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Home Decorating The Old House Design Dilemma

Front door refresh/Need advice, please

Rachel Ezekiel-Fishbein

last year

We're updating the front of our house and I'm struggling with finishes and colors. We are painting our wood door navy or black (opinions, please) and ordered a new full view storm door in the same color as our trim. I have ordered a Moravian star light fixture, pictured, which has a bronze frame that is expected to age over time, and a set of new house numbers in a silver natural metal tone, pictured. which will go on stucco by the left-hand column (above where you see the flower pot in the photo). Here's where the fun begins: my front door has a very old/worn/antiqued looking handle and the lock is older brass. The handle is pretty darn cool because it's so aged, so it would be nice to leave it, but I want to replace the door knocker. I have my eye on the one pictured from Pottery Barn. My gut was to go with the vintage pewter which would be cool with the new house numbers and then tie it together with the mailbox pictured. BUT ... I think this door knocker will clash with the door handle and lock. It also comes in rubbed bronze, pictured, but I'm worried that will fight with the house numbers I've already ordered. And adding to all of this, I'm not sure the oil rubbed bronze will show up on a black or navy door. So I guess my questions are about how to match colors of metals and what needs to match so it doesn't all look just thrown together. Do I get new door hardware and if so, would nickel match the pewter of the door knocker, as I haven't seen pewter door hardware anywhere? BTW, our home is 100 years old. We're getting the capping touched up in the front of the house with a coat of paint, new cement put in with random flagstone throughout it, and sprucing up the patio you can gl

to the right in the photo with new furniture/cushions and I hope to find some fun pieces for the approach as well, such as a bench, etc. THANKS!

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Comments (2)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
IMO a better view of the whole front of the house would be helpful . I like the light but hate the storm door I really hides most of whatever door you choose and really not needed IMO if you go with a good insulated door and if you need the screen go with a phantom screen. You have already chosen to mix metals since IMO the light fixture and the house #s should have been the same color. I need to also see the patio right now all this is to me is a mish mash of stuff that I can't see working together.
PRO
Garryy
3 months ago
last modified: 3 months ago
I don't agree with the previous poster - I think your choice of different metals works really well together. I'd go with the darker toned door knocker, or even choose a cast iron one like those shown here. That would tie in well with the numbering on the outside of the porch and create more a fluid theme. But whatever you choose, I'm sure it'll end up looking very regal.
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Great choice to widen your walk! You've asked a couple of times about the pavers. I think that if you can find brick that matches the color of your house bricks that it will add a consistency that is appealing. It may be difficult to find a gray paver that looks good with the gray of your house. I like bluestone, and it might work color-wise, but it also has a reputation for being slick in wet weather. You are also making a good choice to avoid yews if you have deer issues. I have plenty of deer, but also plenty of alternate food sources in our woodlands, and the one plant that the deer consistently nibbled down to stubs when I had them was yews. One other thing I noticed is that some of your current plants (such as the hydrangea behind the J. maple along the garage or the plants between the walkway and the garage) are planted too close to the building so that the plants are misshapen. When you replant near the building, be sure plants such as shrubs or large perennials have at least a foot or two from the expected ultimate size of the shrub and the building so that the plant isn't leaning out or rubbing up against the building once it is grown.
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An easy way to go about the change would be to remove the second layer of shrubs on the right side of the house. They are too similar in size and shape to the shrubs in the back row. If you don't like the shrubs in the back row perhaps you could switch some of them. If you don't want to lose the Nandina, which I think I see in the front row, they can be pruned. They have a special pruning method from the base that you can probably see on Youtube if you don't know it. It sounds like you want perennials so you could put them in the newly opened up space. Some of the plants you mention are not low water plants. If you want to go more drought tolerant then you can keep all the plants that need more water in just one area. That makes it easier to water them. Here is a link to low water Geraniums. LINK They could help fill in between your shrubs. The one I have is Geranium Cantabrigiense Bio Kovo. I like it because it is shorter than many Geraniums. Also, it has not been aggressive I would relocate all the shrubs to the left of the door. Find dwarfs or perennials that will not need constant pruning to stay below the porch. I like your idea to remove the "edging." I am not a fan of the mound of mulch piled against the tree. Perhaps it is a matter of taste.
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I like the look of this. The front door could be any color you like but I like the black screen door.
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