I want a rustic look in my new home.
woodduckswimming
8 years ago
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woodduckswimming
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Want my home to look more charming
Comments (33)For my taste it's not the right direction, but it's your house, so inherently you win :-) For me the sense of enclosure needs to be around the property, not around the house. The house's problem at the moment is that it is not sufficiently exposed due to the eyebrows, and that isn't mitigated by hiding it instead at ground level. Well, there's no question anything that removes those eyebrows will be an improvement, but in terms of landscaping, bulking up the foundation plantings is pretty knee-jerk to me and doesn't change up the game much. You could just take all those plants and make a bed where a fence or wall might go. Make it a living fence, so to speak. To me the house needs freedom from encroachment, not a different form of it. You've got .5 of an acre?? Use it! The pergola at the entrance is like adding a new eyebrow; it closes things in. Now, we all get bees in our bonnets and I remember that was your opening idea. When I get ideas like that I often need to try them before I can let them go, or sometimes, I have reasons for going with them even if they seem wrong to others. Your personal choices will not always be, nor do they need to be, the best design choice. Nandina above asked for a definition of charming. That is an interesting question. I often find charm in things that are not necessarily fabulous design when they express personality and caring within the context of the style of the home. Also, creative thinking. So if it's a "I want it to look like the rest of the neighbourhood," that to me never qualifies - with the rare exception where the norm is the perfect design solution for a house and is done very well. Since you have no foundation, a foundation planting is not the perfect design solution here. Your garden at the moment does not express any personality beyond that of the previous owners or whoever planted those badly placed photinias many years ago. As such, your home looks kind of submissive to the old owners' vision, not like an expression of yours. That, to me, is why it has no charm. If the pergola is something you really want to do, I would suggest a bit of a "go big or go home" approach. Why just do a little thing by the door where neither the door nor the pergola can benefit? Check out the thread linked below, and think about something like a pergola of v1rtu0s1ty's scale, done on the property away from the house. Recrafting the front sidewalk should be, I think, a cornerstone of your design, and with something like an alternating-rectangles approach you could put pergola sections that are offset from one another... or something. Not to design for you, but to get you out of what to me, as I watch you sketch out your ideas, feels like a rut that defines "landscape design" and "charming" in very limited and limiting ways. Not that there's anything wrong with that - it's what the majority of American homeowners do. But they don't come here for input. If you come to a landscape design forum for feedback, rut-busting is part of the program :-) KarinL Here is a link that might be useful: Virtuosity's pergola and yard...See MoreWant a tropical look for New Orleans home
Comments (9)Such a cute house! Tropicalesque gardens can be very successful in your climate. White bird of paradise is commonly called "Giant bird of paradise." There is one at the corner of my small house and I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love the leaves but only while the stalks are a certain height. Then they get too tall, tending to lean on the house, and I have to saw through the 1-foot thick trunks, which are quite heavy, cut them up and dispose of them. They sucker freely, so there is no end to the problem. And they are a cuss to dig out. So there you go, that's my response. Do not underestimate the power of nature. Maybe try Alocasia or Colocasia for some big leaves in a container? Canna, Hedychium, variegated Alpinia zerumbet, Croton -- so many tropicalesque plants to fill out your little paradise. When working with a small garden, be selective and plan carefully. Use your hardscape choices and any furnishings to set the tropical tone, then you need only small flourishes with plants to complete the scene. Be careful not to overpower your darling house -- it is the star of the show....See MoreWooden I-Joists..... looks like my new home will have them
Comments (32)The International Residential Code (IRC) requires that all floor assemblies, not otherwise required to be fire-resistance rated by the code, be protected by 1/2" gypsum wall board or a 5/8" wood structural panel membrane (plywood or OSB) on the under side of the floor framing members. It goes on to exclude from this requirement nominal 2x10 or larger framing and "other approved floor assemblies demonstrating equivalent fire performance." Unless the local authorities have chosen to not allow tested alternate protection, there are at least 4 ways (other than a gypsum or wood ceiling) to meet the code requirement which I briefly described earlier in this thread. So, if you don't want a ceiling in your basement, you should be able to avoid it; just ask the local building official....See MoreI want to update or give new look to my kitchen and living room
Comments (5)I might look for a narrow, tall cabinet - with doors, no open shelves - to go on that short wall behind where the plants are (not the one with the painting). You could move some things from the kitchen cupboards that you use less frequently, or even pantry items, so you could get the dishes off the counter and into cupboards. That would do a lot to declutter the area. Is there anywhere else for the garbage can? I wouldn't want that to be the first thing I see when coming through the door. Would it be possible to put it on the other side of the stove and move whatever is in that area someplace else? Or get a small, narrow cabinet where the garbage can is now and put the stuff from the right side of the stove in that? If you could get rid of the dish storage above the sink and declutter that area, you might want to look at some decorative peel and stick tiles to put on the wall in that area to brighten things up and give you a new look. They can be removed easily without damage to the wall (shop carefully to make sure what you pick is easily removed) when you move out. Not sure if you would be allowed to add nicer open shelves, if other suggestions for decluttering won't work for you....See More
Lisa Carvallo
8 years agoYes handmethathammer, I agree, but I have had to make many concessions with my husband whose taste is somewhat on the conservative side. I had a tile kitchen floor and it cracked every time I dropped something on it. I swore I would never get tile again. The talavera tile that I absolutely love is also very fragile. But I have several ideas to make the house look sort of Mexican/Spanish style without causing my husband to get a heart attack!! Look at these tiles on this wood floor.
And for the kitchen, bathrooms, and closets I was thinking vinyl or linoleum tiles (I know, it sounds gross, but the vinyl and linoleum engineering has come a long, long way since I was a kid). I thought a terra-cotta color would look best but I could use any of these:
12"x36.61" Grouted Design Luxury Vinyl Tiles, Set of 5, Florentine Slate · More Info
2" X 2" Hammered Mexican Copper Tile (TL502) · More InfoHonestly they look real unless you really get down on your hands and knees to inspect them. I'm still trying to find a true terra-cotta color, and wishful thinking, one that has the terra-cotta with the talavera design in the corners. I can't describe it but I have seen them in Mexico. I'll post it if I can find it. But also, I was thinking about using stencils that are Mexican but I don't know if I can use them on wood, or vinyl. I also saw some self stick talavera tile, but also don't know how or where I could use them. Thanks for all your advice!
Chelsea RETile Decal · More Info
Talavera Tiles Wall & Furniture Stencils by Royal Design Studio · More Infowoodduckswimming thanked Lisa Carvallo
PROUser
8 years agoLike others said before, it could be easier giving you advices if there were some pictures of your house including the flooring that you want to change.
Nevertheless, at Mercier Flooring, we have a collection of rustic wood flooring that could perfectly match your needs. Here is an example :
Country Style · More InfoThe stone walls with the hardwood flooring offers the perfect match for a mix between modern and country for your south american decor.
We hope to see you soon!woodduckswimming thanked User
David
8 years agoI would recommend going with a "Wide plank white oak" as it will give you a nice rustic look.
Example:
Family Room · More Infowoodduckswimming thanked Davidwoodduckswimming
8 years agoOK here are some pictures of the very bland house I am talking about.....
woodduckswimming
8 years ago
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