Recent Activity
You're going to need to replace or patch the ceiling, so I'd tear it out so you can see what's going on and take a look while the shower is on. Remember that water will run downhill, so a tiny, imperceptible slope in the floor, pipes or underfloor may mean the water appears pretty far from where it originated.
I had an imperceptible slope in a bathroom floor in a former house and any leak/overflow from the toilet showed up right under the sink and the area around the toilet never had any puddles. Often, the problem is quite clear if you see it while it is happening, rather than waiting to notice a leak after the shower is off.
The other thing is that if you have a pinhole leak in the pipe, it might show up with higher water pressure from a shower, rather than lower pressure filling a tub.
Marie, I understand the frustration. Before deciding on a full tub and tile renovation, I’d first have a plumber or qualified bath professional observe a controlled shower test through the access opening and isolate the supply, drain and water escaping the surround. Since showering triggers the leak, avoid using it until the source is found.
If the ceiling is opened for inspection, have the wet materials and any visible damage assessed and dried before closing it. A full renovation may make sense if the surround or concealed materials are compromised, but identifying the entry point first helps prevent the same leak from returning in the new work.
I have the ceiling open where the leak is and its the subfloor its dripping from. any pipes i see in the opening in the ceiling aren't leaking from what I am seeing. That makes me think its coming from the tub somewhere. I thought forsure replacing the water knob, faceplate and cartridge was the answer along with the tub spout. process of elimination. Now im puzzled. if worse comes to worse I will take out the tub and replace it and anything else related. Thank you! Since i am not getting water on the floor i highly doubt its leaking at the side of the tub to the floor below. i did buy a scope camera and may drill a few holes and see what i find. Just a woman determined.
I notice you have room between the sofa and the door. Could you put a bookcase or credenza there? And if you put a giant stuffed animal, like a giraffe, that would become the focal point.
Or an elegant rocking horse.
This idea is about xozy for a family. Move the ugly couch forward a foot or so. A sofa tanle can go behind it. Move the smaller couch to the left so the left corner meets the cushion corner of the large couch. discaed the coffee table for this room. Add a large ottoman at the new cormer junction. Move the right speaker into the corner on a 45 angle Place the right speaker as an end table next to the chaise end of the big couch. Us a 15-18" narrow console with a small length only long enough to match the actual tv vase. Place the tv without regard to the fireplace. Cozy and functional.
since you cannot alter the sofa with the chaise attached, I'd position it in the front corner where the TV is now. You said you wanted the TV over the fireplace, but for more comfortable viewing I would position it opposite the fireplace.
the smaller sofa facing the front window this side of the fireplace with the console behind as a sofa table with a lamp.
Your problem is you're designing an empty space. If you actually use the bar area, the shelves will be filled with bottles and glassware, so the marble backsplash will read as visual clutter. I'd just paint the wall behind the bar.
Your feature wall looks shoved into a corner and it competes with the shiny black column. I'd have one thing, either the shiny black column or the niche with the mirror.
As for the office, it really needs furniture, not more built-in "features". Here are some very different home offices, with a wood built-in.
Rather than go to AI, which is going to give you very generic pictures, I'd create an ideabook for your office and collect pictures you like. Tag it if, say, you like the desk in the pic above, but hate the rug and the gilded chairs.
Ditto for a fireplace. There are a gazillion fireplace photos. Here's one with a lot of texture to the wall.
This one is definitely unique
A fairly traditional one with some texture
Here's one that maxes the rustic look.
For me, your entry and fireplace have generic builder details.
In the entry I would rather have a unique console and unique art or mirror above. Something that reflects my unique design style and not a generic builder niche and floating shelf.
My house has character, because of all the personal/unique design choices I made in furniture, art, drapes and items collected/inherited from travels and family.
Some examples of entries with "character".
I like niches, but it needs to be big enough for the stuff you'll put there. Most have enough for one bottle of shampoo and some soap, which doesn't work if you share the bathroom with someone who doesn't share your taste in shampoo or you use conditioner.
