Friday, July 27, 2012

Before. After. And Your Opinion Needed.

So here's a Before Photo of my Prayer Garden, taken probably in October of last year:



Kinda bare, huh?

Well, here's the After Photo, taken this morning:


I'm thinkin' that's nicer. What do you think?

I took a couple more photos while I was out there:


The bees like that bowl of water the best. I actually like to see them getting a drink.


Someday this special little fence will house a special little garden. Someday.

And now here's where I need your opinion. The front of Hobbit Cottage, from the street, looks, well, kinda sad. A major improvement would be to paint the front door, even though Tom's not keen on the idea, being a typical man who prefers natural/stained wood. Here's an old photo, one taken before we even moved here:


Now, we have a new storm door--it's just solid glass--so the light-stained oak(?) door shows more prominently. And like I said--to me (and probably every other person on the block)--it makes no statement, other than just a rather sad one.

So! What color should I paint the door, do you think? I'm leaning toward white, actually (we have white patio furniture) or maybe a dark sort of colonial red or a dark medium blue.

Let me know what you think! Maybe whichever color gets the most votes (or do you have a different one in mind?) could be the one I end up choosing.

But now I must run.... I get to go visit with my friend, Donna, today at her house! I can't wait to see how her 'new' half of the house has turned out. She's even making lunch for us.

More later..... Be sure to cast your vote, ok? Don't be shy about it!  :)


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A very special thanks to God and Grace for helping me with this new yard, especially during this hot, steamy summer!


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I'm loving your ideas! Keep them coming.

But what I forgot to add, something important, is that lately I really, really, really want to have the whole front of the house faced with brick. Brick with lots of white in the red brick. (Kind-of important that I mention that, huh?) So that's probably why I'm mostly leaning toward a white door--I think it would look crisp with brick. Anyone else like brick the way I do?

But truthfully? I love red doors the best. Oh well, I can save that for another house.... If you've been reading here long, you know I'm gonna have one someday cuz we do tend to move often! :)


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19 comments:

Sherry said...

I painted my front door red a few months ago because I like red. I like colors. However, maybe white would be best with the blue house. So that's a wishy-washy vote for either white or red.

Echoes From the Hill said...

I'm thinking a pretty shade of a darker blue. I'd probably get some paint chip samples and hold them up to the house to see what I like.
nancyr

Terra said...

I vote for dark colonial red, a nice spark of color. And how bout a nice comfy wicker chair for your porch, in matching red.
I love your prayer garden; a cement sculpture of Mary is the focal point of mine.

Anonymous said...

I am the most wish washy...my color...??? If you paint it red then you need something or things on the porch to tie it in some. Like red in a stripe or print on chair cushions or flowers or a table or something. The red door by itself though pretty needs some tie ins to me. With red being about my favorite color I do love red doors. My thought when looking at your house was to plant a vine ..morning glories in blue and white stripe? ..or red? growing up the left side of the porch? The front could use a sturdier porch posts and fence thingie on it but that for sure is another project for another year! That could support some flower boxes hanging on the front of it. And heh you might love the iron work... the idea is just me. Forget I mentioned it. The problem with morning glories is they need to be taken down and reseed so much. Maybe a vine that would stay through the years. I see a vine across the top too but that might be too much and you don't have anything to support one up there. Wow for all the porches in magazines I devour and drill over you would think I could come up with some ideas!!! Maybe it i a good thing I don't have a porch to decorate!! ;-) Also what about a madallan or something in the eve area later? I am no help !!! But... I do love the transformation of the side yard!!! What a difference!!!
If you paint the door white that is cute but you still need something else on the porch to liven the look of the house up. Is there room for a tall skinny cabinet between he door and window and a chair under the window, or further over in the corner? of a table with a picture or thingie above it for height and a chair? If they have some color of your blue but a different shade in the chair cushion and picture or thingie it might liven the area and perhaps a plant pot or something under the other bigger window? Now I just now I am going to look at all those porches in my favorite saved magazines and think of your porch. Some of those people have such large porches full of furnishings you could live our there!! Sorry I wasn't any help. I should send you a picture of my sad house and ask for ideas!!! :-) Could you paint the black iron work white? Here I go again.... Sarah

Mary said...

