Remember back when we debated painting the siding on the front porch way back here in fall 2011? Hence the creepy Halloween wreath on the door.
We had picked a color and everything (Flagstone by Martha Stewart – the one on the right in the photo above) but before we got around to doing it, the temperatures dropped too much to paint. Then the test swatches – which lived on our porch for several months (sorry neighbors) got painted over when it was time to shoot book photos out there. The project literally became out of sight, and out of mind.
Then we redid the columns. And when we did a few of you guys were all “wait, weren’t you going to paint the siding out there? what happened?” and we were all “oops, yeah, that never happened.” And then we added the pergola and a few window boxes and our paint-that-siding hankering returned. Initially we worried that painting just the porch siding would be weird without doing all the other siding on the side/back, but after rethinking it we decided it would be fine since the cream color of the other siding is still in the porch trim, so it all ties in.
So although you could literally describe us as being on the fence about this project since 2011, in the end we just didn’t want to leave without going for it. Especially because we thought the trim, columns, and that happy yellow door would pop a lot more from the street. And let’s face it, we’re going to be doing a lot of drive bys just to wave at her once she’s not ours anymore. #totallynormal
So out came the paintbrush and roller. We had already bought the paint way back when we settled on the color in 2011 (Flagstone by Martha Stewart) so we didn’t need to spend any more loot to make this happen. Update: this is hardboard siding, which is like a wood composite material, so this method might not work on aluminum or vinyl siding.
And believe it or not, we whipped out the entire job (two coats!) during a Clara nap on the same day that we hung the window boxes (we were like little front yard tornadoes running around).
And since the color ties in so well with the mortar in the brick (it’s nearly the same color up close) it’s a nice seamless addition. It helps the door and the trim and the columns feel a bit less flat from the curb, yet it doesn’t make the other cream siding stand out like a sore thumb since that relates to the rest of the trim.
The biggest difference that we notice in person is that the house feels less choppy since that big cream rectangle was a lot more broken up looking than the not-as-light new color. See how the before picture below looks like a house made of a brick box next to a white box next to another brick box and the after picture looks a lot more like one facade instead of three blocks sitting next to each other?
Best of all the yellow door is one heckova happy guy now that he’s next to a slightly deeper tone than that former sea of cream.
Almost makes us forget that the house looked like this during our first walk through back in 2010…
Anyone else painting siding? How did you tackle it? We just used a small foam roller and a brush (John used the roller to get along each length of siding and I used the brush to get into the groves and cut in around the edges). We were both shocked how quickly we got those two coats knocked out.
Tina says
…and that’s why I heart you. You’re always dreaming and so positive and hopeful. I can’t wait to see what ya’ll do with the new home. Even my usually non-visualizing self can see the diamond in the rough with that house. Congratulations!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Tina! I heart you right back.
xo
s
Kim says
Woah I don’t know if this is a weird thing with your camera or with my computer screen, but your shutters look so weird in some of these pics! Half of them look black and half of them look… indigo? I thought maybe you had painted them until I saw the very last “after” pic where they’re all black again… so weird!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, it’s just a weird picture thing. In person they’re all black :)
xo
s
Magen says
I am debating between painting my all brick ranch style house, or just updating the shutters (and painting my door a fun color). The brick is similar to the color on this house. I’ve seen some brick houses that have been painted and it made them have a cute stone cottagey look. Do you have feelings on painting brick?
YoungHouseLove says
In our area painted brick is not known to be as sought after since the perk of brick is that it’s virtually maintenance free (whereas you have to repaint siding or painted brick). Maybe see if there’s any resale reason not to do it, and if realtors say painted brick houses are just as exciting to people then go for it?
xo
s
Liz says
I’m in the process of purchasing a house that has the yuckiest beige and brown vinyl siding. Its in good shape, but the color has to go. Would love to not have to replace it just to loose the yuck factor. I’d love to hear if anyone has had long term success with painting vinyl siding!
Grey looks SO much better. Good work (as always).
Amanda says
We painted our blue siding 5 summers ago and it’s holding up great! Our house is on the market and I made sure to put in my FAQ packet that the siding can be painted any color the next family chooses. We used a special paint from Sherwin Williams – because we went with a darker shade, it only required one coat and I think it cost us about $500 to do an 1800SF house. If you have any questions, let me know! :)
My Dad did his house the same summer – he did a light cream and it required two coats – but it is still holding up great…..
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome Amanda!
xo
s
Liz says
Hi Amanda,
Thanks, this is so helpful! So you didn’t have a problem painting your siding a color darker than it was originally manufactured? I’ve read that painting the siding darker will result in more heat absorption than it was built to handle. I’m so glad to hear someone has had luck with this and will definitely check out the Sherwin Williams vinyl paint.
