Curb Appeal - Before and Afters

Who doesn't love a good before and after? Am I right?!  And what better way to kick off Memorial Day than with a great example of the power of paint (and a little muscle).

Here's where the journey began.  My cute clients purchased this house about a year ago, and it looked like this . . . 

First, they enlisted the help of one of my all time favorite landscape architects here in Birmingham, Randy McDaniel.   His plans focus on highlighting the positives, downplaying the negatives and never allowing the landscape to upstage the house itself.  A very tall order!  Since this house sits on a corner lot (the other street is to your right in the photo), Randy worked hard to create primary and secondary focal points in his landscape design plan.  My clients are still working on installing the landscaping material; but here is a picture of the house following the clearing to ready the area for the new plantings.  

As an aside, my clients did a lot of the work themselves, but when it came time to cut the trees, they brought in the professionals.  The day before, they did this to the trees!  People driving by were stopping and looking in total confusion.

Then, for the paint.  Once we were really able to see the house, we got busy selecting paint colors.  It was clear it needed to be lightened up, but selecting an off white can be very daunting.  Too white and it feels stark and blinding.  Too warm and it comes off yellow.  A very fine line.  We narrowed the field to two Ben Moore colors for the body of the house.  In the end, here's the color we selected - China White.

 Then we selected a Farrow and Ball color for the front door.

If you notice, one of the issues this house had was two doors on the front of the house.  Here's a picture of it again for you to see.  People would have trouble deciding which door to go to when visiting the home.

The main door (to the right in the image above) opens into a gorgeous vaulted foyer, and the door to the left opens into the mudroom area with the kitchen beyond.  So, we decided to paint the secondary door the house body color so that it would disappear, giving the main front door all the focus.   I think it worked - paint is an amazing thing.

Also, notice we have removed the railings from the front entrance.  It looks so much bigger and more inviting with these removed.  The lighter paint in the alcove of the front door is also more welcoming.   The plan is to include some large planters on either side of the door, but patience!  All in due time!   I will post pictures once the front yard is complete.  You will not believe how pretty it's going to be once everything is installed.

Don't forget to hug a Veteran today!  Their sacrifices are the reason we enjoy the freedoms we do in this great country.     M.  

Weekend Randomness and Thoughts on Outdoor Spaces

First a little randomness . . . On Saturday, I was running a few errands and popped over to the Summit to look for a new handbag.  And what did I spy with my little eye . . . 

This guy.

Yelp.  The Mr. Donald J. Pliner.  The guru of comfortable, yet fabulous sandals.  He had a group of women swarming around him three rows deep.  They were snapping pictures, giggling like school girls and drinking lots of champagne.  I was mesmerized by the whole thing!  Oh, and almost forgot, he was signing their newly purchased shoes - I'm not kidding.  I have to say it was a very fun event to just happen upon on a Saturday.  Then on Sunday, we had beautiful weather, great tasting food (I feel like I had a butter IV put in for Sunday Lunch), and time with friends and family.  Very relaxing and fun. 

  Now for some interior design thoughts!  Since what seems like the early arrival of Spring here in Birmingham, I've had outdoor spaces on my mind.  Here are few that have caught my eye.

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In trying to decide why I liked all of these (and some are very different from others), I think I am drawn to outdoor spaces that feel like interior rooms.

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Places with amazing views and preferably of the water.

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Those that evoke a sense of privacy.

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Yet comfort.

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And those that are lush.  This one in particular drew me in.  What an excellent use of a hankerchief size backyard.  It's sleek while still being super green and luscious.

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I also love outdoor spaces with great lighting.  Even at our own house, I love to sit up near our kids play area and look back down at our house in the evening.  All the lights inside create the coolest shadows outside.  Looking forward to doing that this summer, and seeing all the fireflies. 

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I'm also drawn to large containers of plantings and lots ivy growing on walls (which drives me husband crazy - he hates ivy).  

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So, how's that for some random thoughts on a Monday!  What are some of your favorite things about outdoor spaces? M.

Project in Progress - Lake House Update V

The installation of the screened in porch is complete!  If you are new around here and would like to get up to speed on this project you will need to start here - Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV.

Have you ever read an interior design blogs post about a project a designer is currently working on -  only to find they never do a follow up post on the completed project?  It can be very frustrating when you REALLY want to see that finished project.  And I use the word "finished" lightly here because you and I both know spaces evolve over time.  

Well, today, I'm going to show you the finished product.  

Remember, here's the design layout board for the screened in porch.

And here are a few images of the space after installation.  Look at that view! This image was taken from inside the family room (you can sort of see the reflection of the glass).

Here is the finished structure.  It has completely transformed the house.

This is the side entrance to the screened in porch.  As you can see, they still have a very nice outdoor space to enjoy the lake. 

We did a white wash finish on the ceiling to keep things like and airy and to give us the contrast we needed to show off the gorgeous chandelier and ceiling fans. 

Here's a image of the space at night. 

Looking to the family room.  I think I mentioned this to you before, but it's worth a second mention.  Do you see the door to the left?  This small change provide huge benefits to the space.  Previously, the door opened into the family room which (as you can see) is a very narrow space.  By changing it out with a glass paneled door and allowing it to open into the screened in porch we have gained floor space in the family room and created visual openness by allowing your eye to "steal" the outdoor space through the glass panes.  Small change, huge impact. 

We decided to edit out the pair of chairs (at least for now) that were separating the seating area from the dining area.  The clients will live with this layout for the summer and decide if they think additional seating is essential.  The space still feels finished without the chairs and gives a very open feeling. 

This is the view from the lake side - notice the cement side tables next to the screen.  It's important to consider using materials that can withstand the elements in spots near the screen. 

I'm thrilled she decided to go with the trolix chairs out here.  I just love the industrial, rustic vibe they give the space.  As an aside, I originally gave the client two options for the trolix chairs - a less expensive one with arms and these (which were still quite affordable, compared to the original trolix chairs).  They ended up going with the more expensive option.  I'm so glad they did because the chairs without arms have allowed for more seating at the table. 

I also love this spot.  This is what you see when you walk out the back door.  These "sight lines" are so important to think about when you are designing a space.  You really want to see something interesting when you walk by the back door and look beyond.  Also love the additional chairs when you have extra guests as these can be pulled up to the seating area. 

Ok, so I couldn't resist.  Here is the before . . .  

And here's the after . . . 

Lastly, I don't think I showed you a picture of the complete front gable.  

Even their cute dog, Rusty is thrilled with the results.  Now they are truly ready for a memorable summer!  M.