Getting a corner stool for your shower is not hard.
@katinparadise That's similar to the shelves I was thinking about instead of a niche. I found this one that I like because it has rails.
We don't have a ton of stuff. 4 shampoo bottles (3 for me and one for hubby lol), a comb, a bar of soak, razor, loofah, and I guess we'll need a squeegee.
But, I know that the wedi system comes with niche boxes or something. Not sure about shelves just being drilled through the tile. I'm sure there's a way to do it and make it waterproof, but it might be better to stick with wedi.
These work with wedi. They're bulkier, but maybe something like this. I could just have one of these low down for shaving, though I guess it might look a bit random. I could have 2 like this at the back left corner for hair stuff. I guess I'm finding more options now. Still need to figure out place for bottles vs place for foot/shaving or whether they'll be the same place.
I like shower niches. My primary home doesn’t have any in all 3 baths, drives me crazy. Since I wash & condition my hair daily I’ve resorted to placing the bottles on a high window ledge, my second home has shower niches in all the baths, I much prefer that.
I like #2 better. #1 limits the light in the bedroom and wastes a wall which could have windows in it on a closet.
With two kids, it is hard to give one of them a bedroom/WIC/private bath suite and not the other.
Consider reworking the plan so their bedroom suites are comparable. The small bedroom next to the staircase could become a private bath/WIC for the adjacent bedroom.
Why is the stairwell cold? Do you have a leaky door at the bottom of it? In general, hot air rises, so you'd expect a colder lower floor not to cause the cold air to be a problem.
I'd definitely close that up. Shouldn't be too difficult if you're good with drywall or too expensive if you hire a drywall company.
I would not make this a bedroom. Unless you are ready to close it up or put a "window", the opening is not friendly to a bedroom setting.
Expect most professionals you deal with, rental agents, real estate agents, mortgage lenders, bankers, whoever to have no clue about any of the details of your visa status or what it means in legal terms. I'd start with the assumption that no one you deal with has ever heard of an O-1 visa.
You may need an immigration service or lawyer, I don't know. But, unlike in Europe where people seem to move to other countries easily, that's not the general rule in America. Again, it depends on where you are moving from and to. From London to a major city, possibly you'll find people who are have some familiarity with your issues. From New Zealand to the suburbs of a minor city, not so much. And if you're moving from a non-English-speaking country with documents in another language, that's another layer of stuff to deal with. Don't expect anyone you are dealing with to be competent in any foreign language, not even Spanish (with the possible exception of some heavily Hispanic parts of the country).
We once asked our American bank how to wire Euros to a landlord in Europe. They replied that most people take dollars. We shouldn't bother with Euros. You're going to get a lot of stuff like that.
Welcome in advance. For a 1960s ranch you may sell in 5 to 7 years, I'd put money first into the things an inspection will flag: roof, electrical panel, plumbing, windows and HVAC. Buyers pay for a sound house. After that, paint, flooring and lighting give the best return for the cost. A kitchen refresh with new counters, hardware and fixtures usually beats a full gut on that timeline. I'd wait until you're here before starting. Living in the house for a few months tells you a lot, and you'll want to meet contractors in person. Get a thorough home inspection before you close, collect two or three detailed written bids, check that each contractor is licensed and insured in your state, and confirm who pulls the permits. Permit rules vary by county, so ask early.
@Alex Greene, I worked in mortgages as a loan officer for 5 years. In order to get a mortgage in the U.S., you need to be a permanent resident alien or citizen. This can take anywhere from 8 months to 10 years. Renting makes sense. Lenders also require 2 years of tax returns and employment at the same job before you can be considered for a mortgage.
Re-reading the OP, it stands out that she needed less than half a tank. I’m curious how many gallons were delivered. Looking at my COD suplier, their price differential for less than 100 gallons is almost a dollar higher than the next tier, and the differential is fall smaller between subsequent tiers. With automatic delivery, someone may be subject to that high price, depending on their contract. It sounds like perhaps an early delivery triggered a smaller delivery at a high price. I would definitely balk at that, but even if they adjust it I’d compare their regular rates against others, and consider switching service..
