Front Porch
And a Major Change
Back in August 2011 the back porch remodel was completed, and one of my favorite touches was the yellow back door. After seeing (and loving) the results...we decided the front door just had to be yellow too! Now, dozen years later, we came to the conclusion that it was time for a little bit of a change, so... let's get into it!
Originally!
Here's a picture of 173 when we first bought it. As a matter of fact, you can see the old maple tree right in front, which came down within the first couple years that we had 173. Nonetheless, the door was white as was with the rest of the house - except for the lower part of the front porch which was originally green.
Another thing to note, besides the door, is the front steps going up to the porch. Those things were so old, a little unstable and - the steepest steps I'd ever seen on a porch! They stuck around for awhile... but their days were numbered!
The First Update
Then, around '98 or '99, we gave the outside of both the front and back porch and the door their first update since the house was in our hands, which was really the beginning of the evolution of good ol' 173. With this first update, we decided to go in a completely different direction. Instead of a green and white theme on the house, which I believe it had always been since it was built in 1926 or '27, we went with a brown and white exterior based on some of the houses and cabins that we really admired up in the Adirondacks.
For it's time, and for the sparse money we had laying about, it really looked nice! Of course, by the time this next picture was taken, we had already built the new stoop...
A New Door
Now, 173 is by no means a fancy house, but we do take pride in it and want the ol' house to look nice. But by 2011, the porch windows and the door were looking pretty shabby. The paint was peeling badly, and the only thing the windows kept out was...er...um... well, you get the point.
Anyway, new windows and door, and things were looking up! We knew the door wasn't going to stay white, but here it is!
Yellow on Brown
Then, in 2013, after the back porch remodel of 2011 was completed, and after falling in love with the yellow back door, we decided the front door just had to be yellow too!
For all the years since, we loved our yellow door, so much so, it inspired a bit of poetry!
Our Yellow DoorOn the corner of Boulevard and Streetstands my house.But don’t bother looking at the shingles,or the porch,or even the lilac bush that tries every springto outdo itself.No, the door insists you see it first.Yellow…a yellow so bold it practically shouts:“Step aside, sunflower!Move over, dandelion!I am the brightest thing on this block.”And honestly,it might be right.The mailman sighs when he sees it,squinting like he’s walked into daylight.Children point as if it might tell them a secret.Even the clouds, I think,shuffle faster when they pass overhead,a little embarrassed to be so dull.The door has grown vain.It squeaks not with agebut with attitude,a kind of showy throat-clearing,just before it swings open,as though announcing:“You may enter now.”And I laugh,because what’s the harmin letting a door believeit’s the sun?After all,every time I come home,it shines at melike I am someone worth arriving for.GBS2021
More Changes
Of course, other changes happened over the years, including to the stoop and the railings, of which I take great pride! Here's how it looked 'til about three weeks ago:
But alas, sometimes it's just time for a change!
It Started with a Little Pressure
As with everything outdoors, over time things get a bit dirty, dull and faded. It was time for a good pressure washing, so I got the pressure washer out and sprayed everything down and a conversation ensued. I don't know who started it or came up with the idea or the thought of possibly changing the color of the front door, but in a day or two, things were looking different:
No color was off the table, and we ended up with a bunch of sample jars of paint.
We left the door with the colors of a harlequin for maybe a month or so. Partly so we could live with them, see them in all kinds of light, and partly to wait out about a month of super-humid weather. We also had a pro come and pressure wash the whole house...what a difference that made! Anyway... We found the color!
Meet Sherwin-Williams' Recycled Glass
Yellow and green are just about as fresh as it gets. The sunshine quality of the door makes me smile every time I get home. Or, should I say it made me smile. Past tense because we did find a new color...Recycled Glass!
But let's be clear, we loved the yellow door. We took a lot of pride in it. It was pretty unique in its time, and always drew attention and comments. However, we just thought it was time for a change, and after our searching and comparing colors, and testing them on the doors, we found the perfect color in Sherwin-Williams recycled glass.
It's quite a nice color in the darker light. It has a kind of feel for a grayish green.
In direct sunlight it really does depend on the angle you're looking at it, but it can go from anywhere to from a chartreuse which I think is a green color, a very light peppy green with hints of yellow.
Regardless how you see the actual color, it's given 173 a new point of interest, and with the refreshing of the side lights by the door and the railings, not to mention the great pressure washing of the whole house, it's almost like a complete facelift on this summer!
While the main door is done, we still have the back and side doors, and the shed door to paint. But they'll be another post.
Hey, thanks for stopping by - see ya' next time!
