Tone down the cottage style
Hi, all! New-to-us home, built in the 1920's and remodeled in the 1950's. The front is farmhouse/cottage, the back is more modern with clean lines and lots of windows. I'd love help in toning down the cottage feel of the front (our aesthetic is more modern but I understand that the front is what it is!). There are lots of architectural styles in our neighborhood, most houses built in the 1920's to 1940's.
Siding, windows, garage doors are staying for now. Need help with trim color change, plus other small details to help update the style (front door, mailbox, numbers, lighting, etc). Roof is also being replaced in the next few years, so would love thoughts on roof color.
I'll be posting about the most horrible mantel ever at some point too (our realtor called it "corporate boardroom chic" yikes!). Thanks everyone!!
All pictures from the listing, so not with our stuff.
Front of house:
Closer detail:
Back rooms (for comparison)
Comments (26)
PRODiana Bier Interiors, LLC
last yearI'm not sure what your question is. You are comparing the outside of the front with the inside of the back, which is confusing to me.
I think the curb appeal of the front exterior is very charming, so I wouldn't change much. Can you paint the siding or is it staying the same color? The front door style would be more appropriate for a back door, perhaps change it out to a six-panel door? Or a door with small windows at the top? I'm not wild about the trim colors on the door and sidelights. I prefer the look of a door and storm door to be an accent color, with the sidelights in a color to match the window trim. Here are some ideas:
Colonial Refacing - Front Facade · More Info
Summer School (Cape Cod, MA) · More Info
New entry way · More Info
Crisp Architects · More Info
Front doors with screens · More InfoIf you're keeping the yellow siding, you could do the trim in black, blue or green for a nice effect.
Rachel E
last yearRelated Discussions
Oh, tone it down!
Comments (47)Oakley, if smooshed down couch pillows appeal to you, this photo should fit the bill! I can't keep my Dundee off his perch on our living room sectional, and these cushions always need to be plumped before company arrives. Auntjen, your glazed walls look fantastic, but then again, the room looked great even before the glazing. I love your use of bold color, and can't wait to see the new drapes when you get them!...See Moreis this crazy? using beeswax polish to tone down granite shine?
Comments (11)Thanks for all the input. I wanted to love the leathered granite. I took a sample that was actually pretty dark but it did have lighter areas and tested it. I let some wine sit on it for 2 hours then rinsed and scrubbed it - but you could still see a significant stain from the wine. That just doesn't fit with our lifestyle - a family of four, nightly scratch meals, and two messy kids who are just getting started with cooking in the kitchen. Our children are getting bigger and we're outgrowing this small home. We really have to consider re-sale as likely within the next 3-5 years. I could live with my own countertop patina, but I don't think anyone wants to buy someone else's patina, unless it's an ancient British seaside cottage or something. The condo market here is pretty unfavourable so the granite has to be a selling point, not a minus. Based on my tests and reading, polished granite is the most chip-resistant and stain-resistant natural stone so that is what we have chosen. Dh was not open to considering engineered stone. The granite I've picked (White River) is a true granite, from my understanding. It is not another stone that is being marketed as granite (like dolomite, marble, etc.) - it is not calcareous and should not etch with acids (and didn't in my tests). I've left the sample lying around during renovations, etc. and it is holding up very well. I actually have researched countertop choices to death and I think I'm making an informed decision. Wax was just an idea to make the surface more pleasing to me. Like I said before, I can live with the polished finish even though I adore the leathered/honed finishes. Gr8day, thanks for sharing your experience with actually using wax on granite :) . I have read about people using wax to get their old granite counters more shiny and that's what gave me the idea to use a different kind of wax to make counters less shiny....See MoreHelp tone down the "cool" tones & improve flow with warm kitchen
Comments (62)So, just a quick update. Still waiting on the rug & pillows to arrive. In the meantime a World Market *just* opened up near us and they had cinnamon pillows! I also found a funky wooden "tray" that I liked. Do the old pilllows go? Or do I need to find something else to tie it in? Also, thinking of hitting West Elm tomorrow. Browsing their website I found this cluster of vases I like - might put these on the console. Maybe the mantle? I need something warm on the TV console too.. I also found these blue ones, don't think I like them as much. They also had some cherry wood ones, but I think if I redo the large framed artwork I won't need them up there. Maybe use these for the TV console? Or keep looking? Also saw this chair at World Market that I like, but I'm going to wait until the carpet comes in. It's getting there!...See MoreHelp! Trying to tone down brand new SW Dover White cabinet-too yellow
Comments (33)Can any color experts out there tell me if SW Moth Wing would be a good choice for the island? Would it give an ample contrast to the SW Dover White. First, I loveDover White. I think it's a pretty white. Some whites are "okay" and some are "pretty" and I think Dover White is pretty, so you could have done a lot worse, IMO. Dover White belongs to the yellow hue family. So, the data validates exactly what you're seeing. If I painted the walls SW Accessible Beige with a PPG Delicate White Trim, would that clash? I'm hoping the paint color I choose will help neutralize the yellow I see. They would not clash. Those three colors go together well - they relate nicely. And it is possible that Accessible will lessen how yellow Dover White looks. Moth Wing doesn't really fit in. It's too close in terms of hue family and chroma to Accessible Beige and I don't care for the relationship on paper or lookin' at the chips. I know Moth Wing and Accessible Beige are on the same strip but that doesn't really mean anything. Color harmony is not built-in guaranteed just because colors are on the same strip. Very often the similar color attributes that land colors on the same strip are the very reasons they don't go together - Accessible Beige and Moth Wing are a good example. If you're not happy with Balanced Beige and don't want to just leave it and see how it works out, then I'd get off that strip of colors and go another color direction....See More
kandrewspa
last year
Kate
last yearhousegal200
last yearBlack garage, black front door, black shutters (or no shutters if the siding isn't discolored). Your request is hard to fulfill since you don't want to change siding, garage, etc. Heres a no-shutters yellow house with black garage doors, black front door, gray roof.
Landscaping is a good fix. Here's landscaping that is more geometric:
Modern cottage with low water frontyard planting · More Info
Here's modern farmhouse lighting that would be a transition between house you bought and house you wish you bought. The mailbox, lights, and house numbers are from Pottery Barn.
Rachel E thanked housegal200chispa
last yearRachel E
last yearRuth
last yeareverdebz
last yeareverdebz
last yeareverdebz
last yearlast modified: last yearDo you like the colors used [brick, etc.] - if you remove/change, you can still have that palette.
Landscaping can use anything red-dish: coppery COR-TEN steel planter / Japanese Maple
COR-TEN Steel Entry Planter · More Info
Nice Corten Tapered Square Planter, Corten, 16" · More Info
Metallic Series Corten Steel Pedestal Planter, Short · More Infoeverdebz
last yearNearly same color as on your house - says This metal planter has a "rusted patina" with a clear finish applied, giving it a smooth and shiny finish. The deep rust color helps add a *pop* to your plants you choose to add to it. Use it inside or out, as a wall planter, and as a modernized address sign for you house."
Vertical Metal Planter Box · More InfoRachel E
last yearRachel E
last yearJust wanted to say THANKS to all of you for the ideas. Here’s a pic of what we’ve done so far (still to get a new vertical mailbox, and saving up for a new door). I like it so much better just with a bit of paint. Thanks!
lisaam
last year
mcpherson007
last yearplf12652
last yearmcpherson007
last year
decoenthusiaste