Talk to your local government ombudsman or other such authority. The fastest way to get a refund or credit on your account is to have an authority on your side.
Many people have fridges that provide chilled water. That's the most common way of getting cold water in the US. If you have an ice maker, which the majority of fridges so, it's the same line, which is tapped into your plumbing.
How hot your hot water is often depends on the setting on your hot water tank and how far it is from your kitchen.
There's a company I recommend due to their very helpful humans, iSpring. I've had one of their systems for about 3 years (undersink filter & RO). They make counter top models and have 8 models on the linked page. At a glance, they're more sophisicated than I expected. Starting price is $449 but that one only chills to 50 degrees (some are only room temp but some appear to be programmable). If there's something that interests you, you will likely be able to speak with someone during reg business hours to answer any questions - located in Georgia. If you go this route, check the RO membrame specs. I chose my under sink model based on the lowest waste water made.
We got used to having water and ice in the door in our former home, but not anymore. For cold filtered water we just keep a full Brita pitcher in the fridge now.
You need to simplify and unify your highlights, so they are all the same and go with the wood in your gable. If I did anything, I'd put vertical wood in the red area and horizontal wood in the green area, all to match the gable.
While I don't happen to love your siding on the balcony, your house would look better if you replaced the striped stuff around the window to the left of the door with the same as the balcony and replaced the black marble under it with the same.
All the windows shuold be the same color. If the reats are dark brionze or black, that window should be as well. No teak wood alu profile.
I think your problem is you have too many different feature sidings. You have the beige and reddish striped ones to the left of the door. You have the black marble below that window. You have the brown and beige on the balcony and the wood in the gable. None of the beiges go with your white siding. I'd simplify and unify. Personally, I think your house is elegant enough without any highlighting, but if you want something, pick one that goes with the wood in the gable.
Also, we don't know what you mean by "highlight wall" since the balcony and the first floor window are not the same walls.
You look like you live in place where it's easy to grow a lush garden and you have a lot of paved area. I'd pull up some pavers on the left and plant some lovely flowering shrubs. I might put a kidney-shaped garden island in the middle of your paver ocean, if you have the room.
Most woods go in most rooms. Pick what you love and don't fuss over it.
Wide planks in a bedroom are totally fine, even a smaller one. Fewer seams actually make a space feel calmer and bigger, not smaller, and being half covered by a bed doesn't change that. The bigger thing in a loft is the subfloor and the direction. Run the boards along the longest wall or toward the main window so the room stretches visually. And since it's an extension, confirm with your builder that the subfloor and moisture levels suit engineered boards that wide. If that checks out, go for the floor you fell in love with.
If you have little space for a door to open and you don't access the water heater often, I'd go with a piece of thin plywood (which you can paint) held in place by magnets. Make it a bit shorter than the opening for a natural vent.
Hi, Just an idea, How about a louvered door? They are liight and easy to install. You may want to frame it out with a 1x4. Good Luck Woodbutcher
Since yours is electric, I would not worry about a vent for combustion, but I would still build it so you can get at everything fast. A light louvered door on a simple 1x4 frame works well, and I would keep it easy to lift off or swing fully open. Just leave clear room for the shutoff, the relief valve pipe, and the drain if you have one, and do not box it in tight. That way a swap later is a lot less painful.
The island is huge and there's little space between the sink and the cabinets is what is a very large kitchen. I'd consider shrinking the island. The kitchen is very white and beige. You could punch is put by painting the walls a bright color r painting the bottom cabs. Or just bringing in color with chairs and other furnishings. I knew someone who had everything red in a rental with a white kitchen --- a red stand mizer, a red toaster, a red coffee maker. It added a pop of color without touching the kitchen.
If the former owners don't take those stupid signs, I'd ditch those, too.
