The Exterior Update

If you read my last blog post then you know how the my interior bedroom suite was updated and it all started when we placed an order for new windows and doors. What I didn't tell you was that the order got royally flubbed. We placed it in May and waited until the end of September for it to arrive. When it did arrive, every single window and door had been made incorrectly to the wrong measurements. I was flabbergasted and rejected the order. Can you believe it?! The train had already left the station and the new custom shades, deck build, and exterior painting we had planned around the windows and doors was moving forward regardless.

I had scheduled the house painters to come after the doors were installed and the plaster around the opening patched. When the doors turned out to be a disaster, I still wanted to paint. I was dreaming of a mysterious darkest green color when we had the house painted the first time but had never found the right shade. I had been rushed by the builder to pick something and I settled on a safe gray that I immediately regretted. Not terrible, but not amazing. Especially when it started fading. This was going to be my chance to do it right.

I worked with Sherwin Williams to find the exact right shade of dark green. It was between Rock Bottom SW 7062, Jasper SW 6216, and Greenblack SW 6994 (from left to right). All very beautiful. I decided that Rockbottom was too similar to the grey I already had. Jasper was stunning (!) but ultimately we gravitated towards Greenblack because it was the most different and dramatic than what we currently had.

The guys got to work and were able to bang it out in 3 days including prep and clean up. Whenever the new doors and window do get installed, the painters promised to come back and touch up around the openings if there is plaster repair. In the meantime I get to enjoy the glorious new paint job. It looks incredible with the lush greenery in the front.

I have two tips for you to help select your exterior paint (besides doing sample patches and living with them for a few days before committing to the color).

1) Use a satin sheen, not matte. The matte finish hides wall imperfections and makes the painters job easier which they of course appreciate. But the satin finish looks fresher and is easier to keep clean.

2) I recommend Sherwin Williams for UV fade resistance over other brands in general. I highly recommend the Emerald Rain Refresh Exterior latex paint we used. It is ultra durable and formulated so dirt washes away upon contact with rain or water for a clean, fresh look with minimal maintenance.

While I was at it, I decided to repaint the front door. I was no longer feeling the happy mango vibe. 2020 has been a more serious year all around and I wanted a quieter door color. Also, now that the house was black, the orange hued door reminded me of a Halloween themed house. No thank you.

I used Sherwin Williams Urban Putty SW 7532 on the front door to coordinate with the Greenblack. It all feels more sophisticated and tailored now. I'm in love and really happy we went for it instead of delaying it because of the flubbed window and door order.

In back, the new black sparkles with the reddish wood of the deck we built off of our master suite.

The doors from our bedroom were built 30" off the ground which leads me to believe the architect had always planned on one. We realized that vision by doing it this summer and creating a secondary outdoor living space for hosting small groups of friends. The deck is built from Kayu wood. Instead of a railing I kept it all quite minimal and only installed a breeze block wall at the highest point.

I will admit that a big reason I didn't want to delay the exterior painting is even though the doors and windows were not being installed in conjunction was because we had a photo shoot planned at the last minute with Domino Magazine of our new deck and patio furniture. I wanted the house to shine in all of its Sherwin Williams Greenblack glory, and shine it did in the nick of time. That's the full story of how all the recent improvements came to be over at our Bedford Home. Now that my to do list is all checked off I'm a little sad I ran out of things to renovate and update around here. I'm sure I will think of more. Just you wait and see.