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You can buy a pre-made arched trellis affair, like you'll see as entryways into gardens, some are made of white weather-resistant vinyl, to act as a bit of cover for your door, which since the door already has an arch above it, the arched kind is needed, and the sides go down either side of the door, with the four legs going directly into the ground, they cost about $150 at places like Target. Once vines or climbing roses are trained, it will offer SOME protection, but you COULD twist some pretend vines or roses in it until some real ones get established.
We built a trellis over our back deck, just get four posts, and 2x4s to frame out the top, attach the frame piece closest to the house right onto the wall, like the light is, then lay small sizes of wood across top, really provides good protection depending on how close you put the pieces of wood along there. You can always expand the size of the porch stoop by framing out an area to shovel in and smooth out more concrete.
That left side of your house that is bare, consider finding some Wichita Blue Hedging, and then paint your shutters and front door a medium classic Colonial blue, which those bluish shrubs will just sing with the blue accents on the house. Then out in the yard, halfway between the house and where you stood to take the picture, plant a flowering dogwood tree, mulch out a larger area off-center around the tree, use lighter-colored dirt stuff, and put about three groups of diff flowering plants underneath. Put in a couple solar ground lamps. It will ease the appearance from the road of the hillside thing happening on the left side of the house.
I'm all for ripping out poor performing shrub candidates in front of the house there, but since you are on a budget, I see nothing wrong with just chopping them back so most are about halfway up the windows, and perhaps leaving a couple ones taller, as long as they don't block a window, you know, and have some symmetry going on, even if it's not exact. Impressions are what you're going for right now. You can get into the nuts and bolts later, particularly as relates to that strange-looking gravel walkway going up to the door, I just don't get what it's bordered with... whatever it is, you can replace it with a row of natural light-colored small boulders or large rocks, maybe a foot apart all the along there, might look better.
Hope you can pick and choose from some of all the ideas you've received here and get you a good basic planting foundation going for your home!
Wow..thanks Gig!! I like all of your ideas. The trellis in an arch shape may just be the perfect thing. I didn't consider blue for the shutters...off to google colonial blue. Is that like the country blue color? I had to go back to the pic to see what you were talking about regarding the sidewalk. You can't see it..it goes off to the right towards the garage. What you are seeing is some odd..random landcaping around the house.
Without a budget its really hard to say. Did I miss the budget?
Anyway, the two main problems out there are the unfortunate lot topography and the bad foundation plantings.
I'd be tempted to terrace the front with a stone or 8x8 RR tie wall at the edge of the downside of the house and work from that. but it will cost some $$$ so I won't elaborate. The foundation plantings are all wrong, Too close to the house, too vertical etc., too asymetrical (they don't need to be perfectly symetrical but the randon placement is what is giving it such a disorderly look.
My house is similar to this color and style except I have a big arch shaped window above the front door also no front porch I have navy blue shutters but my roof is dark.
Do you have gutters? That will help with the water issue.
Agree with all the landscaping advice.
There is a clogged gutter right now. lol It is part of the problem.
I hadn't really thought about the blue family but someone else mentioned colonial blue..and now the navy. I wish I had some software to see how colors look before I spend time and money on painting them.
The roof still has about 10 yrs before being replaced so I do have to work around the light gray color. There are sooo many great ideas from everyone. Here's what I'm considering so far...
Black
Charcoal Gray
Dark Green
Colonial Blue
Navy Blue
As far as landscaping..there will be a major overhaul come this spring. I plan on having lots of color in my flower beds so I may try to go neutral with my shutters.
Nice house. I would invest in new shutters, unless these are real wood. I would look at my surroundings, and choose a color that contrasts slightly. Looks like you have a wooded area behind your property, how pretty. I favor the sage greens, if your siding needs cleaning, power wash carefully, do that this spring, than use one of those house planning programs on your computer, even a sims game will allow you to experiment w/ color options. I really think you need to leave the front porch overhang like it is. I have seen some folks on my street that add more overhang, and it always looks a lil off kilter. It looks appropriate to the style of the house now. Again, experiment w/ a home design program, you may decide a portica, when you can afford it, is best. Or, maybe you want a wrap portico on the left side, and some pillars holding an overhang porch all along the front, with a nice flooring of stamped concrete. I believe your home might lend itself to a Georgian style, without much changing. I also have seen this style home improved w/ a pretty walk way, brick, or some sort of slate, but beware, slate is prone to be slippery. Perhaps a colored or stamped cement product. Trim the bushes, neater. Let the spring flowers come up, then you will see what you have that are perennials, and go from there. Again, you can use a home design program to plan your gardens. I agree w/ the cottage garden design on the left side, if it allows. Very good bones, and great potential. Good luck, and maybe keep a running thread showing you progression on here, that would be fun.
I appreciate the input..I know the yard needs ALOT of work. The lack of a front porch is creating a problem so we are going to have to do something. The rain coming straight down and hitting the concrete stoop is splashing up on the door causing damage. I have to put all of this considerable booty into pushing it open. Landscaping and a solution to that is a spring thing. I'm not crazy about the maroon color..thinking a dark charchoal color or black. Since the roof is a gray color I think it will look better.
There is a clogged gutter right now. lol It is part of the problem.
I hadn't really thought about the blue family but someone else mentioned colonial blue..and now the navy. I wish I had some software to see how colors look before I spend time and money on painting them.