Given that changing the island might be a big investment, I'd live with the kitchen for a while to figure out if the island's size is as awful as it looks. You might find the narrow distance convenient.
I want to warm it up. Replace backsplash and paint island and cabinets and replace hardware just
Love all the suggestions here. Also would like to replace kitchen table, chairs and table in sitting area and portrait
I get why you don't like it, but really, it's fine for your house and not worth bothering with. Focus on what you love about your house, not what you hate.
Wow thank you. Very interesting idea!
Hi everyone - I’m new to Houzz so I’m still learning how to use this. THANK YOU all for your ideas. I could never have made this progress on my own!
When a mansard roof covers half of the house, as yours does, you shouldn't put asphalt shingles on it. None of them are attractive. I'd treat it as siding and put cedar shingles on the vertical part. Around here, there are lots of Italianate houses with mansards that were once decorative slate with patterns made with color or scalloped slate shingles. The ones with the original slate look great. The ones with asphalt shingles look bad. The ones with some form of siding look good.
Here are some options.
Your contractor is right that lighter shingles show dirt, so I'd stay with a medium gray like Pewter. On a steep roof you see the shingles head-on, so the less patterned ones look calmer and closer to slate. Ask your supplier for a few full-size sample shingles and tape them to a wall outside, then look at them in the morning and in late afternoon sun before you order.
I'd do clear. It's a great floor.
@freedomplace1 im referring to the light strip in the border surrounded by the 2 darker strips, its maple and it doesnt take stain well....that why it looks blotchy rest of wood take it fine! and i agree the border too nice to kill it with stain
Thanks for clarifying, Billy. I thought maybe there were some damaged floor areas out of the camera view. As far as I can see, the floor is pristine... looks to be in amazing condition. And the light strip on the border issue you mention is something I would have never noticed, had you not pointed it out; and to tell you the truth, I still don’t see the blotchiness you mention, it must be very minor. In any case, I just see the beautiful border. I’m glad you’re not going to cover it up!
Blue goes well with tan. Charcoal not so much.
I plan on getting an 8 by 10. My room is 10 by 14.
An 8 × 10 can be a sensible starting size in a 10 × 14 room. If the 10-foot side runs with the room’s 14-foot length, it leaves roughly 1 foot of bare floor on the two short sides and about 2 feet at each end before furniture changes that balance. The more important check is the seating footprint: tape out the full 8 × 10 and make sure the sofa and both chair front legs sit comfortably on it without narrowing the main walkway or interfering with the movable poufs. What is the sofa length, and how much clear passage do you need beside the seating group? A straight-on photo of the taped outline with the sample would make the final proportion much easier to judge.
It's very tough to find the closet in that plan. That said, I like the idea of a centered door and clothes racks on either side. That lets you have one half for one spouse and the other half for the other. It saves arguments. My spouse crams his side in what looks to me like an utter mess (although he'd argue it isn't). My side is organized.
It's a major consideration in renting or owning in Ontario where it was legalized under Katy Perry's boyfriend.
We considered buying a condo for our daughter in a university town. One walk down a hall was enough to nix that idea. Barking dawgs--you can't prohibit pets--and pot smoke. Wonderful!
Before legalization, one of our rental properties morphed into a grow op. WE found out when the tenants left--having ruined the basement kitchen with flooding, stuffed the drain lines with cuttings.
I was tempted to call the coppers, til an electrician friend advised the consequences: "So, Mr. Worthy, your deal with your tenants didn't work out so well?" Then an inspection by an electrician and registering the property as a former grow op, damaging resale.
...
Now we only worry about equalizers.
Garrett, if you are still around, I totally disagree with Rachiele custom sinks. Leave the sink where it is to have a large island with no interruptions. Great for parties, a large serving service, craft projects, games, etc. Love my large island work surface.
I am not sure I would spend much time on a patio with a firepit and string lights that are in the front yard facing a busy street. Seems more appropriate to a back yard.