Liz
Catherine says
Totally off-topic here but I just got my new issue of HGTV on my iPad & you guys are on page 82 with your Full Sun recommendation for front doors!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! Can’t wait to see it! Thanks for the tip!
xo,
s
Pam Gereau says
That yellow door just pops along with the white trim – Love it you guys! And I can’t wait to see what you do with the new digs. I’m kind of hoping you keep that shiplap siding in your kitchen, painted white, of course, though I’m sure whatever you do will be sweeeeet! (*and yes, Internet Grammar Police, I know I spelled sweet incorrectly) :P
Love,
Pam
RachelD says
Did you do two coats in 2 hours? Aren’t you supposed to wait like 4 hours in between? Or did you do one in the morning and one later? Sorry- just trying to figure out how you guys paint so fast! Painting my kitchen is taking forever because I do it at night after the kids go to bed and I had to do primer + two coats with cutting in and rolling myself.
YoungHouseLove says
Since we didnt need primer and the exterior paint could be applied one coat after another (no sanding between) we just gave it around 20 minutes before starting the next coat and it was all good. With primer it would definitely be a two day project :)
xo,
s
Carly says
Yeah…I’m pretty upset with how late this was! ;)
Another great example of how something little can make a huge difference! I think a lot of times we think things are “ok” and they “work” so we leave them. But really -the details are what make up the big pretty picture! Love it!
Sammi says
Seeing this post brought back some memories… Back when I graduated from high school, my dad decided to repaint our wood siding so we could save money and have the grad party at our house. Well, he didn’t only want to save money, but wanted to save time too so he bought a paint gun to spray the house. Somehow he managed to wait until the week before the party to paint, so he rushed through it all and didn’t pay much attention to detail… And painted right over a couple of windows before he even realized what he was doing. Boy was that fun to clean up! Haha.
Glad your experience went a little better ;).
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh that’s hilarious!
xo,
s
Joanie says
I have been looking at your home’s facade for quite sometime online thinking “something is missing” but not knowing quite what. Like Lucy (from Peanuts Cartoon) says: “THAT’s IT!!!!”
Same thing with our home – we went from a yellow/white rambler with black shutters (think bumblebee). To a Taupe/Cream home with turquoise shutters and it is so much easier on the eyes.
Super cute!
geri says
Looks great guys! Big difference! Those poor plants beside the door though! Naaawwwww. Get some seaweed solution or fish emulsion on them stat and loads of water over the next couple of weeks, and you should see BIG improvements!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Geri!
xo
s
Abby @ Just a Girl and Her Blog says
It looks so fantastic! It was beautiful before, but I can’t believe how much the new color makes the yellow door really POP! You guys are geniuses, what can I say?! I’m sure the new owners will appreciate all of the awesome final touches! Hope you are having a wonderful week!
~Abby =)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Abby!
xo
s
Denise says
It looks great! I’m a landscape designer and a big proponent of using plantings for curb appeal. Can I suggest some boxwoods for the front bed? There are so many different varieties. Any of these would work and are all highly prunable to keep them in bounds: Dwarf English, Green Velvet, Jensen, Wintergreen, Chicagoland–even if you just use three in that front section (sort of in front of the bench section).
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Denise! We’re actually selling/moving but we do love boxwoods!
xo
s
Amanda says
We painted our vinyl siding back in the summer of ’08. It was that hideous 70’s blue that was so popular. Now, 5 years later, despite the harsh winter temperatures of Upstate NY (and by Upstate, I mean, nearly in Canada – not just north of the city), it still looks great. We picked a chocolate brown shade and used the Sherwin Williams paint made specifically for vinyl siding just before it started popping up as an actual vinyl siding color around here and thankfully, it only needed one coat on most of the house. My father had the same color siding on his house and he went with a creamy color that required two coats – but all in all, 5 years later, both houses still look great! Our house is currently on the market and I’ve put in my little FAQ packet that the house could easily be painted any color the new owners choose, in case they weren’t crazy about the brown and a couple of people were shocked that you could even paint vinyl siding in the first place and that it still looks great now. :)
Natalie says
Oh yeah, great choice! The pale gray really makes a statement without being overpowering. Nicely done! I’m sure the new owners will love it! :)
Ethne @ Wom-Mom says
You’ve ended up with a lot of gray in this house. Have you been chain-reading 50 Shades? Kidding. Have a new napkin for the new house’s color scheme yet?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I haven’t read 50 Shades yet but I hear I might be the last holdout on the planet! Haha! As for a new napkin, nothing yet, but you never know when inspiration will strike!
xo
s
Jessica says
I want you to know that even though I am SOOOOOO freaking excited for the new house posts, I am taking deep breaths and being patient, relishing in the last of the posts on this house, ’cause I love you guys and you could write about baseball and I would enjoy it. (please don’t start writing about baseball). Congrats on all the wonderful changes!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Jessica! You’re so sweet!
xo
s
Kierstin says
The grey really does make the yellow door pop. Good call. Love grey and yellow together.
