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Pavestone for the Win

OUR 2nd HOUSE

Two years in the making.  That’s how long we waited…saved…and finally we got the exterior that we dreamed about. 

Of course, we are still passionate do-it-yourselfers but when things involve ladders over 24 feet tall (or in my case, over eight feet) then we are happy to cut a check to the professionals to get the job done.  and sweat from fear of falling to their death. 

I told y’all about our picking paint and picking painters process here…so I am very excited to introduce you to the crew that spent over ten days at our house, fighting rotten wood, repairing tons of siding, frames, fascia and soffet boards, cleaning, caulking and even capturing a snake…this is the Certa Pro Paint crew led by Daniel (he’s the one with his arms crossed)… 

I can not say enough good things about this crew.  I’ve heard from some other folks that they went with Certa Pro painters in different areas of the country and that they were disappointed about one thing or another…but in our case, I could not rave louder about this group of guys.  They. were. awesome.  

So before I blog about the whole run-down of how it all went down (and got brushed on), let’s just do the before and afters.  That’s what everyone likes, right?!  (I’m nodding yes). 

So here is the house when we bought it….brown and tan and more dead stuff than a zombie movie.   

And here she is today…

We went with Sherwin Williams Pavestone on the trim.  It was that light gray that we were looking for with the right undertones to make our stone really shine. 

The back of the house is mostly siding…with a smattering of crazy windows.  And before painting, the color was a light tan color…we called it “dried mud” and “skin siding” because it had pinkish undertones.  Nothing says ‘we’ve got taste’ like a big pink flesh house.   

And now the back is a dark muddy gray.  It is actually the exact color of the trim at 200%…so the undertones are exactly the same and the only difference is the contrast. 

The back exterior doors also got new paint…in Martha Stewart’s Seal.  The bottom ones were already painted but the upper ones are now done to match and the front doors are now black.  Surprise!  I’ll tell you all about that later too 🙂

But the crazy thing is that our windows (which are vinyl and not supposed to be painted) are now less dirty cream looking and look way more white (hooray!).  I think it’s an eye trick because of the intense contrast….but either way…we LOVE it. 

The best decision was definitely going darker on the back of the house.  And switching the darker trim to the lighter trim.  And hiring this entire job out.  Because there is just no way I would ever be found doing this:

yes, I said a prayer.  and left a puddle.

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  3. The before and after is amazing! You can really see how much hard work you guys have put in to the house! I’m so impressed, as usual! Looks amazing.

  5. So I cannot read your blog anymore at work because everyone’s asking why I’m laughing (the leave a puddle comment! haha!). Oh, who am I kidding, of course I will still read! By the way, the new colors look amazing!!

  6. there’s no way on God’s green earth you could get me to climb those ladders!! YIKES!!

    It came out so awesome! It’s amazing how the stones looked all brown and tan and now with the grey trim they look completely different. love love love!!

  7. You guys should put in a pool! Looks like you definitely have room for it. The house looks awesome by the way! Excellent choice of color!

  8. It looks Fan-freaking-tastic!! Love the color choices. Even the stone looks new now!!

  9. Looks just beautiful, Katie! I didn’t notice the guy leaping from ladder to ladder right away and it STILL looked scary! Can’t wait to see the pop of color I know you’ll DIY for a wreath or something on those front doors. And congrats on the newest member of the family!

  10. whoa! that last picture makes my stomach turn! Love the color choice it looks great!

  12. Oh. My. Goodness. I can not hardly even look at that ladder pic! Insanity!! My friends dad lost his leg after falling off of a four ft ladder so now I’m all freaked out by ladders!

    LOVE the new color! Do you have vinyl siding? I didn’t know you could paint that.

  13. Holy Moly, That is some scary stuff I don’t blame you for hiring someone to do such a scary large job. Your house looks so amazing!!! I loved it before but now I love it even more 🙂

  14. This looks so good! I’ve been giving myself pep talks about resisting the urge to paint every room in my house gray. But, really, it is the perfect color.
    I love the way the gray really brought out the beautiful tones of the deck.

