second entrance disguise?
Angela Stevenson
4 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (64)
groveraxle
4 years agolindahambleton
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Disguising asphalt with ground cover
Comments (9)This is a topic near and dear to me, as when I purchased my home, 12 years ago, it included a 70' asphalt driveway. My house faces the driveway -- it's oriented sideways to the street, so anyone coming to the main entrance walks up driveway instead of path. Blah. I didn't need all of the drive, either -- the structure at its end is a barn housing poultry, and the double doors don't admit vehicles wider than a wheelbarrow. So, I laid a row of flat granite cobble blocks across the drive at the spot where I wanted it to end, and filled the entire upper area with peastone and flagstone stepstones for footing. I used more cobble blocks to build raised planters, lineing them with landscape fabric and filling them with topsoil and compost. The plants cascade over the edges and make a nice entry to the upper garden. My driveway is on a slight hill, so there is fine drainage -- water just passes under the peastone. You probably could use landscape timbers, riprap or any prepared paver to make raised planting boxes, or lay peastone and set pre-built cedar, redwood or other rot-resistant planters on top. If your driveway is flat, making drainage slow, that might be the best option....See MoreAnyone disguise a support post as a.....
Comments (5)Just how great is that span and have you talked to an engineer about alternatives to a support post? Friends of ours self-designed a very open first floor plan -- combined great room and dining room with 24 foot ceilings with a kitchen that fullys open to dining area along a 28 foot span, plus a second AND third floor above the kitchen. And one of the second floor bathrooms has a real cast iron clawfoot bathtub that sits about two feet from the edge of the span! The architect they went to to draw up the final plans initially told them that they would have to have a support post midway across the 28 foot open span due to the weight of their upper floors. The support post would have had to sit right at the edge of their 5' x 8' kitchen island and would have ruined the open design. When they started to build, they were talking to their builder about what they had originally envisioned and how disappointed they were that they were going to have to have a support beam right in the middle. The builder who also had some experience with commercial building suggested they talk to an engineer with some experience with commercial spaces that often have much greater open spans than any residential space. They did and the engineer figured out what size and composition of support beam they would need to support the weight of the second and third floors - I think it is something like 16 or 18 inches deep and maybe 10 inches wide. Anyway, their builder built it for them and, when completed, it looked so good they decided not to cover it over with sheetrock (which had been their original plan) but to leave it open to view. The beam actually makes the open floor plan. It looks fantastic. And, given that the house is now 15 years old and there is not a single crack in any of the walls, that beam must be doing its job....See MoreChanging a front entrance from first to second floor
Comments (9)Love that! Thanks Suz and Vith. I'd put up a photo of the house we would change but we don't own it yet, making an offer. Built into the side of a hill so it has a two story elevation on the front and one story on the back facing a pool. Changed my mind, here's the listing http://www.georgiamls.com/1416-Grandma-Branch-Rd/SF/7449708# we'll see if Houzz allows links. The current "front" door enters into the casual family area/game/viewing room. My vision is to create an entrance on what appears to be the second floor from the front and open up the back of the house with huge windows so you see the view immediately when you walk in....See MoreDisguise the electrical box or not?
Comments (12)Good suggestion to cover with a piece of art. Just be sure to note on the instructions that the box is located behind the picture. I wouldn't go to the trouble to try and paint it out. My powder room has a very similar situation with a junction box. I put a very large framed print over it. No one knows it's there....See MoreAngela Stevenson
4 years agogroveraxle
4 years agoKendrah
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agopartim
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoRina
4 years agoshwshw
4 years agogroveraxle
4 years agoRina
4 years agogroveraxle
4 years agoRina
4 years agoAngela Stevenson
4 years agogroveraxle
4 years agoRina
4 years agoDH
4 years agolindahambleton
4 years agoGcubed
4 years agopartim
4 years agoshwshw
4 years agokatinparadise
4 years agoAngela Stevenson
4 years agoshwshw
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoGcubed
4 years agotqtqtbw
4 years agoAngela Stevenson
4 years agotqtqtbw
4 years agopartim
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agogroveraxle
4 years agoRina
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoDH
4 years agoFlo Mangan
4 years agodoods
4 years agoAngela Stevenson
4 years agopartim
4 years agonickel_kg
4 years agookibujp
4 years agoSoothing Company
4 years agoMrs. S
4 years agoshwshw
4 years agochloebud
4 years agodoods
4 years agoLaura Hill
4 years agoFlo Mangan
4 years agoCheryl Smith
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoshwshw
4 years agoCheryl Smith
4 years agolindahambleton
4 years agoshwshw
4 years ago
Related Stories
KITCHEN DESIGNKitchen Ideas: 12 Refrigerators in Disguise
Designs hide the fridge behind unexpected finishes and doors
Full StoryENTRYWAYSArchitect's Toolbox: Vestibules Remake an Entrance
Easing our passage from the outdoors in, vestibules from times past are transitioning to the entryways of the present
Full StoryEntrance Canopies: The New Porch
Creative Overhangs Offer Sheltered Passage to the Front Door
Full StorySELLING YOUR HOUSEThe Second Rule of Home Staging: Keep It Fresh
Updates don’t have to break the bank, and they will give your home more buyer appeal
Full StoryGARDENING AND LANDSCAPINGSpring Patio Fix-Ups: Earn Rave Reviews for Your Patio's Entrance
Consider innovative doors, charming gates or even just potted plants to cue a stylish entry point for your patio
Full StoryDOORSMake an Entrance With a Dramatic Front Door
No matter your style, a special front door can add a lot to your home, inside and out
Full StoryHOUZZ TOURSHouzz Tour: A Radical Reconstruction Raises an Austin Home
With a new second floor and some room swapping downstairs, this 1935 Texas bungalow now fits an architect and his family beautifully
Full StoryCOLORWhich Paint Color Should a Designer Pick for Her Entry?
Bright blue? Hot pink? Jennifer Ott invites you to vote on a bold new color for the entrance to her San Francisco home
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDES10 Ways to Hide That Air Conditioner
Feeling boxed in designing around your mini-split air conditioner? Try one of these clever disguises and distractions
Full StoryLIFEHow to Build Your Housekeeping Muscle
Train yourself to clean and organize until the routine becomes second nature with this step-by-step approach
Full Story
Angela StevensonOriginal Author