Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Priorities {+ An Exterior Renovation Update}



Back in February, The Mister had gifted me a little birthday dream getaway- Florence + The Machine at the Santa Barbara Bowl. If you haven't already caught on from my lunatic tweeting over the weekend, I'm a freak for Florence. Girl is not from this world. So the promise of a leisurely couple of days in one of my favorite cities to see my favorite band (with my favorite fella of course), has sort of kept me floating through the weeks since.

That is... until I made the "mature" decision last week to skip the expense of that fantastical weekend in lieu of some fantastical illumination outside the house. Priorities. Rarely are they any fun. You can insert all the neurotic inner dialogue that ensued about how "I feel old and I'm not cool anymore." Yeah, it totally happened.

Well, that is until I flipped the switch the evening after the first round of lighting had been installed.


What a thrill, because when you plan and plot for something like this for over a year and then finally see it come to fruition, sometimes it just doesn't get any cooler than that. Another round will tie in some recessed lighting up the sidewalk in the entryway. 

While our Electrician wired up this vintage beast, a whirlwind of other updates also took place last weekend as well.

Like the installation of a new sidelight. The window guy actually looked at me funny and then laughed when he came to change it out. I agree it was paper thin and old as hell, but it was like "hey dude, remember it was here long before I ever was... "

I can't tell you how much it has brightened up our front entry. That grimy yellow glow it cast just inside our door is now gone. What a mood lifter.  The Mister crowned this one the best update thus far.


{Then}


{Now}

While the concrete guy worked on our front stucco, he also threw in a handy dandy mow strip. We're official now. We have ourselves a front planter and not just some random dirt plot thrown across the front lawn.


Last, but not least... we started on this project. Can you guess what it is?


If you look closely, you'll note the requisite power tool project beer sitting up on the patio table.  That is some thirsty work.

* All images via Holtwood Hipster
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2 comments

Quality Timber said...

A more popular trend today to add value to your exterior is to augment the look of your landscape. This may feel like an easy endeavor but in reality it is not. There is no two land exactly alike. What your neighbors have may not always be applicable to yours. So you have to research carefully what is appropriate for your own. Hire a professional help if necessary.

Canada Log Homes said...

Whether your home is covered in brick, timber, vinyl or metal sheeting, or rendered, you'll need to do some preparatory work if you see any staining, aging, displacement, or water damage to it's surface.

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