  15. It looks great! I think you definitely made the right color choices! And congrats on the beautiful new baby nephew 🙂

  16. Holy shnikes! That is so high! The house looks FANTASTIC! It is great looking at the before and afters to see how far you have come!

  18. Wow, I totally thought the back windows were painted! Crazy how a different contrast makes them look SOOO much better! I didn’t realize how much I didn’t like all the brown until I saw the final look. It’s just lovely, Katie. 🙂

  19. OMG it looks so great!! I know you all must be so happy and proud (and a little lighter in the pants) for this to be done! Those ladders are the tallest I’ve ever seen! I do love thought that the side of your house is still stone/brick and not siding.

  20. First, the house looks amazing! Seriously, I’m super impressed how paint can change the look and feel entirely.

    Secondly, that last picture had me panicking. Really panicking.

  25. i just got dizzy and fell off my desk chair looking at that last picture. yiketty-yikes!

    the house looks beautiful. i bet you are sooooo happy!

  26. That ladder photo is INSANE! Seriously…whatever you paid them was worth it! The house looks fantastic.

  27. Whattt?? I’m not afraid of heights and that ladder picture scares me! The house looks gorgeous!!!!! Great color choice. It’s amazing how dramatic it looks. Love it! I could go on…good choice on hiring it out too!

  29. Just looking at that photo of the guy on the ladder makes me dizzy!!! But definitely worth it, the house looks amazing!

  30. That last picture makes me nauseous. We thought about DIYing ours too….for like a second. Not quite as high as yours, but close (more like 2.5 stories). We have a partially enclosed exterior staircase, and when they were painting the siding in the stairs, they had to turn the ladder sideways. Meaning, only one leg of the ladder was resting on the stairs. So, one dude just held the other leg in his hand while the painter climbed up. Hardcore, I tell you.

  31. My God, Katie. You. Are. Hilarious!
    The way you express yourself always makes me laugh.

    And yes, I get clammy hands instantly when I see heights like that. Egh! **shakes the icky off**

  33. Katie – this is absolutely stunning! So happy for you guys and that pic with the ladders??? Ughhh I couldn’t bear to watch that in real life. Seeing the guys clean the skyscraper windows here in NYC makes my stomach turn!

  34. Oh my gosh that last picture scares me to death! Good call hiring someone!!

    I love the contrast it brings out the stone perfectly.

  35. The new color is PERFECTION. Seriously, this is one of my favorite before & afters! Love the new landscaping in the front & rear, too (the house! I’m talking about the house! 😉

    Hiring it out was a no-brainer, esp. after seeing those ladders. Even if I had been able to scale those things, I would’ve been too frozen at the top to wield a paintbrush. Y’all down below would’ve gotten pee on on your heads.

  37. It looks so good!!! Also, you couldn’t pay me enough to do what those guys did.

  39. WOW, what a difference paint makes! It looks great!! And that last pic reminds me of donkey kong….yikes!

  40. Wow, that looks so amazing!! Love the color…your house is just beautiful! Btw…I love your blog 🙂 it’s my favorite blog! I always read it while I’m nursing my baby boy 🙂

  41. OMG that’s terrifying! I can barely comment on how great the house looks I’m just shaking in my chair right now. Kudos to them!

  42. WOW! what a change some paint can do! I love it! And I think I just hyperventilated looking that last pic…who knew latters went that high..Eeeek!!

  44. Hi Katie,
    It looks absolutely fantastic!! You must be so pleased that it is finally done, and so definitely worth hiring someone else to do the job for you!! I bet you can’t stop looking at the outside of your house now! xox
    PS How could you watch those guys jumping from ladder to ladder? Awesome but seriously crazy!!

  45. Hey, it looks great! I love the color choice.

    And that last pic? Terror inducing. They must be part monkey.

  46. Looks fantastic! Love grey right now and looks great with the stone. and I completely agree nothing that high ever! ever! I hate heights! whew

  48. holy blippity bleep. That last picture just gave me intense anxiety about a past even that I was in no way a part of. eeeeep!

