This is what the house looked like when we bought it. It did have a cool gargoyle on the front porch, but sadly, it did not convey. Even more devastating was the fact that someone had removed (??!!) most of the craftsman details, down to the decorative brackets under the eaves. That was one of the first things we tried to correct soon after we moved in (see picture below).As far as painting, though...that was a different story. For whatever reason we thought we'd attempt to paint the exterior ourselves. Admirable goal, really, but what with all the projects inside (see here or here for a couple of examples), and the kid, and our jobs, and....well. Not particularly realistic. As a result, our house looked pretty much like this for two long years, and I'm sure the neighbors were just thrilled:
In the end, we decided to invest on hiring a professional. In fact, we ended up having to hire two sets of painters, since the first guys were completely inept AND ran off with half the money, but...I digress.
Anyway, once we found a real professional, I became paralyzed by the idea of having to commit to a color scheme. I couldn't just paint it over if I changed my mind (like I have done with most rooms inside the house - heh), so I was gripped with indecision. I worried about the fact that I was leaning toward using (*gasp*) five different colors. Although I am not a big fan of the monochromatic look the house had when we moved in, I had to admit that it was safe. And I like safe. I'm not much of a risk-taker when it comes to design and color in my own space. I am happy to report however, that I love the way the house turned out.
We even have a new little gargoyle resident to replace the one that moved out with the previous owners.
Pretty sweet.
(ps: the little gargoyle came courtesy of my dear friends, Tom and Kelly, who run a store in Asheville, NC, called Oddfellows Antique Wharehouse. It is filled with beautiful antiques and found objects mostly from England. Next time you're in the Western North Carolina mountains, you should stop by and take a look!)