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jennifer_amison

HELP GARDEN DESIGN DISASTER

7 years ago

HELLO, I AM IN GREAT NEED OF SUGGESTIONS, MY HUSBND AND I BOUGHT OUR DREAM HOME AND AS WE STARTED TO MAKE IT UP TO DATE IT IS ACTUALLY LOOKING WORSE THEN BEOFRE, FOR STARTERS WE SPENT 30K TO PAINT THE EXTERIOR OR THE HOME AND HAD A DESIGNER PICK COLORS FOR US TO CHOOSE, I HATE THE COLOR IT LOOKS HORRIBLE TO. ME. THE POND IN THE FROM WAS PAINTED BLUE WHICH WAS SUPOSE TO BE LIGHT BLUE AND THE ROCK FEATURE WE HIRES A PROFESSIONAL AND IT ALL IS A TOTAL MESS.

PLEASE I NEED SUGGESTIONS IM ACTUALLY EMBARRASSED WHEN I PULL IN MY OWN DRIVEWAY, And no I cant get rid of the water feature my husband won't let me.




Comments (34)

  • 7 years ago

    Oh I forgot to add that the painters chemical washed the roof that was dark green and used chlorine and basically bleached it lighter.

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    I think the color of your house is pleasing. I don't love the random statuary seen by the car, maybe there is a better place to install that? I'd put some thought into landscaping. PS turn off the caps, that's yelling!

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Why would you enlist the help of a designer to pick colours that you and your husband should be more than capable of doing . A local paint shop could then assist with the easiest and efficient application of product and any necessary prep work involved . Then hire a well known painting contractor to apply your chosen product properly . It would appear that you , the designer and paint team all dropped the ball . However in the end you had control at any time to intervene and stop the process and to achieve the final product you expected . Hope you have retained the help of a good lawyer !

    Jennifer Amison thanked ssewalk1
  • PRO
    7 years ago

    I think you're overreacting--the color does not look horrible at all--it's very basic and plain, but in no way horrible. After spending $30,000 to paint it I wouldn't want to add to the cost by changing it now. The roof looks clean and ok as well.

    The pond color is a bit bright and the rock feature quite large. Maybe they could lower it? Maybe the cost to repaint the pond wouldn't be so much so you could lighten that.

  • 7 years ago

    Im sorry about the caps I didn't know that, lol what color should I paint the pond this time?? white?

  • 7 years ago

    No, no lawyer we agreed on the color and it was with sherwin Williams that picked the paint and I made sure she was a color consultant also

  • 7 years ago

    I wonder what you were going for because I think it looks fabulous.

    Jennifer Amison thanked arcy_gw
  • 7 years ago

    the pond looks more like a swimming pool in the driveway than a pond. I think making the liner much much darker will help. Is there any chance you can grow water plants in it to make it look more pone like?

  • 7 years ago

    I dont think my husband would like the water plants plus it probably would take a lot of time to maintain. And yes it sure does look like a pool and it really is. It had fish in it before we moved in.

    I wish I could knock it down but I cant

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    A lawyer??? That's ridiculous. It's perfectly fine.

  • 7 years ago

    You entitled this Garden Design Disaster , further stated pond was to be light blue which it appears to be . Actually very close to sky blue . A darker earth tone brown or emerald green would perhaps be more appropriate to a pond . The water features and statue are nice . I agree with Diana it's not horrible . I,am just confused in that you paid 30 K and have evidence of poor quality of work and actual damage to the roofing tile and have not sought remedial repairs . These people are suppose to be professionals and stand by their work . It,s their responsibility to reprep the pool and roof and repaint to the agreed final product ( Colour ) .

  • 7 years ago

    The house and roof colors look good to me.

    Are you saying you want to get rid of the pond - is that what you mean by the water feature? Or do you mean the rocks or the statue? I agree the pond color is a bit bright but I don't think it would be that expensive to have it repainted.

  • 7 years ago

    I really do not mind the color of the house & roof (I actually like it). The water feature on the other hand I do not care for the color. It is a great color for a swimming pool and that is what it looks like to me and with the large rock feature it looks more like a resort pool. I do think the previous suggestion of painting it black is interesting. If your husband will not get rid of it, is he open to a reduction in size?

  • 7 years ago

    at least get rid of the stacked rock. It’s just gotta go. There is your compromise, he keeps the pond so you can get rid of the moutain of rock.