  49. Did you pose them for the first picture? I can’t believe they’d 1.) lean on the back of the van with one arm, 2.) put their hand on their hip, 3.) cross their arms, or 4.) pose with their weight on one foot with the other forward….without some direction! 🙂 LOVE it.

    Also…the house looks AWESOME. Wow. What a difference!

  50. Can’t believe what a difference! It looks absolutely beautiful…great job picking the colors….and knowing when to call in the pros. I am sure it’s awesome to pull into your driveway and not silently groan at your frustrations with the exterior colors! Congrats!

  51. Love the finished paint job! Looks so much nicer …. clean, and crisp.

    And …….. YIKES, I’m usually comfortable on a ladder, but there is no way I would be on one that high. And to let go to scramble over to the next …… not happening! No way, no how.

  53. OMG! I almost spit my Diet Dr. Pepper all over my keyboard at that last photo! Where is his Superman cape? ‘Cause that’s the ONLY way you’d ever get me on a ladder that high, is with the guarantee I could fly! I’ll fly anywhere in a plane and sit plastered against the window, looking down 38000 feet. But put a ladder between me and the ground? There are creepy crawly sensations on the back of my neck, at my tailbone, and I start to sweat. And no, in that particular instance, it’s NOT a hot flash!

  55. So very pretty! And I noticed the front door change right away!!! Sooooo much better in the black! It all works now 🙂

  56. 1. I love the after! Your house is gorgeous! I want to live there. Will you adopt me? 🙂 I have a huge thing for wrap around porches. When we build our house, I want one. Of course, that is a 10 year plan that is turning 20 year. 🙂

    2. Please tell me the snake was somewhere in the yard and not like somehow in the house. I’m petrified of snakes. I found one in my flower bed near the house 2 weeks ago and it took me two days to go outside….long to go to that part of the yard. And that was just a little garter snake (all we have in Maine other than wood snakes).

  58. Wow.

    What an incredible difference!! It looks so…. expensive! lol

    But seriously, that is one job totally worth whatever it cost to hire out because the value you will get out of it in the long run won’t even compare- even if its just falling in love with your home every time you pull up the driveway 🙂

  60. Wow Katie! It was well worth the saving and planning. Your home looks sooooo much better with the new paint. Did you get a new roof? It looks a totally different color now. Incredible. Love you blog!

  61. Oh my word, LOVE the change. And…… your comment on the guys doing the work is hilarious! My stomach flipped flopped when I saw the picture!

  64. It looks fantastic! So much better. and it goes well with the interior changes you’ve made. Good job!

    WOW, those guys on the ladders — whew. Good call getting professionals to do it.

  65. Oh my lord – that ladder shot makes me want to pass out just looking at it! No safety harnesses or anything! Unbelievable. Impressive, but unbelievable. 🙂

    At least the house looks great!

  66. wow it looks awesome! I’m glad you’re documenting all the paint colors you use – now I won’t have to think of it for the next house (lol, you have awesome taste and I live in a totally different part of the country so it might happen …). It’s really amazing how the color make the wall-o-siding less jackolantern-ly. And that guy straddling two ladders? not enough workers comp in the world to cover that.

  68. Oh my god, that last photo is terrifying!

    And I absolutely love the colors that you chose! Your house looks a hundred times better!

  69. Looks great! am i loosing it or was your door red?? Are you leaving it the color it is now ?

  70. the new color is GREAT!! I Feel like the back top right is missing something though – like you need a mural or something, haha

  74. It was a harmless gray rat snake…which is very common here 🙂 And the guys found it on the air conditioner unit. Scary.
    xo – kb

  75. The difference is amazing! I love it! And am so jealous of your ability to envision these things. My brain just doesn’t work that way!

  76. That was all them. I simply asked for a photo and they all said ok. After I saw the pic, I laughed but honest to goodness, they were the nicest guys.
    xo – kb

  77. Oh my Gosh… that’s exactly how it should have been. So perfect, Katie!!!!

    Good Lord, dood was climbing between ladders? I’m having visions of them both tilting in opposite directions… ACK! Acrobats..

  78. I know it’s picky and I’m not usually one to point things out like this, but it really is unfair to use words like “skin” or “flesh” as a specific color.

