not seeing the stone. It seems like there is so much texture going on already with the brick and the dimensional roof shingles that more texture is going to take it downhill and confuse the overall look.

I actually like your current columns very much. I think the right paint choices will make the most of them. They are a lovely detail on your house.

As for the windows, I had some similar "wrong" ones--plain casements on the second story of my 1929 Tudor. I couldn't replace them so I got corner brackets that fit inside the upper corners, sort of like gingerbread but more plain, and screwed them to the inside of the top of each window so it gives an arch to the overall shape of each one. That helped immensely. They are painted the same color as the windows on the outside so they don't look added-on. I also used heavy lace draperies on the top floor to "sell" the whole look. Sort of a chalet-style or Bavarian thing going on.

My windows on the first floor are six over six mullioned windows, and surprisingly the two different styles of windows actually work now that I got the arch going on the top floor. You might want to do something like that. I noticed that the windows are of different sizes so too much of the arched business might look weird. I'd do it on the top floor only. And add on mullions on the lower level, so that the two floors aren't trying to mimic the same look.

I think the white trim and the yellow is a big part of the problem, like has been mentioned. Can you also paint the white trim on the windows? Then painting those large surrounds around the windows also would help. I'm seeing a darker color to bridge the transition between the roof and brick elements and maybe a similar color on the windows themselves, or something like taupe surrounds and charcoal window frames. Or even a dark red on the windows and charcoal surrounds. Something like that. And then you can paint the big columns to fit with that scheme.

Either garage door would look good to me, but I'd keep the brackets and paint the area above the door.

I'm seeing Bungalow when I look at your house. With some Tudor. There's a great book by Jane Powell called "Bungalow Details: Exterior" that you would get lots of ideas from. There's another one out there with a similar name but it doesn't focus on the exteriors, so see if you can find the "Exteriors" one. It's a beautiful book full of great colors and details. There are similarities amongst Bungalow and Tudor elements that you can use between the two styles.

I don't think you need major work, but rather very careful selection of paint colors and some window corner/brackets/mullions to change their shape. And the garage door will make a big difference too.

I think it has so much potential without doing too much to the actual structure.

Thanks for you input bananafana :o) Do you have any pictures of your house...I don't quite get the window brackets. Sounds neat though.

We found another house with similar brick with a different stone that we liked, but I'm not overly excited about the stone. I think my DH just wanted to add something to help it look a little more modern.

I'm leaning toward just replacing the garage door and painting the trim for now. Maybe do something with the windows. The white window trim might be able to be painted...though it will be a pain to maintain. We wouldn't paint the other trim, we were actually going to wrap it with this aluminum trim in Norwegian Wood (see link for color). But I do like your idea of dark red with charcoal. I'm still torn on which garage door.

We probably won't do anything this year. We had some water damage in our basement, which turned into a complete remodel of the basement. So, that is our focus right now.

I really appreciate your help. And I am going to check Amazon for that book. I would love to see some pictures of your hosue if you have any to share.

Thanks again!

Here is a link that might be useful: Norwegian Wood

I've never done the photo, so I'm going to try it here. Sorry if I screw it up.
[IMG]http://i36.tinypic.com/mlh3l1.jpg[/IMG]

Good grief. I really don't get it, but I'm trying again. If this is a double post, I am so sorry.

Anyhow, in this picture you can see the brackets on the right upper but not yet on the left upper. I put the brackets on the inside of the window, but in the next go-around I'll screw them to the outside of the window so they show more. I would like mine to be bigger too so they give the window more arch and meet in the middle of each window. These are bit wimpy. I found a guy on ebay that makes a variety of shapes, so when I find the link, I'll send it to you.

Here is a link that might be useful: window brackets

Okay....I get it now. What a great idea. Your house is adorable! Love the roof and the front door and the beautiful landscaping. What a cozy place to come home to everyday! Thanks for sharing. Yes, if you find the ebay link please send it to me (carver330@yahoo.com) or post it here. Thank you!

Here's the best trim site I've found. It's not the ebay guy. I'm linking to the plainer brackets but they have a ton of them. Hey, if you keep the current garage door for a while maybe you could put a couple brackets in the upper corners and see what that does and try a charcoal paint on the door? I have the same plain garage door and I used some giant vintage brackets on it and it helped a lot. My garage is in the back so I didn't have to worry about how it fits with the front of the house. I want the door your DH likes, but every year I have some other big expense come up and it gets put off.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wood brackets and trim site

This one I remember. Still there?

do not give it up.
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Hi Squirrel!! I'm here. I was out of town for a week, and now I'm dealing with a sinus infection (lucky me!) So I haven't been on here much. Thanks!!