Can someone please give me exterior design/landscaping advice?
car8857
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Hello everyone,
When I bought my house it had brown brick. I wouldn't have minded the brown brick if it was on both sides but that half strip bugged me and I wanted it white.
My brother painted it for me as a surprise and didn't show me samples, which drives me crazy because I'm so anal about that stuff. Anyway, when I put up the window boxes and do the landscaping it won't look so bad, and it's worse in pictures than in person.
I'd like some landscaping and design ideas, please. I painted the foundation blue because I want white marble chips and I thought a blue foundation would look great with white beds In front of it.
Here's some questions:
My daughter painted the front door and after she painted it I'm reading that you're supposed to paint the door only and not the trim. Is it really that bad? Do I need to re-paint the trim white?
I bought a gold kick plate for the door. Do you think gold is too formal for a ranch house? I was thinking about spraying it a warm gold, along with the handle.
I'd like to put up blue shutters on the bay window to match the other shutters and for balance. I know shutters on bay windows are dumb but in my area its more common than not to have shutters on bay windows, so it won't look any different than all the other houses.
What do you think about painting the trim around the garage blue for balance?
Eventually I'd like to replace the storm door on the garage for a regular door.
I bought white window boxes, I'm going to paint them blue to match the shutters.
I want to put in a tree on the left side. I had my heart set on white birch but the garden center advised against it, said they are too prone to bores.
I have a pretty solar lamppost that I can put anywhere, and the bench can go anywhere too. Any landscape design advice would be so appreciated.
Thank you for your help!!!!
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (17)
Nicole Solomon
6 years ago
PRORelated Discussions
Please, could someone give me quick advice on these maples?
Comments (10)Our perspectives are going to be different, I think, but with an eye toward the future ..... First plant: Shorten the big stub on the right (in the pic) and don't let any branches grow from it. You want it to die back to the trunk. Leave it on until the tree begins to grow a collar around the stub, then cut it off just outside the branch collar. This reduces scarring & the wound will heal quickly. The other stub growing between the two main branches toward the top should be reduced now so the bottom of the 'Y' formed by the co-dominant leaders is rounded at the bottom & the 'stub' look is gone. You need to decide how much taller you want the tree to be. Reduce both of the co-dominant leaders to 2 apparent nodes if you don't want the tree much taller, and completely eliminate one of the co-dominant leaders if you want the tree to grow much taller. After that, I wouldn't do any more pruning until next spring. Second tree: Treat the branch growing off to the right as a sacrifice branch - it will come off before it starts to form a collar around the trunk. The future leader of your tree is the little branch just above that sacrifice branch, so when it gets a little harder, use a string to tie it to the trunk so it's growing vertically. Next spring, you'll remove the sacrifice branch and prune the trunk off just above the leader you tied up. Got it? That's just how you were going to do it - wasn't it? ;-) Al...See MorePlease give advice on front landscape
Comments (11)You don't need to remove all the plants, but perhaps now is the time to move them before they get big. I don't know for sure what those red and green shrubs are along the porch, but I'll guess they are barberry and spirea or maybe forsythia or something like that. Both can be kept small with pruning but you may not want to do that. That area seems to be quite shady and when the tree grows up it will compound the problem, so I don't see those shrubs looking all that great over the long haul up against the house. Personally I would burn the barberry because where I live it is destroying the woods and creating tick infested wastelands, but that's another story . . . Small globe arborvitae or boxwoods as is pictured in Vstavay's pictures will perhaps tolerate the shade more, require less pruning but I don't know if you have a deer problem and if that will be an issue. If so, then the barberry and spirea are deer resistant, which is a plus I guess. Spirea can be hard pruned regularly to keep it small if it is already somewhat dwarfish. That juniperish thing on the corner will soon overwhelm the space so it is a good candidate for moving. Those four little soldier bushes on the left look like they could be boxwood or something else designed to grow into a low hedge, which again is a look you could maintain by pruning if you want. All of that stuff will obscure the porch somewhat, but perhaps "frame" it is just another way of putting it, so only time will tell how much you like or dislike that effect. Edited to add that one of the classic ways to "fill in" while a plant grouping is growing is to add colorful annuals, which might help with the "welcoming" effect. You can get vines that would twine around your posts, porch boxes or planters, and things for between the shrubs to act as a border to the walk. Not sure about the light conditions there, that would play a large role in determining what will work. Even though your front entrance appears skimpy now, knowing what we know about eventual size of those shrubs, it looks overplanted in the shrub department to me, particularly along the porch to my right....See MoreCan someone please pick colors for me!
