Diane’s home was on the garden tour last year, and all of their hard work still shows, it looks like it permanently belongs on the list.
Before the event, some friends gathered to make mosaic stepping stones for it as a birthday gift for her.
The stones are interspersed with natural rock in the pathways.
The yard is laid out in such a welcoming design, it intrigues you to want see around the next corner. As all great landscaping should.
There is just the right amount of sculpture and yard art to add to the ambiance and not be cluttered. I tend to over do that and junk things up, but this yard has an understated elegance that I could probably never pull off.
The stained glass artwork hanging inside the window adds to the overall feeling of curated beauty too.
Sitting on the upper deck, drinking wine, and listening to the frogs in the pond is an ideal way to spend an evening. Adding a tour on top of it? Perfection!
They are remodeling the decks soon and making them larger, then painting the house. The cedar planks have always been stained in this natural look, but they are ready for a change. My suggestion of color was a grayed blue. Diane’s interior is filled with shades of blue, some more sky and aqua, but enough different varieties of blue that I can tell it’s her favorite. And at our regular mosaic parties, she tends to go for the blue pieces of glass.
That said, blue can be tricky on an exterior of this style of house. You don’t want to be too cute with it. There are some terra cotta bricks in the trim and chimney, natural stone around the house, with a roof similar to the stone color.
The closest neighbor’s home to the right is a medium gray, the next is a sage gray, I think. I can’t remember the color to the left, but there is an empty lot between, if that matters.
In my opinion, the right shade of blue would be a good companion to the terra cotta bricks, and also compliment Diane’s airy personality, while fitting nicely with this neighborhood.
While dark blue could also be a good choice, it seems to me like she needs a lighter, cheerier shade to reflect her more. Now, I like the house in it’s dark, natural stain, and I’m sure a navy would look good too, but I’m still leaning more towards a light, softer shade. Not true blue, but grayed and warmed a bit.
She has used blue accents throughout the the inside and outside of the home, so there is the thought that a color pulled from the landscaping stones would also give the house the lightness it deserves, while complimenting her blue touches and looking nice next to the terra cotta bricks.
And the brick color could be a fine choice, but to me, not enough of a change. Although, I’d pick that over a gray or a dark shade.
Of course, I love thinking about colors and this puzzle has kept me entertained. I can’t wait to see what she picks. What do you think?
I wish I’d gotten more photos of the yard and veggie garden, it was really a magical place to be on a pretty evening.
Wow – what a beautiful house and yard! Obviously she doesn’t have deer!