  82. I don’t think I’ve commented on your blog before, but I absolutely had to stop and say… WOWWWWW that “after” is AMAZING!!! =O

  90. Love the new colors. And that ladder shot?!! Umm… No way! I’m not afraid of heights but the fear of falling is pretty good and that just looks crazy!

  91. Wow, I totally didn’t get what the big deal was till I saw the results. It made a HUGE difference and I totally think you got the exact right shades!

  93. Umm yeah the painter at the peak of your house, OMG. My co-workers must think I’m crazy. I had my eye brows knit together and my jaw hit my desk. Your painter just did that…….

    house looks amazing! good for you for saving and great choice in colors!

  94. I love the paint job! Great paint choices. Also, you crack me up, “said a prayer and left a puddle”. HA!

  95. Wow. Looks incredible! I love the color choices you made.
    Side note: where did you get that AMAZE table on your patio?

  96. I left two puddles. One when I saw how pretty the house was and I can even talk about the guy on… 😉

  98. I just ADORE your colour choices!!!! I’m sure you don’t need to be told this, but it completely changes the whole house!!! Wowsers, soo worth the money in my opinion! And I’m glad you also changed the front doors, the red was the perfect ‘fix’ but not really a great combination with grey 🙂 Great work Team Bowers!!

  99. You are so funny. Totally took me by surprise with how you finished off this post! That’s why I come back day after day. That last picture is car-ay-zee! Props definitely for those ladder skills. I love the way the house looks now. The original colour wasn’t my jam either but it’s not the worst I’ve seen, but Oh My! the new look. Gorgeous !! I think the back is actually more impressive than the front. Of course all the yard work you’ve done is also awesome. This makes me excited because we are having our exterior of our house painted in about 8 weeks, hired out that job too, I can’t wait. Oh and I have a black front door, I can’t wait to read all about yours.

  100. Yikes! I just left a puddle, too, after that last picture. Craziness going on there!

  103. Wow Katie, what a difference! It’s just beautiful! Great choice of colors; that’s such a hard part! I asked you a while ago about the ikea shelves in will’s old room and just wanted you to know- thanks again and that I still check your blog every, single day!
    Congrats on the finished job, it’s amazing!

  104. Your last picture….I just died a little, and my husband builds elevators everyday, I can’t even imagine!! It’s like a real life game of Chutes and Ladders, minus the Chutes, happening on the side of your house.

    I love the colors! I have been looking for the greyish house colors as well, since when the sun hits our house…it’s pink. I can’t wait to show this to my hubs, so he can see I’m NOT crazy when I suggest a grey house.

  106. Wow! Your house looks fantastic! Just the picture of those tall ladders makes my stomach hurt. And the guy going from one to the other?? OMG!!!!

  107. Wow! It looks absolutely amazing! It’s crazy how much of a difference paint makes. When I looked at the before and after pictures it almost looked like there was new stone on the house. Seriously, I just can’t even express how stunning the after looks. Your house is lucky to have a great family living there restoring it to the beauty and grandeur that it deserves!

  108. Our house is really similar to yours-super tall peaks/roof line-and about the same square footage but no basement. So we also hired out and used CertaPro in San Diego and we cannot say enough good things about them either. The job took them 14 days and at the end of each day they cleaned up and left all their supplies in one small area or took them with them. They were meticulous, clean, professional, and an extra bonus-they were awesome with our kids and even let them “help”.

    Your house looks great and I’m happy to hear you had a good experience with them.

  109. I love the reflection of you holding your sweet baby boy and taking a picture. Power to mommy multitasking!

  110. Looks great! The grey is such an improvement.

    Any plans to paint the benches and the deck ceiling white? That would really tie the window trim into the surroundings, IMO.

  112. Your house looks freaking amazing!! But…I was sad to see the red doors gone. I loved them and I thought they would have really popped against the grey (like your kitchen chairs against the grey). Can’t wait to hear all about the change from red to black. Enjoy the ‘new’ house!!