Comments (2)Personally I would eliminate the "secondary trim color". I would paint it the same dark brown giving you a nice thick trim board appropriate in scale to the size of your house. The body color is fine, but if you want to change it something less yellow would work better with the stone....See MorePlease give me ideas for exterior siding on new build
Comments (26)Shead - I've been thinking about your suggestion to swing the garage out (similar to the first photo) and I think it's a good suggestion. It will also resolve the roof issue that PPF mentioned. I'll take that up with my designer when I meet with her next month. Do you have any suggestions for siding as well? Cpartist - The kitchen in the plans is just a preliminary concept that my house designer included. I've since met with a certified kitchen designer to create a detailed kitchen plan - the plan now includes a sink in the island. Re: east/west axis. There were several factors we considered with direction. Our property is south of the road. We want to see the front of the house when we drive up the driveway, not the back or sides of the house (if you look at the first drawing I posted, you'll see what I mean. Keep in mind that the driveway actually has a much slighter curve than that depicted in the drawing). We could turn the house so that the large expanses of glass in the kitchen, great room and basement living room face west, but I don't want the late setting sun to shine into those room at that angle (I have that in my current office, and it's very aggravating - I have to close my blinds to work in there later in the afternoon and evening). That being said, I'm open to reading your ideas about how the house should be situated. Patricia Colwell - You stated that the interior needs work - can you be more specific? I like the layout of the house (although I definitely like the idea of changing the direction of the garage). What exactly is it that you think needs work? bot494 - Thank you!!! You are one of the few who actually provided an answer to my original question, and I really appreciate it! I love the look of Hardie, but I've read so many bad reviews online that I'm leery of going there (the contractors I've talked to also don't recommend it). The LP Smartside sounds similar to the Maibec siding we are looking at. Can you get it prepainted? (the Maibec comes either stained or painted). I like the idea of using both lap and vertical - what colour(s) would you suggest? Or do you think a natural wood stain on all the siding will look good?...See More
car8857
6 years ago
littlebug zone 5 Missouri
6 years ago
decoenthusiaste
6 years agocar8857
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago- PRO
Dig Doug's Designs
6 years ago car8857
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agocar8857
6 years agocar8857
6 years agocar8857
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agocar8857
6 years agocar8857
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
l pinkmountain
6 years ago
Related Stories
MODERN HOMESHouzz Tour: See a Landscape Designer’s Mountain Cabin
In North Carolina, an architect designs a dogtrot house as a backdrop for the surrounding gardens
Full Story
TASTEMAKERSBook to Know: Design Advice in Greg Natale’s ‘The Tailored Interior’
The interior designer shares the 9 steps he uses to create cohesive, pleasing rooms
Full Story
LANDSCAPE DESIGNFire-Wise Landscapes Can Help Keep Your Home and Property Safe
Choose fire-resistant plants and materials and create defensible areas using these design strategies
Full Story
LANDSCAPE DESIGN9 Design Moves That Give a Flat Yard More Depth or Height
Sunken patios, stacked beds, berms and other features add interest to outdoor spaces
Full Story
LANDSCAPE DESIGN5 Reasons to Consider a Landscape Design-Build Firm for Your Project
Hiring one company to do both design and construction can simplify the process. Here are pros and cons for deciding if it's right for you
Full Story
REMODELING GUIDESContractor Tips: Advice for Laundry Room Design
Thinking ahead when installing or moving a washer and dryer can prevent frustration and damage down the road
Full Story
WORKING WITH PROSUnderstand Your Site Plan for a Better Landscape Design
The site plan is critical for the design of a landscape, but most homeowners find it puzzling. This overview can help
Full Story
REMODELING GUIDESGive Me a Wall, a Roof, or a House of Glass
Swoon over spaces warmed by sunlight — from one side, or many
Full Story
GREEN BUILDINGBuilding Green: How to Design a Healthier Landscape
Plant selection, water management, fire-prevention measures and more can ensure that your landscape is good for the planet and for you
Full Story
LANDSCAPE DESIGNThis Design Move Can Make a Garden Feel More Expansive
See how to design with sightlines by directing the eye with hedges, vistas and focal points
Full Story
Dig Doug's Designs