Rachel says
How are you doing this?
I am now over your old house and ready for some postings about your new place. I seriously don’t mean that as a demand though, I actually mean that as a question: how are you even finding the energy to put into your current house?
And…of course it looks great…but I would find that all the more irritating…
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! I think we are just strange birds. We started this blog without ever expecting to make a dime, just because we love DIY. You know how some people like to cook or knit or sew or bowl? We like to paint stuff and build stuff and hang art. Haha! It’s just a favorite pastime for us. So even if we’re leaving something, we want to leave it pretty. Weird, I know!
xo
s
Devon @ Green House, Good Life says
If I might make an observation…Sherry, you’ve started referring to yourself as “weird” a lot in response to comments about your level of commitment, thoroughness, and enjoyment of DIY. There’s nothing wrong with just wanting to do a good job and see projects through, or with feeling like a steward of a home for the time it’s yours. You wanted to paint the front siding because you knew the house could be better and didn’t want to leave without following through on that (plus you already had the paint). But my point is that it’s okay — admirable, even — to see a project through because it’s the right thing to do.
So own it. Own it like you own Richmond real estate.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Devon! I like weird. Is that weird? Weird is the new black. My family unanimously voted me “weirdest sibling” about a decade ago and I LOVE it. I don’t know, it’s like how we call ourselves DIY dorks. We think it’s funny and quirky and fitting :)
xo
s
Devon @ Green House, Good Life says
I never said you aren’t also weird in other ways. LOTS of other ways. :) But this isn’t one of them. Diligence and holding yourself to high standards? Rare, perhaps, but not weird. I get why you don’t want to respond with “we did it because we’re overachievers,” but weird…no.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, thanks Devon! You’re so sweet.
xo
s
Roya says
A plant question: In the photo shoot picture it seems you have cypress trees by the door, am I right? But in the new pictures they’re gone. Did they dry out? I have one mini cypress beside my door and I love it but recently I’m noticing some dead parts. Do you think they are not suited for containers?
YoungHouseLove says
Those were actually loaned to us for book shoots (then we had to return them). We wanted something with a little height. I wish we could have kept them to see how they’d do :)
xo
s
A. @ Hello Door Seven says
Everytime you get to show a picture of your front door, I feel in love!
Oh, if I could paint our door yellow too!!
Anyway, now the front of the house looks even better!
Erica says
It really makes the yellow front door pop! I love the changes you have made and look forward seeing what you do to your new house!
Colette says
Another home run. Actually, I’m pretty much in awe of everything you guys do. I wish I had your energy!! Confession: each time I read one of your posts, the song “everything she does is magic” by the Police starts playing in my head! Is that weird?
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahah! I think it’s hilarious.
xo
s
Sara says
I love the way the yellow door pops off the grey now, however I think overall I liked the white better. Do you feel that the grey siding sort of blends into the roof now and makes the whole house look even more squat? I think the white kept it more open and airy. Just a personal preference!
YoungHouseLove says
In real life the roof is black (it’s just reflecting the sky in the pics and looking lighter). Meanwhile the siding is a medium gray/putty color (the same-ish tone as the bricks, which are a lot lighter than the black roof). Wish you could come see it from the curb :)
xo
s
Alex says
Is it just me, or does that cherub of yours nap particularly well? I am blown away by what you manage to achieve in nap time!
Both of mine were horrid day sleepers (I’d spend more time getting them to sleep than they actually slept).
YoungHouseLove says
On a usual day we can get 2 to 2.5 hours out of her, so we feel very grateful for it!
-John
Carol says
I “luv” the paint job and your house has great curb appeal. I doubt it will take long to find a new family to take her over. Good Luck!
jenn says
are you guys going to paint the addition at all?
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, that’s stay cream like all of the trim on the entire house, so it fits in. The new owners could though (a darker color might hide more dirt than the cream) :)
xo
s
Lilly says
Good luck on selling the house! I wanted to ask a question: Are there any “switchable” fixtures that you love so much and got a great, one-time deal on, which you will take them with you? –for example, light fixtures (inside and out), curtain rods, etc. Is it unfair (or even misrepresentative) to show the house with a particular fixture, but then switch it with the old/other one before moving out?
YoungHouseLove says
We believe in fully disclosing what you’re taking in the listing, so if the curtains or light fixtures don’t convey we say that. In our case nearly everything is staying in this house except for a few things we wrote out as coming with us :)
xo
s
Emily says
That looks great! I really like the change in the color. I wish we could paint our siding but our entire house is siding so that would be an undertaking for sure. We are hoping to paint our shutters soon tho to add a little pop. We are enjoying the inspiration you guys give for home improvement projects!
