New Building ~ Exterior Design, the decision!
WAHOO!!!!! It's #fixerupperfriday and I'm soooo excited to share with post you all! Because our design deliberation and getting samples late in the game putting us back a bit, AND because I have a a lot to share this week, I'm actually going to save some of it for next week. The photos of physical changes will be posted then. And there have been some cool changes so you'll want to stop in next Friday for sure! Until then...
Things I've learned this week:
1. Communication is key, good communication. I struggle sometimes to get my thoughts translated properly to email/paper/text, etc. A phone call can go a long way. This has become evident even in working on my new logo. I can't WAIT to share that with you when it's done!
2. Samples! Get samples and get them early! Do it the moment you decide the design. Since we didn't do this and we almost made some design changes a little late into the process, we didn't get samples ordered as soon as we should have. This added a tad to our timeline which is a bummer (albeit a worthwhile bummer for sure). In photography we talk a lot about white balance (the color tone aka warmth or coolness of a photo). It's especially a concern for portrait and product photographers as it makes things look different than they really are color-wise, anywhere from very yellow to very blue. Blue faces aren't good. Yellow stone is only good if you are wanting yellow stone. Because a color cast can dramatically change how things look, you need to order samples! Photos aren't always accurate. Look at products in hand, all samples together and make sure it's cohesive, exactly what you want. Don't let fear of the timeline cause you to "just pick something". We did this with our fireplace (the first time we remodeled it) and boy that was a mistake! When the stone came in, it was MUCH pinker than I wanted but what could we do at that point? It got installed and every time I walked past I was upset it wasn't the color I wanted. It put a very bad taste in my mouth. Final design should give you joy, not regrets. If you decide to hire a professional designer, I personally feel a good one will show you physical samples, not just photos. Obviously with furniture you may have to look at catalogs but you can always get a fabric sample to verify colors and texture. So important, especially when it's this expensive of a project, eeek! Redoing it could be a budget buster for sure 😭
3. Actively look for all the amazing little things getting accomplished. Heck, this is good just for life in general not just during a reno!
4. Polling other people for big decisions is a good thing. I get so caught up in what I see/want that I need to be escorted outside my own head and gain insight via others. If nothing else, sometimes it confirms exactly what I thought in the beginning!
Speaking of which, it's time to share the results of last week's post! My original choice when we came up with the design was vertical cedar siding with stone columns and metal posts (D). Our contractor also recommended white board and batten because I love modern farmhouse design so much. Because of that suggestion, I decided to create all the options I showed you in my last post so I could accurately see them and get your input. My post originally didn't have option E (horizontal cedar siding) as I had hoped doing it vertically would make the building look taller and less squatty next to the neighbor. However, after our son told me the vertical version reminded him of being in some old 70's house with paneling, I decided to flip it horizontally instead juuust to see what it looked like. It was done this way in my original inspiration photo after all (see blow) so why not try it. I'm soooo glad I did this! Not only did it confirm that I was headed down the right path but it also made me evaluate the siding and make some changes to my original design.
Things I've learned this week:
1. Communication is key, good communication. I struggle sometimes to get my thoughts translated properly to email/paper/text, etc. A phone call can go a long way. This has become evident even in working on my new logo. I can't WAIT to share that with you when it's done!
2. Samples! Get samples and get them early! Do it the moment you decide the design. Since we didn't do this and we almost made some design changes a little late into the process, we didn't get samples ordered as soon as we should have. This added a tad to our timeline which is a bummer (albeit a worthwhile bummer for sure). In photography we talk a lot about white balance (the color tone aka warmth or coolness of a photo). It's especially a concern for portrait and product photographers as it makes things look different than they really are color-wise, anywhere from very yellow to very blue. Blue faces aren't good. Yellow stone is only good if you are wanting yellow stone. Because a color cast can dramatically change how things look, you need to order samples! Photos aren't always accurate. Look at products in hand, all samples together and make sure it's cohesive, exactly what you want. Don't let fear of the timeline cause you to "just pick something". We did this with our fireplace (the first time we remodeled it) and boy that was a mistake! When the stone came in, it was MUCH pinker than I wanted but what could we do at that point? It got installed and every time I walked past I was upset it wasn't the color I wanted. It put a very bad taste in my mouth. Final design should give you joy, not regrets. If you decide to hire a professional designer, I personally feel a good one will show you physical samples, not just photos. Obviously with furniture you may have to look at catalogs but you can always get a fabric sample to verify colors and texture. So important, especially when it's this expensive of a project, eeek! Redoing it could be a budget buster for sure 😭
3. Actively look for all the amazing little things getting accomplished. Heck, this is good just for life in general not just during a reno!
4. Polling other people for big decisions is a good thing. I get so caught up in what I see/want that I need to be escorted outside my own head and gain insight via others. If nothing else, sometimes it confirms exactly what I thought in the beginning!
Speaking of which, it's time to share the results of last week's post! My original choice when we came up with the design was vertical cedar siding with stone columns and metal posts (D). Our contractor also recommended white board and batten because I love modern farmhouse design so much. Because of that suggestion, I decided to create all the options I showed you in my last post so I could accurately see them and get your input. My post originally didn't have option E (horizontal cedar siding) as I had hoped doing it vertically would make the building look taller and less squatty next to the neighbor. However, after our son told me the vertical version reminded him of being in some old 70's house with paneling, I decided to flip it horizontally instead juuust to see what it looked like. It was done this way in my original inspiration photo after all (see blow) so why not try it. I'm soooo glad I did this! Not only did it confirm that I was headed down the right path but it also made me evaluate the siding and make some changes to my original design.
(notice the photo on the left was taken on a sunny day, photo on the right was on cloudy day... the color of the stone, trim, sidewalk, etc. is VERY different because of this)
Here is the breakdown of how you all voted. The answer was rather staggering yet not surprising to me as it was actually my final choice as well 😁 Before I flipped the siding horizontally, Greg preferred A, stucco with cedar posts and I still preferred my original design, D. He didn't like the paneling feel of D but now that we made it horizontal, he's agreed that E is the winner! Several people have mentioned the vertical siding looks very dated and the horizontal looks more modern. Some have even indicated horizontal makes it looked more log cabin-ish so if you know me at all, you'll know this made me super happy as I LOVE anything to do with mountains! I think log cabins are warm and inviting and that's the feeling we want here as well. Having that with a modern twist is perfect!
(votes compiled from IG, FB, personal posts, email and physically talking to people)
#4 votes: White Stucco with Cedar Posts (A)
#3 votes: White Stucco with Metal Posts (B)
#33 votes: Horizontal Cedar Siding with Metal Posts (E)
So, there you have it. Our final design. We realize that a flat one dimensional drawing looks very different from a 3D rendering (and a physical building) so the porch actually comes out quite a bit and is it's own separate part. It will look a little different than this but you'll get the idea.
Have a great weekend! Check in next Friday for photos of the actual progress. It looks sooooo different!
*HINT, windows are installed among other things!
His eye is on the sparrow and I know He is watching over me. ♥ Matthew 10:29-31
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