My neighbor painted her front door a vibrant, daisy-cottage-like yellow. It is stunning. I didn't think I would like it but I love it.

Sunny Simple Life said...

Yellow with a red door and all white trim including the railing would look so adorable.

Mary said...

Check this one out I found on pinterest. It looks like the same blue as your house.
http://pinterest.com/pin/212232201159333543/

Tracy said...

I am thinking yellow would be lovely for a front door & it's not common. I am going to paint out front door yellow.

Your garden looks gorgeous now!

Tracy said...

You could also add a couple of planter boxes hanging off the porch rail or just a couple larger pots filled with flowers on either side of the door to bring attention and interest to the front of the house.

Mary said...

And you could hang outdoor curtains gathered around your posts to make them look more substantial. (you got me on a roll!)
http://pinterest.com/pin/63191200991060444/

Anonymous said...

I was thinking about this all day now!!! :) Course I didn't come up with anything brilliant. :( If you did the door white you could still put some of a darker blue that would look good with the house blue and ? color print in chairs with matching flowers here and there on the porch . Yellow sounds interesting too... Are you confused enough yet??? I wonder what those pinterest pictures show? I will look too!! :-) Sarah

Debra said...

Hey thanks, Everyone! I've so enjoyed reading your ideas all day. You're all so creative!

I added something to the end of my post later this afternoon--I'm seriously considering going with a brick front to our house. I'm excited about that! Red or pinkish brick with lots of that white-mortar-look. So to me, going with that, a white door would be best. I'll let you know if we do take the plunge and do this! Right now my project is to get estimates. Thanks again so much! ... Debra

K.E. said...

My house is yellow with red shutters & door, white trim. I think the color is actually called Shutter Red (Behr maybe) I'm fond of that combo.
A white house with black shutters looks crisp & tidy to me - I would go with a red door with that combo too.
That's my 2 cents.
Your garden looks great!

Donna H said...

Red or Blue would be good with brick or blue house. White is too safe. Most people have white doors.
I like black or very, very dark green with brick.

Anonymous said...

Seems to me that keeping it white like the trim would make the house look larger. Usually adding another color makes things look smaller. But if you want to be noticed, red should do it. I prefer to blend in with the surroundings, so our house now actually had a dark red door when we came and I like it far more now that the landlady had it painted to match the trim!!

Deborah Raney said...

I love red doors, but I think red with a pale blue house would be just a little off (of course I thought the same thing when my daughter chose dark red shoes and flowers to go with her bridesmaid's pale blue dresses and it looked fabulous, so what do I know?)

My initial thought was either white or dark blue. But after seeing that Pinterest photo someone posted, I love the idea of yellow, too!

Can't wait to see what you decide. And your prayer garden looks lovely.

Mary said...

If you are going with brick I would leave the door oak and see how it looks against the brick. I think it would stand out more than against the pale blue. I live in Richmond and many of the old brick homes have the original stained wood doors.

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

First, I love how the prayer garden looks and I love the water saucer for the bees.......A red front door would be lovely, especially in winter when all is white. In summer could you get some flowers into your front look? Hanging or on stands? The railing doesn't look as if it could easily support window boxes.

I'm interested to see what you do.

Pat said...

My house is red brick with black shutters. I have a Chinese Red front door, loved it for many years. I too am thinking of changing the color to a deep Nantucket blue, almost Navy. I've already changed the shutters to that blue. You have great taste, so what ever you decided will look lovely. I will say one thing, I think the dark stained wood makes the door disappear and paint would be more obviously welcoming.
Hugs!