Workin' On Some Curb Appeal

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Lately? No.

This summer when I wasn't dying from multiple cold viruses and lung infections? Yes. 

(Thank you for the well wishes that you left earlier this week. I am feeling a smidgen better {I heart antibiotics} but have barely made it through the last two weeks. I think my husband secretly wants to stab me in the eye from all of my horrible coughing. He was such a good sport though and made all of my suppers, lunches, and cups of tea. He's a keeper.)

Since I haven't been able to do anything around the house lately, I thought I'd share some curb appeal projects that we've tackled since we bought the house. There are still sooooo many things that we want to do but we've accomplished quite a bit so far.


Alex and Roary the day we got the keys. Look how small Roary is!

What we loved about our house when we bought is was that it was all original. The previous owners (there were only 2 families before us) maintained all of the character and charm of the original home. We shopped around for a whole year and found that all of the old, old homes had hideous or poorly done additions or "updates." Our plan was, and still is, to update the home but with finishes and features that reflect the age and style of the home.

In the above picture, please make note of the ugly, random bushes and vines, a light fixture that's so small you can hardly see it, and faux gold house numbers. Thanks to my adventure-loving dad the first thing we did when the snow melted was to chain those shrubs and bushes  to his pick-up truck and rip them right out of the ground. I'm sure our neighbours were so pleased to have us that day. ;)


Here is a list of all the curb appeal projects we've tackled so far:

1. We ripped out all of the old/ugly shrubs, bushes, and vines. They were half-dead and full of bugs anyway.

2. I painted the front door a soft, sage-y green colour. I spray-painted the front door hardware black to match the roof, railings, and light fixture.

3. The trim work around the front door was chipped and peeling so I scraped, primed, and painted it all a crisp white. 

4. We installed a large, glass lantern (that I love) to replace the tiny, crusty, old one.

5. I had a custom sign ordered out of slate with our street name and number to hang over the door.

6. Alex installed a new roof (with the help of oh-so-kind friends and family).

7. Alex built a picket fence so Roary could play in his very own yard.

8. We built, painted, and installed the longest window box you've ever seen in your life. 



9. I planted ten, yes ten, hydrangea bushes under the windows along the front and side of the house (inspired from a Country Living photo from a long time ago).

10. We built and installed two tiny window boxes on the driveway side of the house.

11. I purchased a metal flower trellis and planted some clematis to climb it.



12. I shopped for four years and finally found two ceramic pots with the same shade of green as the front door. Picky much?

13. We installed cement curbs in the driveway to stop grass from growing into the gravel.

14. I watered, fertilized, weeded, and babied the heck out of the grass to get it all lush and pretty. I may or may not be in a make-believe competition with a lady down the street for the greenest grass.

15. I found a creamy, rusty star and installed it in the empty space on the left hand side of the house. It looked unbalanced because of the large windows on the right hand side.




Here are the five things that still bug me (a lot ) about the exterior: 

1. We have no shutters. I know that it will instantly make the house cozier but I just didn't seem to have time this summer to make them. Shutters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. The front door is ugly. I hate the half-moon shape of the window. I have a door picked out already. It's sooooo pretty expensive.



3. The concrete steps and walkway are also very, very ugly.

4. The metal screen door with the Neighbourhood Watch sticker is also very, very, very ugly.

5. The gravel driveway. Need I say more.

So, that's what we've done to the front of the house so far. It doesn't seem like much until you list it in a blog post. Maybe we're doing okay after all.


Any ideas for some more curb appeal? What have you done to the exterior of your home?

I'll leave you with one last picture that shows the ginormous silver maple tree that sits in our front yard. See all of those leaves? Guess who gets to rake 'em all up..... :)


Linking to:

Everything But The Kitchen Sink @ A Little Knick Knack
Remodelaholic's Anonymous @ Remodelaholic
Feature Yourself Friday @ Fingerprints On The Fridge
Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home
Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest
Style Feature Saturday @ Perfectly Imperfect
Before and After Party @ Thrifty Decor Chick

24 comments:

  1. My goodness Sarah! I think it looks awesome....the window boxes make it IMO! I know it's hard to see past the stuff we still want to change, but many what a difference you've made to your place. I'd be the stalker doing a driveby wishing I had a cottage like that!

    Our exterior is blecky. I've done what I can, but it's still just ick to me. Ah well, someday it might be cute like yours :)

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  2. What a HUGE difference! I love the hydrangeas, they are beautiful! Also, the window boxes are to die for. Thanks for sharing!

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  3. Oh it looks so cute now. And EXACTLY like my old house! We have great taste in houses!
    I love everything you did here. The flower boxes and gardens look fantastic, you added massive curb appeal! Great job!

