Since we can’t use shutters, any ideas to spice up the front?
George Robins
3 years ago
We were going to put up some shutters to break up the monotone look of our front facade. 90’s style has worn us down. Any suggestions?
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jck910
3 years agoRelated Discussions
need shutter ideas for front of home
Comments (47)Squirrel, I am totally amazed at all your beautiful mockups. I have been thinking about redoing my landscape before I put the house on the market so it will appeal to a larger audience. Not everybody loves roses as much as we do. Now I know who I can get to do my mockups. You have done a better job than many of the people I have seen paid very good amounts to do this with landscape proposals in hand. Squirrel, the type of soil one has and the type one needs for the type of plants they plan to use have a lot to do with the lime. If the soil has a lot of lime and one is putting out a plant that prefers a more acid soil, then that sweet soil could be detrimental to the plant, but using good composted manure and newspapers can neutralize any effects of lime around the perimeter. Putting azaleas next to a lime wall where the soil is full of lime could be fatal and thus the reason it is always recommended to do multiple soil testings as one can have acid soil in one area while it is sweet in another. Azaleas and hydrangeas prefer a more acid soil. Roses like a neutral soil and on and on. I do love the last house you did. It does remind me of that house down the street that I missed by a few minutes....See MoreSpice up Plain Front of House - Shutters?
Comments (25)I like Grover and Phum's renditions. I'd have the walkway curve over to the drive, rather than have the walkway go to the road, that's a long bit of parallel access to the house, and I assume most visitors will park in the driveway. But don't run it just in front of the house, let it curve and meander. Indeed, though, as most have said, focus on landscaping, entry and walkway. The porch idea is great! At this point it should be easy to move the new shrubbery, the roots will not have had time to sprawl out yet. And indeed the large shrubs right next to the house where the porch can expand to -- that's NOT a good location for them to thrive anyway. Unless rain typically comes in that direction, you'd be out watering them all the time anyway. Grover is right about trying to move the right hand stonework down a layer or two... when you get to it. Once you get the landscaping, porch and walkway settled, then worry about the door. Either the cedar suggestion, or a bold color there. The house itself will show off its beauty once the other things are looked at....See MoreCan't make up my mind - which tree should I plant in my front yard ?
Comments (11)Do consider that you are going to be waiting a long time for a 6' tree planted even as close as the center of one of your lawns to provide any significant amount of screening or shading of the house. But which particular window are you thinking about? A tree lined up just right with one of them and planted close enough could provide an adequate level of screening pretty quickly - maybe even immediately if of the right size and shape. With it also casting a moving shadow over part of the house some day. Otherwise you could block the street with solid fencing and/or hedging/screening plantings consisting of or including dense shrubby kinds. Usually river birch is not affected by bronze birch borer, with up here anyway it being the European, Himalayan and paper birches that are being hit now that the pest has come this far west. For instance the next door neighbors to a friend that lived near Seattle had two cut leaf weeping European birches and one river birch in their back yard. When the borer came to their neighborhood the European birches were being drilling out and dropping branches on his side of the fence in no time. Luckily the neighbors were quick to have these cut down. Providing in addition a much better view of the river birch, which as of the last time I was on the friend's property was still standing there looking intact....See MoreDid we screw up trying to tie the back and sides of house with front?
Comments (30)In the back, you can paint the garage door the same color as the trim. I would paint the access door by the front garage green, and then paint the front door the lighter trim color so it stands out more under the overhang. For the cedar shakes, I'd paint them one of the same colors you already have on your home - either green or the trim color. I think green would look best, and I would include the bottom trim piece between the shakes and the brick so that line disappears....See More
freedomplace1
3 years agoBeautiful house, as is. I would say maybe a bit more landscaping + lighting. Lighting around the house and on grounds/path.
Nancy R Chicagoland 5
3 years agoartemis_ma
3 years ago
decoenthusiaste
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoV
3 years ago
Jilly
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoI’m showing this because I like the idea of doing a seating area. It wouldn’t have to be as large or extensive as this one, but some sort of paved, curved place for a pretty bench. It’s very welcoming, and fits with the style of your beautiful home. Yours would work great with the low edging walls as a backdrop — kind of a terraced look.
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