You need to start with measurements. AI is really great at pretty pictures, but it has no sense of proportion and will happily expand a space to get the right look. Can you actually fit something in that space? Particularly, what distance does a firepit have to be from buildings, plants and other flammables?
For privacy, you may want a tree on the other side of the path. We need a picture of the whole house from the road.
I recommended dark navy for the foundation, but you could coordinate it with the door. For example, if you do sage (which another poster suggested, but I don't endorse with your cool, white house) you might go with a dark olive for the foundation. A dark forest green will be most likely to disappear into your landscaping when you have some. That said, a dark navy won't stand out.
Thank you, wonderful ideas! I am saving these!
The panelling is beautiful and with those windows, it doesn't make the room dark. I would not paint it. I might paint the fireplace surround a warm cream instead of that stark white.
You need to start with furniture. I lived in rental homes for years and putting my furniture in them made the place seem like mine. I've lived in my current house for 10 years and we painted only one room when we bought it --- the two-tones of purple plus fuschia tween-dream bedroom. I used to be a fan of warm white walls, but my house's strong colors seem like home, now.
I'd start with the furniture and curtains and leave the wood alone for now. It's in good shape, and once a sofa and rug are in you'll know if it still bothers you. Paint can't be undone on wood, so waiting a few months costs you nothing.
Don't worry about cohesiveness. No one will focus on your floors anyway. So much of this is just terms dreamed up by HGTV because they needed to say something.
I might be inclined to paint the base and door trim white, matching your window trim. If you add a carpet runner down the stairs I don't think you'd think about it being a different wood/stain color than the first level flooring. I'd also probably do something like a stone look for the porcelain downstairs rather than trying to coordinate one with the hickory flooring.
I wouldn't chase an exact match, since near-matches tend to look like mistakes. Let the hickory floor be your main wood, and make the other things clearly different, like painted vanities in white or a soft color. For the lower level, wood-look tile is a good idea. Pick one that's a little lighter or darker than the hickory instead of almost the same.
They don't belong to the same house. The window is much wider in one pic than the other. Further, where is the oven in the pic with the built-in bench. A realistic kitchen layout will have a floor plan with measurements of both your space and the cabinets and appliances. The AI thing you did is absolutely useless for figuring out what you can actually do with the space you have.
" Return to sender, address unknown. No such number, no such zone". Elvis
Option 1 is our selection but as others have said, the option 2 does not match dimensions. A floor plan should be provided to give proper assistance.
That brown doesn't go with the fireplace rocks. I'd keep it all the same color.
Flooring needs to work with the stone
Furnishings need to work with the stone and flooring
Wall color generally serves as the backdrop for the other beautiful elements in the room - fireplace, furnishings, art, decor. Select that color last if it is serving as the backdrop.
Design is design and although most of us know fashion design rules, we fail to recognize how the same rules apply to interior design.
A tall, slender girl can wear a white shirt tucked into a pair of black pants.
A shorter, heavier girl wearing the same outfit will draw the eye sideways making her look shorter and wider.
A sharp two-tone paint split does the exact same thing to a room with eight-foot ceilings. It creates a harsh, disruptive belt right around the middle of the space, cutting the vertical height in half and making the room feel squat and visually chopped up. To make a lower ceiling feel tall and elegant, you want the interior design equivalent of a long, uninterrupted vertical pinstripe or a continuous monochromatic outfit. Painting the entire wall a single, cohesive shade creates a seamless column of color that allows the eye to glide effortlessly from floor to ceiling, instantly lengthening the room's proportions and giving it the breathing room it needs.
^^^ What @Jennifer Hogan said!
You could have poured concrete walls and a stone veneer. That said, most egress windows are barely visible, so it's not a place I'd spend a lot of money.
^^^, or really at the end if the day a design element. You typically do not want to draw any attention to it other than being sure no one falls into it.
I am guessing the curved preformed wells are made so there is no seam for possible leakage...
