Just when I think I’m going to post about the new back porch that is finished just in time for September (it’s not);
Or the new door that we’ve found to replace sliding glass door #3 (we haven’t);
Mr. H.C. surprises me by saying, “Let’s do the front of the house.”
He must have read my post a month or so ago, when I listed all the projects that need to occur for the front of the house to look good better. (See post 136.)
This is the cottage up until two days ago. (Uhmmm — the way it’s looked for the last two years. Just let me say that the front looks WAY better than the back.) So with the red brick, the faded blue gray cedar shakes, and the white clapboard siding, there was just way too much going on. Sort of a stripey effect, don’t you think?
I’m actually favoring the colors of white, red, and gray; but in a google image search for “white cottage red trim” this is the first image that showed up:
Please pardon me, if this is your house, but it’s not at all what I have in mind for the cottage. Though it does look about like the color of red that is our back porch — Segovia Red — this color right here:
Back porch rails and ceiling, newly painted
The back porch color can be seen from both sides of the house as one drives down (or up) the road. So it counts.
I always thought when we did the exterior of the cottage, that we would try to emulate what it looked like in the forties; but we can’t really.
Back then it was white with forties green trim.
The roof was green, now it’s gray, and it will stay that color when we put on the new roof (next year?).
There was not a red back porch.
And there was no brick on the front. I’ve looked at photos of white houses with dark green and red trim, and no, I don’t want a Christmas house.
Here’s what we have now:
Neither of us are used to seeing it without the gray. Mr. H.C. thinks it might be too much white. I was originally thinking of whitewashing the brick, but now I’m thinking yes, that might be too much white…
The sliding glass doors will be replaced sometime before winter with doors that look something like this:
There hasn’t been an interactive post on this blog for awhile, so here is your chance:
- Should we paint the brick? If so, what color of gray? :-) (Maybe if we paint the doors red, it will tie in the brick color?
- What about door colors? Both front doors can be painted. (Keep in mind that the back porch is Segovia Red, and one can see the porch from both sides of the house.)
- What do you think about shutters? Mr. H.C. brought that up the other day, just as I had been thinking about them too. But I have an aversion to shutters that don’t fit the windows, and that’s a 3-window series there in the front… I’m thinking more along the lines of flower boxes under those 3 front windows. What do you think — flower boxes or shutters or neither?
I’d like to hear your thoughts, dear readers. Of course, then we’ll do what we want anyway — whatever that might be…
Here are some more shots to get you thinking…
the circle of life 
The white is much better–and I’m not a fan of white. Before it looked like three horizontal stripes. Unifying the grey and the white gives the cottage more height, much better! One of my pet peeves is shutters that are false, and that are sized such that they couldn’t actually close. Given my bias, I’m obviously going to vote for the window boxes, which are cheerier anyway. You can play color games in summer with flowers.
LikeLike
Interesting to hear that the all white gives it height. Of course, that makes perfect sense. I do think window boxes are cheerful — they just make a house look happy. Thanks for your insight!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love the white! I vote for flower boxes in the Segovia red. Maybe a red wreath on the single door? Or something red on the wall beside the single door?
LikeLike
This weekend I’m going to paint some boards red and see how the color matches with the brick. How about a sign naming the cottage in Apple Hill Red? :-)
LikeLike
I like the white house color and red bricks. You could consider painting the door the same red and the trim a contrasting grey to match the roof (if that is going to be the new roof color?). I am not a fan of painting bricks so I will give that a no vote.
LikeLike
Mr. H.C. isn’t a fan of painting bricks either, but he’s considering the idea of whitewash. I’ve read that it lasts forever, and the whitewash can be tinted. I don’t know — more research is called for. I’m leaning toward painting the doors red too, although the muntins of the already-installed door are giving me pause…
LikeLike
I would paint the front doors Segovia Red to match the back porch. I would also advise against painting the brick. Though it looks nice, you will have on-going maintenance. Just ask us!
Love the blogs! Keep them coming!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Okay, so how often do you have to paint? :-) But your house is much prettier white than it would be red brick. Don’t you think?
LikeLike
I am with those voting for red doors, flower boxes and doing nothing to the brick. There is no way any whitewash or paint will be as maintenance free as the natural brick. I like the white paint also. You guys are great. john
LikeLike
We were originally going to take the cedar shakes off and replace it with siding to match what’s already on the house. But when we started to add up cost and time, those cedar shakes started looking better… :-)
LikeLike