exterior update

Jeff has been hard at work on our exterior updates over the last few weeks...  The progress made after such a short amount of time is so exciting!

Our 'Exterior Project To-Do' list currently looks like this:

• Install new living room windows (and centering them)
• Install new guest bedroom windows (making them regular-size)
• Prime new siding
• Hang new siding
• Hang horizontal batten strips
• Paint all siding (including exterior of sunroom)
• Paint storm door & replace house numbers
• Build pretty trellis to cover stone side of house, with flowering vine
• Plan and build covered front porch (plans TBD) 
• Widen natural area in front of house & landscape

We still have to decide on the paint color... and whether or not we'll paint just the board & batten siding... or the entire house, brick included (which is my vote).

But for having made just a little dent in the list so far, the difference is incredible!

Before:

In Progress:

Stay tuned for the rest of our updates... And my best attempt at talking Jeff into painting brick!

new living room windows

While I was off celebrating the nuptials of one of my sweet friends from high school, Jeff was working on installing new windows in our living room.  Much to my surprise, I came home to the work already in progress...

Before, with windows off-center & awkwardly placed in the corner...

In progress, with new windows separated and centered...

revisiting exteriors

Remember way back when we were discussing an exterior remodel?  That was pushed out with our sunroom addition, but it's become a regular topic of conversation again!

Our thoughts are pretty similar, although we're trying to be a lot a bit more budget conscious.  We're tossing around a project start date of the end of September, but still discussing all the financial considerations.  For now, here is what I'm envisioning...

Adding a front porch with a high roof to break up the straight lines of our long, one-story house:

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{I love this idea of a full porch with an open arbor off to the side}

Replacing the two off-center and the two strange, small windows with pretty cottage windows:

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Painting (yay!) the exterior in a shade of gray with white trim:

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Painting the storm door a pretty Carolina blue and updating with fun house numbers:

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 And, of course, lots of landscaping! Now to just get started...