I am really excited about the makeover to the front of my house, I am actually making some decent progress and hopefully it will be finished in time for Christmas. The landscaping is almost complete, and the carport is currently undergoing a mini makeover. Next is the front entrance as it is not exactly grand and I must be honest because of the nature of its design, I am really digging deep to come up with some inspiration to improve it without breaking the budget.
Below, is my current entrance way and steps, I deliberately cropped the image as I didn't want you to see the work in progress to the left of the entrance, all will be revealed when its complete. The Star Jasmine is newly planted but when covering the wires, (hopefully by next spring), guests should be greeted with a wonderful fragrance. As Star Jasmine grows much like a weed in NZ, I have more plans for its use. Work in progress is; replacing the front door, repainting the existing blue door frame white and enhancing the steps.
I am considering tiling the steps and love the look of white, tumbled travertine and Portland stone, both would suit the colour of the grey, brick walls and style of my home. There are so many inspiring ideas around, including mosaics and Mediterranean tiled steps. However, as I am trying to create an English or French cottage feel, I will be keeping the steps fairly neutral and love the look of the first image below.
If DIY tiling freaks you out, it is actually not that difficult, although tiling steps you will have to be extremely accurate with regards to keeping them level. There are however, many DIY tiling videos on the Internet and I found some, 'how to tiling videos' at Tiles4all. The videos guide you through step by step tiling of floors and walls, with lots of tips. I found them extremely helpful and I feel more confident about tackling my own steps. If you plan to do some tiling yourself, I recommend watching these video's first.
Below, is my current entrance way and steps, I deliberately cropped the image as I didn't want you to see the work in progress to the left of the entrance, all will be revealed when its complete. The Star Jasmine is newly planted but when covering the wires, (hopefully by next spring), guests should be greeted with a wonderful fragrance. As Star Jasmine grows much like a weed in NZ, I have more plans for its use. Work in progress is; replacing the front door, repainting the existing blue door frame white and enhancing the steps.
Entrance, still very much a work in progress
If DIY tiling freaks you out, it is actually not that difficult, although tiling steps you will have to be extremely accurate with regards to keeping them level. There are however, many DIY tiling videos on the Internet and I found some, 'how to tiling videos' at Tiles4all. The videos guide you through step by step tiling of floors and walls, with lots of tips. I found them extremely helpful and I feel more confident about tackling my own steps. If you plan to do some tiling yourself, I recommend watching these video's first.
My inspiration is drawn from limestone and travertine, however I also appreciate mosaics and colourful tiles so sharing some entrance steps that inspired me on Pinterest.
1. Classic stone - I love this look
2. Stone but a little more rustic
3. Slate makes a grand entrance
4. Terracotta and hand painted tiles for a Mediterranean look
5. I prefer the gentler tones of the terracotta used here
6. There is the possibility I could mimic old marble by using a paint technique. I have seen a concrete floors painted to look like marble with great effect
Image sources: 1|2|3|4|5|6
If you have any inspiring ideas for my steps, I would love to hear them. If your looking for inspiration for your own homes, you might want to catch up on a previous post on 'curb appeal'.
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Lee x
Wow, it will look amazing when it's finished Lee. I love the jasmine climbing the diamond shape wire - that will be fab. and the mosaic tiles are my fave on the steps, although I also like the rustic stone. Best of luck with it all, I look forward to seeing more. x
ReplyDeleteI love the terra cotta and hand painted tiles! Can't wait to see what you decide.
ReplyDeleteI have to say the first photo is my favorite... i love all the colors and textures involved. The blue/green/gray the body of the house is painted, combined with the wonderful white moulding and the the natural stone color in the steps and cobblestones is just perfectly yummy. Especially with the dark green trimmed bushes... Also love the look in the last photo, just gorgeous.... Not too crazy about the mosaic look though...
ReplyDeleteCindy