Hollyhock, Hollyhock, Oh Holly, Holly, Holly...
thinman
12 years ago
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blondiesc
12 years agoalisande
12 years agoRelated Discussions
What color to paint house? What style is it?
Comments (44)Hi Holly: I am actually familiar with that area! ( I live in an 1890 Victorian in Northville) At first I thought that this house was in the historical area of Ypsilanti, and I was going to suggest taking a cue from neighboring houses for color, but I believe that this house is more in a mixed area of housing (newer and older) - am I thinking of the right area? Anyway, if that is the case, I think you can go in any direction you would like with color, and I would go with a color as opposed to a neutral. The photo is a little fuzzy, but it looks like you may have brick lintels (curved portion of brick) over the windows? If this is the case, I would go with a 3-color paint scheme: the body (brick) of the house, the trim and the window muntins. When I put together a scheme like this, I usually use 2 shades of one color with a 3rd as an accent (e.g. a darker green on the body, a lighter green on the trim and a pale wheat color on the muntins). Or how about a darker wheat on the body, a lighter wheat on the trim and a dark green on the muntins? The possibilities are endless. I agree about gray - there is just too much opportunity for color here which will make this house a standout, to go with a light gray (although dark gray with an interesting accent could work). I don't mind the kitchen cabinets - I think the door style is appropriate -, although the kitchen looks a bit dark for such dark cabinets. I used Benjamin Moore Cabinet Coat at our cottage. There is a Benjamin Moore paint store, I believe, right on Washtenaw just East of 23 (North side) - Anderson's? Go and talk to them about it. I believe the paint was about $60/gallon, but you don't need to prime. I got very good results with it and you can get it in any BM color. I love the exposed brick wall - we had this in our previous house in Northville, which was an 1870 Italianate. You can do so much with this space. I redid the kitchen in our current house. I wanted to keep the feeling of the period in the details (trim, cabinet door style), but a kitchen - unless you go with the period-styled appliances, which I personally don't like and which are also exceedingly expensive - has to include modern appliances. I like this mix, and I think it makes a home more interesting, I will post a photo of our kitchen, because we have painted cabinets and a similar space (although ours was done over 20 years ago). The countertop can be easily replaced, and you have a huge opportunity to do a wonderful backsplash (are you familiar with Virginia Tile in Farmington Hills - you need a field trip!) Victorianbungalow has given you a wealth of information and resources. I would also mention that EMU has a Historic Preservation program, so you could always contact them for local resources, too. As the owner of several old houses, as well as the designer/planner for many more, the house has so much potential to be absolutely charming, and as long as it is structurally sound, it seems like a winner (I would try to pretty aggressively negotiate that price though - things are still not bouncing back around here.) Oh, and I love the backyard, too (there is that Heritage Rose Co, somewhere around Ypsi - perfect opportunity) http://www.houzz.com/projects/14666/Ambrose-Peltier-Kitchen...See More7 Key Solutions to Great Laundry Room Design
Comments (2)I would add that a utility sink is a must to help soak stains and wash hands. I actually miss my basement laundry because it gave me lots of folding and sorting and hanging space, and any mess was out of view. I even miss the one I shared long ago with 5 other apartments because I could do three loads at one time, had a lot of folding space, and an had an entire room to hang laundry, plus a play area with an old sofa, table and room for my son to ride his tricycle, and a fair number of windows, not far from the front and back entrances. Now if I didn't have to share with quite so many people who didn't remove their laundry promptly, and climb 3 flights of stairs, it would have been ideal! I now have a laundry nook in a hallway, and not having enough sorting, hanging and folding space in plain view is a problem, Oh well, it beats having to go outside and through the Bilco doors, especially in the wintertime. The previous owner did that for 50 years, and used a wringer washer and no dryer!...See MoreCurb appeal for monstrosity....
Comments (24)Here are updates. Not great I know but as I said in the earlier post, I'm working on mom to persuade her. She's very resistant to change but I do hope to implement more changes. Meanwhile my well-intentioned attempts at gardening are still very shaggy. Here are the main questions at this point: 1 ) Despite the mom factor, I'm still always open to new suggestions that will improve the place. 2) What can make the garden more orderly and less shaggy? 3) What can I do to create a foundational border at the bottom of the shed, behind the boxwoods? Something that can be trimmed so that the top is straight even though the ground itself is sloped (both ways)? That will create a nice backdrop for the boxwoods and not clash? The boxwoods so small and I dont think they are going to get much larger. - Raised brick bed -The ground is sloped downward for rain drainage so it won't hold a raised brick bed. - Siding -We cannot afford to do any kind of siding right now and I don't know that we could find any that would match the brick on the other wall over to the right. - Climbing plant on a horizontal trellis spanning the length of the house -The plant behind the boxwoods is actually a climbing rose, but the wall is in shade at least half the day and it is not enough light for a rose. (FWIW we are in north central FL). It also doesn't look good because the green of the is darker than the boxwoods.. Might work for another plant. - shrubs or grasses? Although they might look funny behind the boxwoods? - Tall flowers? Except you could see the white between them. - plant pots? - the ground slopes. Other notes - The hanging vinca (what's left of it) gets full sun (so much it killed the petunias). I am thinking of pulling out the Majesty Palm in the corner and getting a yucca and creating a better corner. We will be getting more rocks to fill the spaces in and getting rid of the white river rocks and black spaces very soon. The sad vinca in the birdbath is in shock, only transplanted two days ago. The small hook actually had herbs in it, but they are looking rough so I'm planning to replant. There used to be flowers hanging from that hook. The last picture has the petunias that died when it got too hot out. The plant by the door (mums), the lily, and a few other things look shaggy because we were having mealy bug problems but I just gave them some insecticidal soap and some bayer systemic so hopefully they will come back. The plan for the large palm in the middle is to grow it upward, trim the bottom, and create a rock circle around it with some other plants and elements. May be a few years until it grows though. The heat killed these petunias =(...See MoreHere's last year's foundation plantings... Need new better ideas
Comments (7)Your house exterior looks so lovely with the stone & painted shutters! Columbine would add some height & they come in a variety of colors, very shade tolerant & deer resistant. For blues, both salvia & speedwell can actually do fine in part to full shade, depending on the variety. If that corner or the walnut area get more sun, a trellised clematis, some foxgloves, or hollyhocks would add both height & color. Hostas (though still short & not deer resistant) would add some bulk & green, plus they can be divided after 2 years so they'll fill out even more space over time. Mixing hosta varieties can create great visual texture. Hydrangeas, another common shade choice, would bulk out too much for the width of that side bed unless you expand it a couple feet. If you aren't ready to commit to a plant, consider adding a piece of structural decor like a pedestal, garden tower, or a standing solar light. Good luck!...See MoreVikki1747
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