I've used only the ribbed style, but suggest you do an integrated step ladder style for easier escape when needed.
Gray is dreary. I'd stick with your current wall color.
Yes- and several didnt work great. To gray or too much contrast- i know my dh wouldnt care for a drastic change.
One thing is for sure, the Houzz community gives direct feedback. lol I appreciate that.
I’d try ivory bedding with a muted burgundy throw and cushions to bring some contrast while relating to the blush carpet. Before replacing the curtains, hold a larger fabric sample beside the bedding and wall to see the whole combination.
Our video shows one bedroom in three different decorative schemes and might help you picture how colour, lighting and accessories can work together: https://youtu.be/nEcPGozCbFY
It looks like a milkweed to me. There are lots of them, so you should find a site that IDs them.
There are 3 tuberosa varietes that I know of, tuberosa, interior and rolphsii. There may be more. Flower color ranges from red to yellow with some beautiful 2 toned, colored flowers. Some tuberosa varieties can handle growing in heavy clay
I believe the Dutch were hybridizig Asclepiaa tuberosa in hopes of developing an attractive cut flower.
Asclepias tuberosa subsecies interior
Asclepias tuberosa subspecies rolphsii
There may be more tuberosa entities, but I lost my online flora, I need to reinstall it.
Mine are all orange so likely Asclepias tuberosa subsecies interior (https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/plant-profile/ASTU/subordinate-taxa). They have bloomed for at least 3-4 years but never produced any seed pod heads. Maybe they need just the right temp and rainfall to go to seed. Oddly, none of my common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) flowered or produced seed pods this year.
I know nothing about Texas, except that it is hot.
Sorry about your builder. Since the metal frame is already up, I'd look at fixing slats to it instead of a fully custom screen. Dark stained cedar or powder coated aluminum slats, spaced so you still get light and the downtown view, are much simpler to build than welded panels. A cheaper option in Houston heat is stainless cables on the frame with a fast climbing vine like star jasmine.
Your $50 to 100K number will not change much as honestly the labor and equipment will be the bulk of that. I would go with the original plan with the perf metal and suck it up, that's why planning on the front end is key.
I like white with medium blue trim. It gives the place a pop of color.
Sorry, no longer live there. I can’t remember the color, something like desert sagebrush neutral . I sampled several different colors. My roof was charcoal. Yes, I too wanted a simpler, less “chopped up”look? All of my neighbors had contrasting trim on their homes, similar vintage architecture, I didn’t care for it.
Whatever you do, keep it consistent for all windows. A couple of your renders have different trim colors on different windows and that is all I can see.
Any real life tips for transplanting saplings? I’ve googled but real life tips and tricks can be helpful.
I’m used to clay dirt from up north but the dirt in my new state of AR is clay that is so compacted, plus hasn’t rained in literally months, and it’s rocky. This dirt gets sticky when I add water to it. Planting in this area will be challenging for sure but we’ll prep dirt and do the best we can.
I'm not sure my advice will be worth much. Dry, compacted clay isn't a soil I've ever dealt with and I'm not clear on where you are in fall. In Maine, we've already had our first frost. I've found the local extension to be very helpful, answering emails promptly. You might try them.
My summer place has very rocky soil and I plant small, bareroot trees and plugs. I've transplanted very small saplings successfully. The smaller the transplant, the less digging and the less likely I'll hit a very big rock.
With those low ceilings, I think a color-drenched deep green would be awful. You have no overhead lighting that I can see and not a lot of windows and natural light. I'd go with a warm cream.
Another thought- a kitchen table - rectangular - could double as dining seating and added preparation area. The above proposed floor plan seems to devote a lot of space to a dining area, at the expense of a living area with space for art studio.
I would lean into the color drench, but in a softer mid-tone green rather than the deepest shade, so the small space still feels cozy instead of closed in. Keeping the trim the same color will help the low ceiling feel less choppy, and warm layered lighting will matter even more with only one small window. Since your paintings will be the focal point, a muted green should let them stand out beautifully for Thanksgiving.