  • 7 years ago

    I don't have a problem with the paint or the roof, but the wanna be Disney pond is awful. If you can't remove it, go black or a deep green to compliment the roof color. I'm afraid you may lose those trees that have been buried pond side. Their roots can't breathe under all that concrete. If you get the chance to fill in the pond, try something on a more human scale.


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  • 7 years ago

    Definitely paint the pond a darker color and maybe add some lily pads, etc. :)

  • 7 years ago

    I don't think it's a disaster either. If it's any consolation, I highly doubt the chlorine bleached your roof tile. My hunch is the cleaning brought it back to the color it was when it was originally installed. The cleaning process removed environmental and organic contaminants. Is it terracotta or concrete tile?

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    calm down. the house looks fine. I've read your original post 3 times and can barely comprehend what you're trying to say.

    As for the water feature, figure out something with your husband. Us advising you doesn't mean squat if your husband doesn't want to do it.

    You could do water lillies and lotus, but you can't have chlorinated water. and yes, you'll have to hire someone for monthly maintenance. Same as a pool.


    sit down with him, tell him what you dislike, and see if the two of you can come to an agreement. gather pictures of features you do like and show those to him. Go from there.

  • PRO
    7 years ago


    Maybe use the green roof color as an accent on some features of the home instead of the white. Darkened the pond also.

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    I agree the pond is bad and without any plants will be even harder to maintain IMO it is too big and not attractive at all as just a pool sitting in a bad spot. I like the house color and I like the roof with it. The rock feature is to make a waterfall into the pond so get that working it will look much better have the pool repainted a darker color and add some plants it will then look like a pond and not a misplaced pool. Get rid of the staue by the car and get some huge planters filled with plants to add to the driveway inside the gates

  • 7 years ago

    To me the front pond is a peek at what is in the back. Do you have water front or a hotel grade tropical paradise in the back yard?

  • 7 years ago

    I don't hate the pool color. It just sticks out because nothing else is blue. Some large scale planters near the house or awnings in blue would help to marry the pool color with the home. I don't care for the rocks in the pool again, because there is no tie in in color or form with other landscape elements.

  • 7 years ago

    Thank you to all that has responded to my post, I do so appreciate it. I like some of the ideas but not sure of myself to attempt them myself. I know on Etsy you can have an online E design for interior design for a few hundred dollars but I was unable to locate a professional that does exterior landscape design. Does anyone know of one?? Im willing to pay for one that can give me a idea layout via email

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    No doubt about it, that fountain basin colour is a real distraction! Needs to be re-done in a subtle way and maybe add tile to the sidewall.

  • 7 years ago

    Any chance you can send me a photo of a type of tile that you would recommend?

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    That would depend on your personal taste. Having said that, you could riff off of the architecture and have a decorative tile with a Spanish type of design (maybe playing off of the colour of the tile roof), or, could have the tile merge with a chosen paint colour for the bottom of basin; change that hideous blue to a dark grey to give a sense of depth and have a dark tile. Note: last photo has tile throughout the pool. An optimal solution albeit expensive.




  • 7 years ago

    Wow I like that, thank you.


  • 7 years ago

    Question, the last photo with the spa, is that painted, blue grey? And where would I buy that from?

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    it is completely tiled from looks of it. That was to illustrate my point about the optimal solution being to tile the whole basin. Alternatively you could use a dark grey marblelite (what they use on gunnite pools) on bottom and use tile on rim - the same as they do with poured concrete swimming pools.

    Jennifer Amison thanked Owen Landscape Architect
  • 7 years ago

    Great! Thank you very much for all the very helpful ideas.

  • 7 years ago
    I think the color of the house is beautiful. The color of the pond is what is throwing it off - it is hideous. As another said it needs to a darker color, but before I did that I would update the landscaping to see if there are better ideas regarding that pond. It doesn’t really fit the house at all especially with the statute. One of the problems with a big change is that you are not use to seeing it through the new lens. Your house color is fine - the landscaping and that pond thing need to be addressed IMO.
    Jennifer Amison thanked gtcircus
  • 7 years ago

    You asked for anyone doing edesign. I've never seen a better one that Maria Killam's garden. Do a search on her site for additional posts under "landscape" especially the before and afters.

    https://www.mariakillam.com/gardeninstallation/

    https://www.mariakillam.com/professionals-know-when-to-avoid-the-obvious/

    Her designer genius is MaryAnne White whose work you can see here: http://agardenbydesign.blogspot.com

    and who can be reached here: mwhite841@verizon.net <mwhite841@verizon.net>



  • 7 years ago

    thank you