Many of you emailed me to say you still aren’t getting my blog emails, so I wanted to give y’all a little update. The email problem is happening all over blog land and there’s nothing I can do to fix it. I did what I know to do and it still didn’t help everyone. I’m suggesting that folks sign up to read their fave blogs thru Bloglovin or Digg or another reader service. I’m not sure this email problem will ever be fixed, it’s the email providers that are not letting them come thru.
It’s been 2 years since we bought my house and started renovations and one of the things on my to-do list has been to get the house painted. I wasn’t sure how long it would take, but this spring seemed to be the right time to hire that job out and just get it done. I got 3 bids for painting companies and chose the one I thought would be best and they came out and got it all pressure washed, rotten wood replaced, caulked, primed and painted. I am ecstatic with my house now, as you can imagine! All of those months of waiting paid off. We got the inside done and now it was time to move to the outside.
Just as a reference point, I paid $2800 for my whole house exterior paint job. I used a local company, but I am hesitant to share, because someone used them after I put them on here and was not happy with the outcome. They did a good job for me, but there were a couple of things that I didn’t like that they did, mainly not priming my front railings and new wood on the front porch. I know prices are different all over the country. My neighbors have certainly noticed the changes too!
Just as a reminder, I’ll show you the house when we first bought it so we can really appreciate the after shots. It’s come a long way baby! Wow, at the difference, it’s amazing to look back 2 years ago. How quickly we forget how far we have come!
I’m so happy with the paint color I chose. It’s Sherwin Williams Dovetail, with Pure White Trim. I don’t have room for shutters on all my windows, so with 2 colors on the house, I went deep and rich with the white trim as an accent and couldn’t be happier with the outcome.
Grays sometimes photographs with a purple hue, but I can assure you this is a true gray, rich and deep. My house isn’t sitting in Nantucket or Cape Cod, but I think it has a little bit of a coastal feel now with the new porch and paint.
Here’s a reminder of what the garage side of the house looked like with the rotten little red door. I had that replaced with a bigger one and what a difference on this side as well.
The garage side looks so much better too with the garage doors painted gray as well. This end of the house really has come a long ways too. I’ll be tackling that retaining wall when the front yard landscaping is finished and at least get a good coat of stucco paint on it to make it look better. In fact, the folks working on my landscaping are going to add a drain to that wall to take the water pressure off of it. It’s already leaning and we are trying to save it in the long run, so it needs a way to have water drain out. Houses are always a work in progress, aren’t they?
The front of my house has changed so much overall and I am SO happy with the new front portico. I had that built right before Christmas, if you missed it and knew that getting the whole house painted in the spring would change everything and it certainly did.
They used a Sherwin Williams solid stain matched to Dovetail for the porch floor and steps. All the other trim and railings is Pure White, which is the same trim color I used inside my house. It doesn’t show up as vibrant, but I just painted the front door in a beautiful turquoise.
Side view of the porch. Next week the landscape process begins and I am jumping up and down over that too! The sides of the porch will be hidden once plants go in. We’re going to tackle the fireplace too and disguise it from the floating feel it has now.
This will all change soon as plants get installed.
Here’s a shot of the new turquoise door and it really is bright and pretty, it’s just hard to capture it with the morning light and shadows. I painted the porch ceiling the same as my screened porch ceiling, Rainwashed by Sherwin Williams. It’s a light blue and very subtle.
If you missed yesterday’s post about the front door color, it tells all about the paint color (colormatched to Annie Sloan Florence) and how I did it all.
New Welcome mat from Target in vibrant colors.
With the storm door propped open, you can see the new turquoise better.
I love how it turned out and I will go back and add a quick poly coat of satin just to give it a little protection and less of a chalky feel. Inside the storm door, it will be protected anyway. I love my leaded glass door and so happy that I have it. It adds just that cottage touch to my house and I really wanted to achieve and now with the front porch, I do have that cottage feel. You can see I have a little bit of hole patching to do where my old light fixture was.
Did you notice the new fixture? I knew you would!
A big THANKS to Ballard Designs for providing this fixture for me. It’s a beautiful addition to my front porch. With the seeded glass and bronze body, it really adds a nice touch to the porch. At first, I wasn’t going to change that light out, but the more I looked at the old one, it just needed to be a bit bigger and I knew a hanging pendant would be the icing on the cake. The fact that Ballard Designs provided the fixture was extra special. I had my electrician hang it for me.
So, that’s the tour of the new house exterior paint project. You can imagine how excited I am about all of this. A dream come true for sure to have this done 2 years later. And wouldn’t you know it, my AC unit just went out and it’s the original, 35 years and counting so time for a new one. I’m just thanking the Lord that I have the money to pay for a new one!