I'd move the fridge to the corner. Do you use the table? It looks to me like it is crowded by your hutch. I'd consider that as part of the renovations. If you have plenty of storage space in your cabinets and hutch, I'd consider removing some cabs to put the fridge on the wall with the cabinets. Then, you could put the hutch in the corner and have more room for your table.
Agree with @Diana Bier it is helpful to know the scope -
for me, if i was renoing i would want to address the dishwasher and dryer situation for resale down the road
You might be able to turn the fridge and place on that wall where the bench is and maybe even fit a nice true pullout pantry cabinet beside it.
That's a really big sofa. I like the color, it's the only color in the room. I'd add a red Bukhara carpet.
Yes to changing the color of the sofa. You can always add color back in through accessories
I would have put the bed closer to the street. I like #1 the best, in part because the likelihood that your palms will stay the so neat and the same size, as AI has shown is pretty low. In my experience, palms will lean.
Number 1 - as long as one palm is taller than the other.
#1, hands down. As long as, like shirl said, one palm is larger. That arrangement looks professional and polished.
No photos in evidence
Talk to an architech.
I read this mistaken assumption all the time on Houzz. "Flat" roofs are not perfectly level. They have a pitch and that is given with use of that term. A flat or low slope roof is defined as having a pitch less than 3:12. No roof in the history of roofs has probably been perfectly level.
" This could be a substantial alteration "
Not "could", WILL BE!!
Traditional systems are reliable… but also dumb as hell 😂 mine used to water during thunderstorms like it had a personal vendetta.
How many people will use it? And for what purposes? Are you going to watch TV? I'd be inclined to put in armchairs, not a sofa. I'd make sure at least some of the dining room chairs are upholstered and coordinate, so they can be moved in for a bigger gathering.
I will see if I can get that picture.
the proble is this puts the sofa only about 4' from the fireplace.
We put a click-lock vinyl flooring over decaying linoleum with an unheated and under-insulated crawl space in a summer house. I'm sure there are wood underfloors. It's been fine. The linoleum wasn't a problem, the new flooring isn't, either.
That said, I would do a budget comparison, as I suspect refinishing hardwood floors will not be more expensive then the laminate. The other thing is that if the store doesn't recommend your plan, they won't give you your money back if it fails.
2" xps installed under the joist with taped seams (zip tape and rolled) or encapsulate everything with spray foam. All exposed wood structure needs to be wrapped and sealed to protect from condensation. Wood will act as a wick and wick up moisture. Air will also carry and transfer moisture.
If you have real hardwood flooring currently in your home will suggest that you refinish. True hardwood flooring will almost always beat laminate.
Unless it's an electric fire, it will need a chimney/flue or other exhaust pipe. Where will that go?
French doors into the room would be lovely as well!
Go with Wall #1, but be careful with the furniture layout. If you put the fireplace there, you'll likely need to float the chairs in the middle of the room so you aren't sitting directly in front of the doorway. Wall #2 might be easier for seating, but Wall #1 will look much better from the hallway.
The house looks busy because of the skeletons, not the tree. If you want advice, you need a picture closer up without seasonal decor.
Hello, what type of architecture is it?
I'd have to see the before photo of your house before you renovated to name a style. The reason your home is not Cape Cod: the pitch of the roof, no chimney, entrance is incorrect. A Cape Cod house has three looks. Center entrance with center chimney; a three quarter Cape, or a half Cape. In each, the chimney heated the house, typically built to face south to get the warmth of the sun.
Above is a full center entrance Cape with a center chimney which vented a four sided fireplace.
This home is a three quarter Cape. Notice the position of the chimney.
If you get beds without a bottom, you can rototill your soil beneath the beds, so roots can grow into it. Now, the extent to which this will happen depends on your soil. In my sandy soil, it's not a problem. In dense clay, it might be.