  114. WOW WOW WOW (I should full a page with those!)……WOW……..Unbelievable how much of a difference that paint job has made- and the new colors are simply gorgeous- great picking!!

    Is the siding on the back of the house vinyl or something else?

  115. Gorgeous! You did such a fabulous job picking the colors. Now everything you want to highlight just pops – the stonework, the beautiful lines – you raised the “elegant” quota big time. Love love love it!!! Two years of saving has definitely paid off! Congratulations 🙂

  116. I believe my heart stopped at that last photo. Did they wear safety harnesses at all? Holy cannoli, that’s high.

  118. It looks great! We had light tan siding, which luckily a good chunk of it was ripped off in a storm a few years ago, so we were able to get all new siding thanks to insurance. We went with a dark grey and couldn’t love it more! So of course I think you made a great choice!

  119. The house looks amazing – very stately and classic. I can’t believe how much a new paint color brought out the beauty in your stone – well worth the saving and the waiting!

  120. It’s pretty amazing what a little paint, some landscaping and a whole lotta elbow grease (and crazy painter guys) can do – it looks wonderful – great choices!

  121. Oh man! The difference is amazing! The exterior went from kind of shabby to ultra classy. Well done, and I love the color choices. When you showed the photo shopped looks I was leaning towards the white, but you for sure made the right call.

  122. WOW! In a weird (good) way, the “after” shot looks smaller… like it went from being a big tasteless McMansion to being a family country home. Looks amazing!!

  124. Wow, it looks great! Honestly, when you showed the different choices in your previous post, I was more on board with the white trim, but now I can definitely see why you went with grey. Such an improvement from all that tan!

  125. OMG, LOVE. YOUR. HOUSE. My dream home! What a difference paint can make! I loved your house before you painted, but it’s even better with the new color. Good choice! And even better choice to hire it out; I’m with you on the heights thing. Just looking at the pictures of the guys up so high makes my stomach turn. 🙂

  130. WOW! What an amazing beautiful difference!!!

    …..And now tell about your stinkin precious new nephew!!!! 😉

  132. So polished looking. Very nice.

    On a random note- are you ever going to share your weekly pregnancy pics (the white shirt ones that you shared a few weeks worth)? And, did you ever find renters for your first house? Would they let you do a house crash post or are you just keep that private?

    Thanks for blogging! I love to read:)

  136. UM! This is so gorgeous, which you already know. This gives me so much inspiration, knowing you can take something you originally didn’t love about your home and change it so drastically. I’m going to drool on my phone in a second!

    🙂
    Jess

  137. 1) Love the new look! It’s amazing how much it changed your house’s appearance!
    2) That last picture…. no no no no no no no…

  138. Did CertaPro Painters at least give you a discount for posting pictures of their truck and providing such a raving review of their work? I can imagine this was a major expense, so any little bit helps.

  140. Good call on the paint color. The previous owners really like tan didn’t they!? It looks neater and cleaner. Nice job!

  144. Oh my! That last picture is pretty scary. it was definitely a good idea to hire people.
    I love how it turned out! Beautiful job!

  146. Nope. Actually we were quoted $7500 with all the paint and repairs but then later they discovered even more rot than we thought so there was an additional $350 tacked on. In the end, paint helps keep your home in good repair from a protective perspective so it’s well worth the money.
    xo – kb

  150. I was gonna share them but I realized that it could be a sensitive issue when there are so many ladies out there with hopes of getting a little one of their own so I nixed it. And yes, we have renters but we won’t be as personal as before because it bit us in the rear end…so no…no house crashing 🙁
    xo – kb

  151. So it totally looks amazing, but… uh… as someone who works in the construction industry… that last pic is so not okay. I don’t know what the laws are out there in Georgia, but that company could get in serious trouble (or the employee fired, depending on the company’s safety program) here in California.

    I say this not to be a buzzkill, but maybe because posting the ladder-jumping photo isn’t a great idea…?

    Beautiful, home, though!!

