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.
Julia @ Chris Loves Julia says
It’s truly beautiful.
Corrie @ Little House On The Update says
Love It! I’ve been waiting to see the end result! That last photo took my breath away and made me dizzy. YOWZAS.
Theresa says
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.
Alexi says
Wow! What a huge difference! It looks awesome!
Elizabeth T. says
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!!
amy @ drivethirtythree says
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!!
Brittany says
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!
Mya B. says
It looks Fan-freaking-tastic!! Love the color choices. Even the stone looks new now!!
Trela says
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!
Nicole B says
whoa! that last picture makes my stomach turn! Love the color choice it looks great!
Christina says
Looks great! That last picture makes me nervous!
Annie R. says
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.
Crissy says
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 🙂
Sarah | The Accidental Okie says
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.
Gray says
It looks great! I think you definitely made the right color choices! And congrats on the beautiful new baby nephew 🙂
Rhiana says
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!
Renee says
Absolutely stunning transformation!
Brenda says
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. 🙂
April says
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.
Amanda says
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.
Amanda Quam says
Dude, the guy switching ladders made me cringe. Your house looks a bazillion times better! Nice work 🙂
Autumn says
W.O.W. Gorgeous!
Sarah Kate says
It looks FANTASTIC! Love the gray!
superfresh babypants says
Your house looks 1,000,000,000,000% better!!! I didn’t even realize it looked bad before. ha!
hollyloo says
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!
Kel K says
That ladder photo is INSANE! Seriously…whatever you paid them was worth it! The house looks fantastic.
Megan @ Rappsody in Rooms says
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!
Amy @ Woodlawn Lane says
LOVE your color choices, it looks amazing!! And those guys on those ladders…just wow. Glad there are people willing to do that for money!! lol
Penny says
Just looking at that photo of the guy on the ladder makes me dizzy!!! But definitely worth it, the house looks amazing!
Allison says
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.
Casandra says
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**
Beth says
Looks amazing! Congrats!
Quiana says
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!
Mandy says
Oh my gosh that last picture scares me to death! Good call hiring someone!!
I love the contrast it brings out the stone perfectly.
FRECKLES CHICK says
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.
Jamie H says
Amazing!
Whitney Dupuis says
It looks so good!!! Also, you couldn’t pay me enough to do what those guys did.
Marissa says
Your house looks amazing!! I just LOVE it! Great color choice!
Diana says
WOW, what a difference paint makes! It looks great!! And that last pic reminds me of donkey kong….yikes!
Leah Kerbs says
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 🙂
Sarah says
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!
Elizabeth says
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!!
Eliesa @ Pinterest Addict says
Wow! I love the new look! I agree with you about not getting up on those ladders – it would never happen. 🙂
V@Sproutshouse says
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!!
Oona says
Hey, it looks great! I love the color choice.
And that last pic? Terror inducing. They must be part monkey.
Nicole says
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
Stephanie @ The Simplebees says
Marking down Sherwin Williams Pavestone! I just painted our fireplace surround in Martha Stewart Seal and I’m having trouble finding a wall color.
Bri R. says
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!
Stephanie B. says
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!
Erika m says
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!
Vickie M says
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.
Cat Alford (@BudgetBlonde) says
Wow. Looks so awesome guys.
krys72599 says
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!
EmilyHG says
It looks great! And I almost died looking at that last picture. Unbelievable.
Jeanna says
So very pretty! And I noticed the front door change right away!!! Sooooo much better in the black! It all works now 🙂
Julie @Logger's Wife says
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).
Alex says
The house looks amazing! What a difference!
Katie V says
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 🙂
Eileen says
Whoa.
Maureen Wildauer says
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!
Jennifer says
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!
danielle says
It looks nice! I would never be caught doing that either! Crazy! Ladders and I do not get along.
Kristen b says
Love it!! The colors look perfect!
Lenora says
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.
Leslie Ross says
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!
m @ random musings says
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.
m @ random musings says
*makes
Anna says
Oh my god, that last photo is terrifying!
And I absolutely love the colors that you chose! Your house looks a hundred times better!
rebecca says
Looks great! am i loosing it or was your door red?? Are you leaving it the color it is now ?
Marin says
the new color is GREAT!! I Feel like the back top right is missing something though – like you need a mural or something, haha
Sarabeth says
I love the new color. It’s amazing what a difference paint makes!
Katie says
The front door was red…and like I said, I repainted it black 🙂
xo – kb
Katie says
Nope! Same old roof 🙂
xo – kb
Katie says
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
Katy says
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!
Katie says
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
WendyMI says
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..
Leanna says
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.
Katie says
It’s hardiplank siding…which is made of concrete I believe.
xo – kb
Katie says
That’s my vote too!
xo – kb
Rebecca says
I love heights! That guy in the last picture rocks! And the new trim makes the house look much more sophisticated!
Kendi says
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
Angie Prine says
What a transformation! This is absolutely beautiful, I love it!
Megan says
Bwhaha… I almost left a puddle reading you left a puddle.
Nicky says
AWESOME paint color selection. It looks amazing – you must be thrilled!
Kristen @ LoveK says
Wow!! The new paint looks AMAZING!!! I can’t believe how brave those painters are on that ultra-high ladder. Yikes!
Katie says
Fair enough. I guess I should have put ‘my” before skin or flesh.
xo – kb
Jill says
Oh wow, that looks SO much better.
Lindsey says
Wow! The new color looks amazing!
Megan says
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!
Amy says
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!
Mary | lemongroveblog says
Stunning! Love everything about it!
Chatelaine says
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!