I would not take AI's word for the best raised beds. Of the metal beds, NYT's Wirecutter, which is independent, not paid, likes Vego and Birdies. Raised beds aren't cheap. You may be able to find something local and wood. My local, independent hardward store sells wooden raised beds.
Wirecutter also likes Oldcastle planter blocks from Home Depot, which you have to buy wood planks to make your bed. These corners are $4 each, but the wood is going to bring your cost much higher. I have these. They work well, but might be difficult to mow around. I have mine in gravel.
"I'm probably a bit biased since my past experience with container growing has not been very productive."
Container growing isn't the same thing as raised bed growing.
I'll admit I was dubious, but my 4' x 4' x 1' test box overall was a success, and I was able to jam a lot in there. Like I said, I'm varying the heights of my boxes in the new garden.
We all have different experiences. For the life of me, I can't get winter squash to grow well when trellised, and I've tried multiple times, yet others swear this is the way to go {shrug}.
"Container growing isn't the same thing as raised bed growing."
You're right Porkchop, when reading DrCindy's post mentioning rasied metal beds I was wrongly picturing those large metal tubs that a neighbor of mine who uses those extra large metal tubs. Beds are bottomless so that's a more favorable growing situation.
You have good bones to work with, the roofline and the two-story massing are already there, so this is really a color-and-materials project, not a rebuild. A few things I'd do, in order:
Start with the stone, because it dictates everything. If you want the European, traditional look, go with a tumbled limestone or a tight-cut fieldstone in warm creams and soft grays rather than ledgestone, and keep it where it already is (base, entry) instead of running it higher. Stone that climbs the wall is what tips a house into the 70s look people are warning you about.
Then the body color. Your stucco is reading orange-beige, which fights with everything. Pull a warm, slightly gray cream out of the lightest tones in the new stone (Benjamin Moore Pale Oak or Sherwin-Williams Shoji White are in the right family) and the house will immediately feel calmer and more expensive.
Trim and windows: dark brown, not black, is a good instinct for the look you're describing. Something like Sherwin-Williams Urbane Bronze on the garage doors, fascia and window trim gives you the contrast in the inspiration photo without the hard black edge. If you're replacing windows, bronze frames are the match.
Front door: this is where I'd spend. A wood or wood-look door in a warm walnut, with simple lanterns on either side, does more for a traditional European feel than any amount of stone.
Finally, make a physical sample board: a stone sample, a painted stucco panel and the trim color, and look at them together outside in your light. That's the step the AI picture can't do for you.
You need a picture. None of us recognize the brand-name colors.
it is really personal but the sunbathed pecan has a bit of busy-ness to it that I would want to consider with a pine ceiling - here is a pic below -
there is a facebook group that has tons of real life photos and advice, you can search by brand, color etc - we put revwood premier lighthouse oak in a new lake house and this site helped me a ton: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1PTFtCZPbU/?mibextid=wwXIfr
"Busyness" is a valid concern. The pecan sample is gorgeous but hard to translate to a big area. I will look for a large area pic of the chestnut hickory. I think the natural bark oak is too dark- we'd probably have to launch into new lighting sooner than we'd planned.
If you want it to go with your door, pick the one on the right. (#1), with #2 (middle) a close second. Realistically, any will be fine. We'd get a better idea if you showed the whole house.
If you come again with any issue keep the issue to all one post please , duplicate posts do not get better help they just irritate
👍🏻!
I don't understand the wood screen. I'm not sure it's going to be high-performance.
I'd stick to a very simple siding, probably just cream stucco. The wood screen thing is the feature of your facade.
The AI seemed to show gray roofing on one side of the second floor. That looks awful, IMO. Again, I'd stick to one siding. I'd enhance the house with landscaping.
I'd lean into the 1970's of it all. That should at least bring some coherence. Right now it is typical 21st century too much of a muchness. Try to get it down to a mere two cladding materials.
I see no benefit to the wood screen and really adds nothing worth the price . My question always is are you truly going to use a deck that faces the street and your entry ?