Life is good and I’m loving my cute house!
Melanie says
It looks fabulous! What a great job you have done with your choices. I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed watching the transformation.
As for the issue with email subscriptions, I love to use Flipboard on my iPad.
Carol D. says
Beautiful results! I can’t wait to see the addition of the plants…that’s an area where I have no expertise. I am hoping to get some great ideas for the front area of my house…the side and back yard look great but my front area is not finished in a nice way…
Susan says
I just love the story of this house in your life! I love that you bought something that you could really and truly afford, and have now proceeded to make it beautiful! I love the paint color you chose, cannot wait to see the landscaping, and am thankful you’ve got the money to get a new air conditioner! Looking forward to seeing the ongoing progress!
Arlene Grimm@Nanaland says
Love, love love it Rhoda. I have enjoyed watching you transform your house over the last years!! And I will be looking forward to your landscaping ideas as well!!
Beverly says
Rhoda, when I think of you and all you have accomplished, my heart is filled with joy.♥
Melissa says
Just beautiful. I have loved experiencing your transformation!
On the email issue, I downloaded the bloglovin app after one of your readers suggested it. I’m in love. It’s so convenient and I’m even discovering many new decorating blogs that I didn’t know about. It’s like Pinterest for blogs. The email issue was a happy accident for me!
Mimi -247 Mulberry Lane says
Rhoda, it has truly been a blessing to watch how the Lord has held your hand as you’ve walked through the journey of restoring your home. Thanks so much for sharing with us the step-by-step progress of it all. I look forward to each and every post! The house looks BEAUTIFUL and I just know the landscaping will, too! 🙂
Sofia F. says
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the transformation and love coming to this blog almost every morning for a bit of inspiration. You have such a humble and generous spirit, Rhoda-it really encourages and inspires me. The seeded glass on that fixture is just perfect!
Can’t believe *I’m* offering you advice-ha-but have you ever thought of building out the fireplace to touch the ground and then covering it in a faux stone? I don’t know how expensive it would be, but wow-would that ever take it to the next level! 🙂
Thank you for this blog-please keep doing exactly what you’re doing! You are blessing others!!
Rhoda says
HI, Sofia, yes that fireplace has been the topic of discussion from day one. My landscape designer is helping me come up with a solution to disguise it without building it out with more wood, so we think we will do a trellis covered with vines to disguise the fact that it doesn’t go to the ground. When she is finished with my yard, it’s going to look fantastic!
Sofia F. says
Hi! A trellis will be wonderful–I can totally see a flowering vine like clematis or even a climbing rosebush! I wonder if you could even do an ever-green ivy so that you have year-round coverage? The exterior has already come so, so far–can’t wait to see the final touch landscaping will add. 🙂
Edith says
So happy for you! It’s been a wonderful transformation to watch.
Marianne A. says
I love your house! The paint colors are perfect, from the house color to the door color to the porch ceiling color! You have done a fantastic job. I look forward to seeing what other projects you take on. Also, thank you for investigating the problem with the email subscription. Am going to try and figure out that bloglovin’ thing.
Shanna says
I come to your blog each morning -watching your house transform – it’s been wonderful. Enjoy and give your parents a hug from those of us on the net , you are blessed to be surrounded by such a lovely family. What does your Dad think of the house color?
Rhoda says
Shanna, he thinks it looks wonderful! They came over right after it was painted just to see it in person. He’s so proud for me!
Marty@A Stroll Thru Life says
Love the new color. It looks fabulous and the porch made a huge difference.
Kim @ CoziNest says
Rhoda, it is fabulous! Great job on the colors, porch and lighting. I can’t wait to see your plant choices in your landscape.
Judy Clark says
Rho,
The house looks beautiful. Having seen it from the beginning to what it looks like now is amazing.
I cannot wait to see the transformation when you landscape and get all of your plants in the ground. Hugs to you my friend.
Rona B says
Yes, I noticed the new fixture and love it! The exterior paint color is wonderful. And I almost forgot that your home wasn’t in my home state of Maine.
Patti G says
Rhoda,
It looks simply amazing !!
So much happiness felt , amazement
at how far God has prospered you.
Tammy says
Looks great! Once you get lots of plant material around the entire house it will be perfect.
TAS
Mary | Lemon Grove Blog says
LOVE the exterior transformation!! Good work!
Shannon says
I absolutely love the gray! We went with gray with our house too. I also love the Ballard fixture. We went with Ballard’s Original Home Office cabinetry for home office as well. We are thinking of actually using it in our walk-in pantry too. Love me some Ballard! Great job, Rhoda!!
Susan says
Oh Rhoda! You (or should I say the paint dudes?) have really outdone yourself with this project. Magnificent! Gorgeous! Perfect!