Maria says
I love the paint job! Great paint choices. Also, you crack me up, “said a prayer and left a puddle”. HA!
Sara says
Wow. Looks incredible! I love the color choices you made.
Side note: where did you get that AMAZE table on your patio?
Kim says
I left two puddles. One when I saw how pretty the house was and I can even talk about the guy on… 😉
Angela says
Annie, I think it used to be discouraged as you could only paint it lighter than the original color (or something like that?) but they make paint specifically for vinyl siding now. http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-collection/vinylsafe-colors-for-vinyl-siding/
I love Hardiplank cement boards, myself…they just look more like real wood siding. I love the changes you made Katie!
Jessica Moroney says
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!!
Angela says
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.
Julie says
Yikes! I just left a puddle, too, after that last picture. Craziness going on there!
Amber says
Wow. Looks great. I especially love the front doors 😉
Alicia says
Wow! Huge difference and it looks GREAT!
Ellen says
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!
Katie says
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.
Justynn @ Creative Life Antics says
wow! Looks amazing! What a difference some paint makes. And damn, those ladders…. yeah, I’m ok with heights and all, but that would scare the sh*t out of me!
Take care and enjoy it!
//Justynn
Jen Z. says
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!!!!
Kristen says
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!
Holly says
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.
krysta says
I love the reflection of you holding your sweet baby boy and taking a picture. Power to mommy multitasking!
Susan says
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.
Molly Petsch says
Simply amazing! I LOVE gray inside and out for houses.
Carla Mahony says
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!!
Sara says
Looks so good! Love grey exteriors.
shells says
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?
Jenn says
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 🙂
Susan says
I believe my heart stopped at that last photo. Did they wear safety harnesses at all? Holy cannoli, that’s high.
CrayolaJW says
Simply amazeballs! 🙂
Heather @ What Does She Do All Day? says
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!
Julie G. says
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!
Christina P (NS) says
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!
Barbi says
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.
Maya says
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!!
Julie @Logger's Wife says
Yea, that is scary. Thankfully the guys took care of it for you. *shudder*
LindsayB says
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!
Megan Cuy Castellanos says
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. 🙂
Em says
Love it!
I think it would look so pretty to replace your wrought iron porch railings with chunky wood railings in a pattern. Kind of like this: http://hgtv.sndimg.com/HGTV/2012/05/10/Original_Sherry-Rauh-install-porch-railing-wood-square-railing_s4x3_lg.jpg
christina @ homemade ocean says
Number one: It looks amazing! Seriously, like a whole new house.
Number two: That last picture gave me a mild panic attack….oh lordy.
candace says
Such a beautiful transformation! You picked the perfect colors – what a difference it made!
Melanie says
Your house is absolutely gorgeous now. It is now a jaw-dropper.
Carrie says
WOW! What an amazing beautiful difference!!!
…..And now tell about your stinkin precious new nephew!!!! 😉
Anna says
Your house is truly stunning, Katie! And I think the make-over is fantabulous!
Meghann says
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:)
Lindsey says
Looks great:)
Meghan says
“I said a prayer and left a puddle”
love you!!!
Casandra says
@Leanna Actually Katie was correct in her use. Pinkish cream. The more you know. 😀
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/flesh+color
Jessica says
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
Liz E. says
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…
Jessica says
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.
Laura says
Your house looks gorgeous! Great choices in paint color.
Dawn says
Good call on the paint color. The previous owners really like tan didn’t they!? It looks neater and cleaner. Nice job!
meg says
What an amazing job!
The transformation is beautiful!
http://happinessiscreating.com/
Brooke says
DEAR LORD! That last photo. So scary.
But the house looks great 🙂
Katja @ Shift Ctrl Art says
I just love it. The brown deck with the gray color looks amazing. Love your outdoor table and benches too. It looks really great!
Valerie j. says
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!
Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says
It looks amazing! What a difference!
Katie says
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
Katie says
That would look pretty! But probably never gonna be in the budget 🙂
xo – kb
Katie says
Nope. Nada. It was terrifying.
xo – kb
Katie says
It’s Hardiplank…which is concrete boards I believe.
xo – kb
Katie says
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
Alicia says
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!!
Angie says
What is the fatality rate for exterior painters? Is it right up there with Hoover Dam construction workers?
Sarah @ Babytalk Bungalow says
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! 🙂
Cindia says
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!
Cathy says
Ah-MAZING! I love it! The difference is like night and day! I love the landscaping you have done in the front too!
Jessica says
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.
Tara says
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.
Katie says
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
Katie says
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
Katie says
Jeremy built it! Isn’t it fab? Here is the link.
xo – kb
Ranelle says
Wow Katie, it looks so nice!
Elizabeth says
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.
marissa says
It looks awesome!!!
Kate says
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!
Annie says
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.
Deanne says
So pretty!
Sherry says
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!!”
Rebecca says
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!
Reenie says
WOW!! Love it. That last pic is skeeeery!!!
😮
Kirsten says
Lets face it. With those mustaches, they were bound to be a fabulous team of painters!
Casey says
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!
Niki says
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.
Ellen says
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?
Katie says
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
Katie says
No…not bad. Hilarious and frugal yes…but not bad 🙂
xo – kb
Celia Rodriguez says
Hey Katie,
Your house turned out great! You did a great job with your paint color choices. I just started a blog and today I wrote a post about the progress of our house’s curb appeal.
Check it out,
http://lifeonmaplestreet.wordpress.com
Celia
Nancy Pants says
Holy Cow. That last picture made me squeemish just looking at it! No wonder you “left a puddle” lol!