Hi Friends!!  People always ask me what is my favorite project I am working on and its hard for me to say because honestly I love them all.  This one, however definitely comes to mind–not only did I love working with the owners but it was an incredible before and after!!

Here is the home before!!  Beautiful? Absolutely!! I had worked with this couple when they moved in years ago on a few interior finishes, but now as their children are getting older their home isn’t as functional for them.  After looking for a new home and not finding the perfect one, they decided to stay and renovate.  So I came over to consult. There are some amazing transformations on the interior underway with Parker House Inc. and Newberry Architects, but while the renovation was taking place inside we started an exterior facelift!

Notice the balconies were taken off under the top window.  And we have begun! Not loving the bown façade it was decided to slurry the brick. Versed in many different  products, I felt the best fit for this home was  Domingue Architectural finishes’ plaster in the Calcaire colorway.  Because their brick did not have deep grout, we were able to accomplish the look she wanted with just one coat. Notice how the stone surrounds golden tones are now much more apparent.

As a solution we glazed over the stone with a transparent wash, allowing its natural variation to show while masking its yellow undertones.  An easy process, this application holds up to weather.

The roof was next!  Staying away from brown, we narrowed the choices to two.  Both work but the darker one was chosen.

Many people assume that all your trim needs to be painted the same color.  Before you make that decision, walk the exterior and decide which parts should stand out as architectural assets and what items would look better if attention were not drawn to them. Many of the windows on the side and back of the home did not have the stone surround like the front or had angles which were not symmetrical. This became even more evident when the house was lighter and the original dark trim had yet to be repainted.

So the majority of the trim and window casings were matched to the plaster color. When picking exterior paints, put up samples on surfaces on each side of the home.  The lighting is drastically different and you need to make sure you like it in all lights and at different times during the day. After you select a color, make sure a sample is then put up in a gallon of the exact product you will use on your home.  I have found that colors vary slightly from product to product even within the same company.

Here you can see her new balcony!  Much simpler!  Also the new roof is on!!  She did want the front windows and doors to stand out a bit. Here are some paint colors we were looking at the bottom left is another option in which all the windows would blend with the plaster.  Which do you like best?

The original window was replaced with an iron one updating the look. It was discussed to replace the entire door with the metal look so many are going to but having a glass inset in the door when they purchased the home they wanted more privacy.

I loved the shape of the front door and flet is fit the style of the home, I just didn’t like the chocolate  brown color it was painted.

Many front doors are made of stained grade wood as they hold up better to the Houston weather so I felt it was worth the risk and suggested the door be stripped and bleached.