Our Not-So-Extreme Home Makeover

Finally, after 7 years of waiting, the exterior of our 1928 house is complete!
These are the before pictures, winter and spring respectively. We live in a typical American Four-Square colonial with Craftsman detailing (corbelling and dentil moldings). We wanted to give the house a chance to show its historic details, so more natural, earthy colors were chosen. There is something about the green of grapevines in the autumn with the grapes just hanging off them that I respond to, so I used this idea as my inspiration. I really wanted to have a house to decorate for autumn and Halloween and am so excited to finally get the chance this year!

I wanted to also take the opportunity to comment here about the travesty of vinyl siding and how every effort should be made to keep the original clapboard on old houses, or, in our case, the original cedar shake shingles. Yes, I realize that when you replace with vinyl, you don't have to paint every 10-12 years, but, and this is a big BUT, you can never replace the beauty of wood and its natural quality. Vinyl is man-made, machine-made crap that, in my ideal world, would be outlawed. Besides, it does eventually fade and need to be painted (or replaced).

Many hands were involved in the transformation, including a team of painters, my very diligent and efficient husband, and myself, who did most of the legwork for materials and the color choices. We love our old house and do not think twice about putting in that extra effort to keep it historic.

And, the moment we have all been waiting for:

The Finished Product!
TaDa!



Color Choices:
Benjamin Moore
Kennebunkport Green
Sherwin Williams
Morning Sun
Sherwin Williams
Black Swan

Railing:
Benjamin Moore
Black























Rocking Chair: Lowes
Address Numbers: from a market in France
Mailbox: target.com
Door knocker: bought on the island of Malta-
shows fish intertwined
Doormat: Smith & Hawken
Light Fixture: Schoolhouse Electric
sea creature motif
Cat: Classic Blue Tabby named Leonardo
SPCA



Now to start on the interior, but it may take another 7 years! Oh well, it will be worth it in the end!