  152. What is the fatality rate for exterior painters? Is it right up there with Hoover Dam construction workers?

  153. WOW! What an amazing difference. It’s funny — you’ve posted so many pictures before now, but it wasn’t until this post that I really understood what a weird choice the original color was for the house. Great choice on the new color, the end result is gorgeous! 🙂

  154. Yah, I don’t blame you guys for hiring pros to take on that task. Those ladders are sky high. The house and front doors look great!

  155. Ah-MAZING! I love it! The difference is like night and day! I love the landscaping you have done in the front too!

  156. Considering that their painters practically have to be trained circus performers (jumping ladder to ladder), I can see where the cost would add up. I, too, have had contractors do such a good job and just be such great guys that I rave about them to everyone. I guess this isn’t an issue when painting the exterior, but if a contractor/repairman offers to take off his shoes before coming into my home, he gets major brownie points. I once had a cable/phone sub-contractor come in and throw his dirty tools on my bed, ruining my white bedspread, so you can see why such a thing as removing shoes is so nice.

  157. Holy smokes! This looks so good. The house is thanking you!!!! The stonework looks amazing with these colors. Good call on the back of the house. Looks beautiful Katie.

  158. Same here. I am a big fan of the removing of shoes not because it’s necessary but because the act that I value my home is what counts 🙂
    xo – kb

  159. I feel like this is a riddle Angie…did a Hoover Dam construction worker die recently?
    And wanna hear something cah-razy?! Our painting guy (the one that owns the franchise) told us some stats on ladder falls and how many people die…it’s nuts. Google it sometime.
    xo – kb

  162. Looks fantastic! I call all the flesh-tones “band-aid” . The grey is a great improvement over band-aid. And YIKES to the guy switching ladders a mile in the air.

  164. Wow! I love the gray so much better!
    My house is white brick/trim with black siding. When we originally bought the house, I didn’t mind the black so much. But now that we’ve been in it for two summers, it gets HOT! We were thinking of going with a mediumish gray siding with slightly lighter trim just like what you guys did. Seeing yours now done re-enforces our decision. Thanks!

  165. Casandra, unless you’re not caucasian. In which case you’re being taught your body is ‘other’ from the norm, because your flesh is not flesh colored. It’s easy to just stop using racist terms and switch to “pinkish”, after a while it becomes second nature.

  167. HOLY SMOKES!!!! Your house looks so amazing! I can’t wait to hear about switching the red doors to black. I have wanted to paint mine red since I saw yours. (I even linked you in a blog post because I loved them…lol) But our house has brick that’s half peachy/salmon and half gray. Plus one day we need to replace (or paint) all our siding (aluminum), eaves and soffits. So I think anything we do will only be a Band-Aid on the situation.
    Right now I look at my house and think “BLAH!!”

  168. K-T! You left the best picture for the VERY end! I can’t believe you hid it from us like that! I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined that harrowing painting adventure. Kudos on the paint selections….they are A-Ma-Zing!

  170. Lets face it. With those mustaches, they were bound to be a fabulous team of painters!

  171. IT.LOOKS. AWESOME! Perfect color choices. I have to admit, and this is why I’m really writing, the first time I ever visited your blog and did the whole house tour, I actually thought it was unfinished on the outside. That before picture, to me, has always looked like the windows, trim and columns are just plain wood waiting to be painted or stained. Now it looks like a real finished home—so beautiful!

  172. Yup I was thinking the same thing and asked my red seal roofer husband his opinion. He said Katie is lucky they didn’t fall because she could be sued. I would never hire a company who didn’t value the safety of their employees.

  173. I never realized it until you described your before siding as “skin” but we’re lucking to have an entire house covered in that same siding! And we’re at the front of the neighborhood, so everyone gets to see it and marvel at our good taste (assuming they don’t know it was there before). I sometimes pray during bad storms that our house will be hit with lightning so insurance will pay for all new siding. Is that bad?

  174. I definitely think that this is not company policy…and they are fully bonded and insured so I am sure that if something ever did happen and there was evidence that the injury happened due to unsafe practices, the employees would not be eligible for workers comp or be able to sue the homeowner.
    xo – kb

  177. Holy Cow. That last picture made me squeemish just looking at it! No wonder you “left a puddle” lol!

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