The roof still has about 10 yrs before being replaced so I do have to work around the light gray color. There are sooo many great ideas from everyone. Here's what I'm considering so far...
Black
Charcoal Gray
Dark Green
Colonial Blue
Navy Blue
As far as landscaping..there will be a major overhaul come this spring. I plan on having lots of color in my flower beds so I may try to go neutral with my shutters.
Check out the sage greens, lots of variations. You might find something you love, and a sage green would compliment, yet contrast the roof. I have similar siding color, I have not changed the colonial blue, just repainted to freshen, but if I changed it would be a sage, because I have plants that are near my siding, and the sage looks great against it. Do you know the plants, licorice vine? or lambs ears....those type sage greens., or slightly darker.
Without a budget its really hard to say. Did I miss the budget?
Anyway, the two main problems out there are the unfortunate lot topography and the bad foundation plantings.
I'd be tempted to terrace the front with a stone or 8x8 RR tie wall at the edge of the downside of the house and work from that. but it will cost some $$$ so I won't elaborate. The foundation plantings are all wrong, Too close to the house, too vertical etc., too asymetrical (they don't need to be perfectly symetrical but the randon placement is what is giving it such a disorderly look.
Nice house BTW.
Hey Wilson..lol..no you didn't miss the budget on landscaping as I needed help on a front stoop and shutter colors ideas. The landscaping will be tackled in the spring as it is going to be a HUGE project. Any ideas on a front porch? There is a budget on that..less than $300.
Nice house. I would invest in new shutters, unless these are real wood. I would look at my surroundings, and choose a color that contrasts slightly. Looks like you have a wooded area behind your property, how pretty. I favor the sage greens, if your siding needs cleaning, power wash carefully, do that this spring, than use one of those house planning programs on your computer, even a sims game will allow you to experiment w/ color options. I really think you need to leave the front porch overhang like it is. I have seen some folks on my street that add more overhang, and it always looks a lil off kilter. It looks appropriate to the style of the house now. Again, experiment w/ a home design program, you may decide a portica, when you can afford it, is best. Or, maybe you want a wrap portico on the left side, and some pillars holding an overhang porch all along the front, with a nice flooring of stamped concrete. I believe your home might lend itself to a Georgian style, without much changing. I also have seen this style home improved w/ a pretty walk way, brick, or some sort of slate, but beware, slate is prone to be slippery. Perhaps a colored or stamped cement product. Trim the bushes, neater. Let the spring flowers come up, then you will see what you have that are perennials, and go from there. Again, you can use a home design program to plan your gardens. I agree w/ the cottage garden design on the left side, if it allows. Very good bones, and great potential. Good luck, and maybe keep a running thread showing you progression on here, that would be fun.
Hi Jan..no..they are not real wood shutters. They are plastic and not in great shape. I will look into the house planning programs..it would help sooo much. Thanks for your advice about the siding..I will have to keep an eye on hubby as he approaches items on his honey do list like Jeff Gordon does the finish line. We aren't going to invest to much on the outside..we are doing a total overhaul inside. This isn't our forever home and we know that going in. I will certainly do a thread of our renovations..I love keeping up with others on here that are doing it as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JanND
Check out the sage greens, lots of variations. You might find something you love, and a sage green would compliment, yet contrast the roof. I have similar siding color, I have not changed the colonial blue, just repainted to freshen, but if I changed it would be a sage, because I have plants that are near my siding, and the sage looks great against it. Do you know the plants, licorice vine? or lambs ears....those type sage greens., or slightly darker.
Honestly..I haven't a clue about the plants. We just moved here from GA so I know nothing about plants in this climate. I have much research ahead of me..that's for sure.
There are websites that allow you to change colrs, check what things look like. I believe Sherwinn Wms, and also Valspar have a website. Worth checking. You could even upload your pic to do the color thing.
Hey Wilson..lol..no you didn't miss the budget on landscaping as I needed help on a front stoop and shutter colors ideas. The landscaping will be tackled in the spring as it is going to be a HUGE project. Any ideas on a front porch? There is a budget on that..less than $300.
LOL! 50% of the appearance issue is the landscaping, 25% the lot fall off. So put aside some cash for that.
As for the front porch, I am worried about changes there. The house is very well designed as far as the front elevation is concerned IMO and anything you do to unbalance it risks looking tacky. I'd be really careful about changes there, especially addition of a rooflet (made up word) over the stoop or an awning. I know it will function better with a covered porch, but it will come at the cost of throwing the design out the window so to speak. I assume the primary entrance is through the garage. Informal, but well functioning. A complete redesign of the front elevation is possible, but why? It looks great as it is. And, when company comes, they will just have to stand out in the rain for a minute.
You could, of course change the shutter color without consequences. Others will have better color ideas. I'd need a better photo to assess color. And, I'm not so good at color, always relying on an artist wife who can see every color in the rainbow in a pile of snow.
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Landscaping and a solution to that is a spring thing. I'm not crazy about the maroon color..thinking a dark charchoal color or black. Since the roof is a gray color I think it will look better.
We aren't going to invest to much on the outside..we are doing a total overhaul inside. This isn't our forever home and we know that going in. I will certainly do a thread of our renovations..I love keeping up with others on here that are doing it as well.
