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Paint Landscape Design

Curb appeal needed. Shutter color suggestions?

last year

Planning on a Japanese maple on the far right and maybe a window flower box under the bay window. Should we paint the foundation? What other shrubs/flowers/evergreens would look nice and where?

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Comments (6)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
last year
Step one in my book would be to remove the landscape fabric, unless of course it is just there to kill off the grass. It will be an ongoing annoyance, a soil sourer and weed habitat. Step two would be to remove the shutters since they could not cover the windows, even if they were real. Flower boxes can look great but if you mean a box attached to the wall you’d need to consider how it would be fixed, considering the weight, how it would be prevented from staining the house wall when watering and how much time you can devote to maintenance. They need frequent watering, dead heading and feeding and displays usually need changing seasonally. Flowers in the ground below the windows would be a much less labour intensive option. Repeat plants to avoid a blobby appearance. The hosta looks happy so I’d add four or five more of the same variey. Then fill in with multiples of other plants. People will need to know your location to suggest climate appropriate species.
Rebecca Smith
Original Author
last year
Zone 5b -6
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This home needs curb appeal - suggestions?
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Comments (14)
forever I think the home has plenty of potential for exterior charm I would suggest: Remove all the shutters they are just the wrong dimension for the windows, they appear to be cheap & poorly installed as well the first level has 3 arches above windows & door perhaps an arched portico http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.finalarchitecture.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/elegant-portico-with-brick-walk-up-porch.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.finalarchitecture.com/entranceway-design-collection-from-colonial-remodeling-project/elegant-portico-with-brick-walk-up-porch/&usg=__VUutID-HZcCjwrx5bsZK-sV3F-w=&h=319&w=500&sz=83&hl=en&start=0&sig2=x4xhpisErBFcIm6OscckQA&zoom=1&tbnid=tDPG5NJXxW1k7M:&tbnh=128&tbnw=178&ei=1KOHTNXpM8H6lwe8xrixDg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbrick%2Bcolonial%2Bwith%2Barched%2Bportico%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1016%26bih%3D509%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=695&vpy=82&dur=5603&hovh=179&hovw=281&tx=188&ty=126&oei=1KOHTNXpM8H6lwe8xrixDg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0 Another portico http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://blog.redfin.com/washingtondc/files/2008/04/ramsgateroad.jpg&imgrefurl=http://factoidz.com/knowing-the-architectural-styles-for-remodeling-a-home/&usg=__znfWpicXIH5FcMQKQif8Qap8U2c=&h=300&w=400&sz=56&hl=en&start=0&sig2=ce1aqBvojfvdh1fTdD7dgQ&zoom=1&tbnid=Y7ikaaXsxk2lcM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=145&ei=1KOHTNXpM8H6lwe8xrixDg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbrick%2Bcolonial%2Bwith%2Barched%2Bportico%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1016%26bih%3D509%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C102&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=253&vpy=215&dur=895&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=133&ty=130&oei=1KOHTNXpM8H6lwe8xrixDg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0&biw=1016&bih=509 brick w/black front door & black shutters http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://philly.brownstoner.com/decbrickwork1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://philly.brownstoner.com/preservation/&usg=__Tlm_qAa7t1gfk7SifSv8Ac1OCP4=&h=364&w=500&sz=196&hl=en&start=348&sig2=iosMnAug8v-qHVYP7Wr-wg&zoom=1&tbnid=X_M8-ms_v5O2pM:&tbnh=174&tbnw=247&ei=iaaHTMmEIYPGlQf9p_iKDw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbrick%2Bcolonial%2Bwith%2Barched%2Bportico%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1016%26bih%3D509%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C17833&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=475&vpy=201&dur=3102&hovh=191&hovw=263&tx=121&ty=110&oei=1KOHTNXpM8H6lwe8xrixDg&esq=43&page=46&ndsp=8&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:348&biw=1016&bih=509 Remove the evergreen to the right - at least part of it, the part that is eating the house -is there house behind that? Trim the evergreen on the opposite side, it is now encroaching on the house. Someone decided to plant a tree way to close to the house in front, that soon will be eating up the front of the house - I would move that before it gets to large to move Make beds in front of the house with some mix of small evergreen types rhododendron, azalea and perennials Perhaps some type of facing over the existing front steps w/stone - if the concrete base is in good condition and install nice black wrought iron railing - Other black accents may work well too - urns - perhaps painting the front door black & then consider installing proper shutters best of luck
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Curb appeal suggestions needed
Q
Comments (10)
How about zeroscaping or xeriscaping for the front yard? However since the lawn is already dead, it's going to take time money and maintenance to do anything with it. So if the current tenants really don't care, you may as well save your money and wait until the day you want t sell or re-rent it. Unless the neighbors are complaining! Some ideas: zeroscaping xeriscaping Xeri and Zeroscaping
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help- curb appeal suggestions needed.
Q
Comments (3)
Why can't you have black shutters? Because your neighbors have them??? Is there a law in your town that you all have to have different color shutters? Anyway you have a very nice home and I happen to think it looks great with shutters. How about a very dark green?
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What can I do to add curb appeal? Change color shutters/door?
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Comments (9)
Agree with houssaon about removing the shutters. Keep the white fascia and trim and porch posts. Do you have a favorite bold color that you might want for your front entry door color rather than white? If so, you might also consider painting your white porch chair(s) that same color. You could add a post with a solar light and brackets for a pair of hanging baskets centered in front of the windows to the right beside your porch. You could add some plants around the post that will climb the post and provide colorful blooms. You might add a plain concrete bird bath to your yard. You could create a walkway to the bird bath with pavers with grass in between the pavers.
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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
last year
Sadly, zone is not enough information. People need a geographical location. The zone only tells us your average low winter temperature. It tells us nothing else about your climate such as summer heat, rainfall etc. For example, based on winter temps I live in z8/9, but I could never grow a melon outdoors. My summers are too cool.
elcieg
last year
last modified: last year
First, power wash the roof.

Remove shutters.

Consider a light toned applied stone for foundation.

Where is the front door? The house needs a front walk.

Remove or move the plant left of house.

As long as the house doesn't get full sun all day, you can get more hosta, and do a low planting arrangement, add a couple low growing evergreens, etc. Your local nursery will help you choose correct planting for the zone and exposure.

I think you have hostas and what looks like two slow growing Hanoki. Incorporate those into the design. Also in this photo are astilbe, a nice early summer plant for shade.
laceyvail 6A, WV
last year
Ditto on removing the landscape fabric before you plant anything.
Kate
last year
Agree with removing the shutters and trimming out the windows.

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