Emily
lovepastatoolbelt.com
Melissa says
#totallynormal – it IS totally normal. We sold our house on April 26th and drive by almost every day to see if the new owners have moved in yet and what they are doing with the house/yard- it will always be our first project/house we married in/house we started our family in and we want to see it transform. It’s also only 3 blocks from our new house. Like you, we had our eye on a neighborhood and moved close and then when we the new house came up and was exactly what we wanted (minus a few projects) at a price we could afford, we jumped.
Kaci says
Honestly, this one will take me a while to decide if I like it. Don’t get me wrong, I think almost every decision the two of you make is pure genius so I’m sure I’ll decide I love it, but right now I’m on the fence. I liked the white just fine – I know you wanted to tie into the brick more but I think the contrast was charming and endearing. Now that everything is more blended, it’s less eye-catching? I’m not even sure if I’m saying that right. What’s really important is that you guys are happy with it and that my indecision is in the minority of your responses.
Good job it still is a sweet home. I can’t wait to see what y’all dream up for the new house!
Nans says
May have been mentioned before already, but the new siding paint makes your front porch look deeper/bigger and makes the white columns and trim stand out more. I definitely like it. Thanks for sharing!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Nans :)
xo
s
Koliti says
It’s a tricky spot no matter what you do with it…
Did you consider the “brick” paint color that you painted the utility meter with? That way it would unify the two different surfaces of the brick & the hardboard siding – like you did for the brick & wall in your sunroom.
YoungHouseLove says
We actually did think about that but decided that the color of the mortar would tie in without painting the front of the house brick red with cream siding :)
xo
s
Shelley says
Wow! So many opinions! I absolutely LOVE the new colour, but liked the old columns better…to each his/her own, eh?
Lydia says
I have a house very similar to yours, half brick wall, wood siding painted white etc. I was excited to see your house with the grey because we need to paint. I’ll have to,say I don’t love it. I glanced thought the comments and the vast majority do like it so I went back and looked again thinking I missed something. Nope. I prefer the cream/white. :-) but the beauty of our homes is we can do what we like. I think I’ll be sticking to white when we get our done soon. I would add that our mortar is more of a tan color and like a previous commenter said, I don’t care for grey. I feel like I’m waiting for the fad of grey to pass and am excited to see the color scheme you choose in your new home. (OH, how I wish we had a porch though. I live in snow country and couldn’t have the roof like yours. I hope you get a chance to enjoy it before the move.)
Brandy says
What kinds of plants are in the big planter boxes on your front stoop? I love them!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks! I think those were cypress trees for that shot of John and I (that was a book photo so we borrowed those and actually returned them that day). We were sad to see them go!
xo
s
Diane says
You make painting look so easy. I would love to paint some hallway cupboards, but have no idea where to start, what supplies I need, how to clean up after… Feeling a bit intimidated about it. I keep reading your posts and may have the confidence to finally just do it. Love your blog.
jill says
Holy moly, I can’t believe the difference. I SO love paint.
And I saw another commenter’s note about your neighbors. (Wait, I first typed “neighbots” which make me think you’re surrounded by cyborgs and I had to giggle like a 10-year-old. Sheesh.) ANYWAY—it made me wonder if your neighbors every figured out who you are? Do they ever ask you for help/advice? They must love how much you improve the neighborhood!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw our neighbors are the best. They have slowly figured out who we are and what we do but they don’t usually ask for advice, they just say sweet things like “love the new kitchen” and occasionally joke about us coming over to build a pergola for them next. Haha!
xo,
s
Lis says
Just wondering why the shutters are navy trimmed with black in some pics and sold black in others?
YoungHouseLove says
It’s just the way they photographed (light reflections playing tricks). In real life they’re solid black :)
xo
s
Jessica says
Inside I can always envision multiple color variations on the wall, but then I turn into a dunce when I try to take those skills outside. I shall tuck this project into my memory banks for inspiration. It looks great!
S says
Kind of wish ya’ll had done a stripe pattern grey/white. I am curious how that would have looked :D
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that sounds fun! We did a pattern like that on our first house’s porch floor!
xo
s
zohreh says
Oh wow! It looks great!
Bogac Erel says
Looks great! I really appreciate DIY modifications, also in my opinion yellow really stands out on white.
Ralph says
I don’t like the grey paint on the siding. I liked the white, what were you two thinking??? Unreal.
Danielle says
I love that you guys are still doing small improvements on the old house! I’m sure the new owners will love that!!
Danielle at Framed Frosting