It is fall here in New England—my absolute favorite time of year. The chilly, clear air, all things pumpkin and apple, and our wedding anniversary... I can go on about what I love about this season. As we begin to turn our attention toward indoor projects in anticipation of the winter months, here is a recap of a summer project we completed this year.
When spring 2014 rolled around, our attention was on the exterior of our building, as it is EVERY year when the spring thaw reveals, yet again, how atrocious our landscaping—or lack thereof—is. We have an interesting property with its own landscape design challenges. We are in a city and our building is very industrial (it was converted from commercial to residential before we bought it). Which we love! But it is tough to find the right materials for our desired look that will also survive New England Winters.
When spring 2014 rolled around, our attention was on the exterior of our building, as it is EVERY year when the spring thaw reveals, yet again, how atrocious our landscaping—or lack thereof—is. We have an interesting property with its own landscape design challenges. We are in a city and our building is very industrial (it was converted from commercial to residential before we bought it). Which we love! But it is tough to find the right materials for our desired look that will also survive New England Winters.
THE BEFORE
We had removed a rotting, raised planter made of railroad ties with a dying tree in it (bottom left).
THE SKETCH
In Photoshop, I quickly dropped images and illustrations over the before photo. It's super handy in discussing your vision with potential landscape designers (who will really do this properly!) and your condo association mates.
THE AFTER (PART 1)
So, here's the thing: landscaping and hardscaping are EXPENSIVE. But what we were able to refresh in the immediate timeframe was the door, the address area, and address numbers—a terrific and totally affordable first step. You don't have to go all or nothing on these projects. Unless the section you are working on connects to everything else, go ahead and make partial updates. They give your place and your mood a nice boost!
MATERIALS
Dark Gray Paint:
"Deep River" (1582), Benjamin Moore Exterior
Yellow Paint:
"Sunshine" (2021-30), Benjamin Moore Exterior
Address Numbers:
Nickel-plated steel, $6 each. These, at Home Depot.
Cedar Board:
Hopefully, the raised concrete planters, and new entry stairs with landing next Spring!
October 20, 2014 at 4:15 PM
Chris said...
You know you're doing something right when your neighbor, only half-jokingly, asks you to stop making your place look so good for fear of raising property taxes.
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