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  4. Lovely. I think you did something very right, which I did not. I immediately decided that our nearly 1/2 acre property must have gardens...you know, to look exactly like all the English Country dream properties in magazines. I should have read the same mag as you and gone for a simple row of hydrangeas. After 10 years, I basically plan to rip out all my gardens and start (almost) over. Turns out I am not a complete natural at gardening, and find much of the work tedious. And I am not into English Country at the moment - want something simple and a bit more structured. But I like the look of quaint and mature plant life, so will have to find a happy medium...Anyway, I think you're doing well. I am particular about doors, too, and think your future choice is lovely. Your other ideas sound great, too.

    Funny, my husband and I were just discussing curb appeal. I want things to look great without surpassing my conscience based on what we really NEED. But he has almost convinced me that we need to completely re-side the whole place (I have no brick), especially after a construction friend's co-worker was all impressed with the inside, after driving up and feeling that the outside looked "slum". Those picky construction guys and their eye for detail. Whatever.

    I'm in a Craftsmand-sytle "bungalow" like yours, as well - such pretty houses! I've put these on my Christmas list for some inspiration:

    http://www.cottagesandbungalowsmag.com/

    http://www.americanbungalow.com/

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  5. What a pretty house! You have done a fantastic job of sprucing it up - looks much nicer! I love that long window box. I really would love to put up window boxes, but can't because of covenants. Oh well! I'll live vicariously through you ;-)

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  6. sarah, that is the cutest house! it just oozes charm! i love the windowboxes- they really give it the extra oomph!

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  7. Hi Sarah!!

    I would really appreciate it if you would ask me before posting pictures of my house on your blog.... bahahhahaha je kid je kid!!! Love love it! Looks like it should be in a magazine!!

    Jeni-

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  8. Your home is adorable. I love all of the hydrangeas in the front. You've done wonders and a wonderful job. I know what it's like to have more on the to do list, even when it looks finished.
    Chris

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  9. Your house is soooo cute! Love the window boxes. LOVE them! I can totally see shutters on those upper windows too. I have no where with my yard. It stinks. I wish we had grass like yours :)

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  10. Awesome. I SO dig that window box. Huge bang for the buck on that one.

    My first thought when I saw that great big tree (and all the leaves) is COMPOST!!! Followed by SHREDDED LEAF MULCH. You could give yourself a huge advantage over the lady down the street - Mike McGrath from You Bet Your Garden is a major advocate for composting and leaf mulching. http://www.gardensalive.com/article.asp?ai=766&bhcd2=1288455109

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  11. What a huge difference you made in your home. Everything is totally gorgeous! So sorry you are under the weather, hopefully you will be up and at 'em soon!

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  12. Sarah it looks so super cozy now! I love all the work you have done and cannot believe it is the same house.

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  13. Wow, Sarah! Beautiful job on the curb appeal, girl! What a transformation you've made already! Sometimes the smallest changes can make the biggest difference, you know? It looks so cozy and welcoming already!

    xoxo laurie

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  14. I think you've done wonders... just the hydrangeas and the window box alone make SUCH a difference.

    Also, am I the only one who let out a huge AWW! at the sight of Tiny Roary??

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  15. What a huge difference you have made already in your too cute home! Great job! I need some help with mine - it looks like a cardboard box with bleak, straight concrete walkway and step to the front door. Maybe when I get a chance I will post some pictures on my blog and ask for help. Thanks for sharing your home with us!

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  16. It looks beautiful!!! You guys really have done some work and it now looks so personalized! Thanks so much for linking up to Style Feature Saturday! -shaunna :)

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  17. OMG LOVE it! it looks awesome, I adore the window boxes and will be searching your blog for a tutorial or something, I think you did a wonderful job, only thing I would suggest to make it a little better, would be to maybe paint the front door, if the other door isn't in your budget yet.. . . but I total know where you're coming from . . . I have the same front door and steps!

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  18. This looks wonderful and so cute. Your home seems very nice! Nice work on the exterior. What a difference..

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  19. OMG LOVE it! it looks awesome, I adore the window boxes and will be searching your blog for a tutorial or something, I think you did a wonderful job, only thing I would suggest to make it a little better, would be to maybe paint the front door, if the other door isn't in your budget yet.. . . but I total know where you're coming from . . . I have the same front door and steps!

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  20. What a huge difference you have made already in your too cute home! Great job! I need some help with mine - it looks like a cardboard box with bleak, straight concrete walkway and step to the front door. Maybe when I get a chance I will post some pictures on my blog and ask for help. Thanks for sharing your home with us!

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  21. Sarah it looks so super cozy now! I love all the work you have done and cannot believe it is the same house.

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  22. sarah, that is the cutest house! it just oozes charm! i love the windowboxes- they really give it the extra oomph!

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  23. Hi Sarah, I was born in 1947 in Virginia and home was a nearly identical house. My mother suffered from Alzheimer's Disease for 16 years making it necessary to sell her house in 2011 to help with her expenses. Fortunately, my son was the purchaser. Time goes on--he, his wife and my granddaughter have relocated and the house is again mine. I am planning some remodeling and your work is my inspiration. Thank you--We have wonderful homes that can be loved a lifetime. Much happiness to you and your beautiful family, Debby

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