For a long time, Scott and I had our eyes on these very specific house numbers that we had seen on a lot of homes that we really liked. They seemed to fit our style, but not necessarily our budget. Rejuvenation had exactly what we wanted, but for $120 dollars. We found them on a boutique site as well, but as it sometimes is with boutiques, their prices were a little....steep.
$21 each! No way! So the search continued. I had seen them in many Pinterest posts (you can tell I'm an obsessed pinner, eh?) and had fallen in love. The different variant applications of them to their various homes also gave us tons of ideas, which made swoon for them that much more.
At the blog Freckles Chick, the numbers were placed above the garage door in front of the wonderful dark color they had just painted their home. Together, it felt chic and modern.
At the blog Freckles Chick, the numbers were placed above the garage door in front of the wonderful dark color they had just painted their home. Together, it felt chic and modern.
Photo care of Freckles Chick Blog.
I had also fallen in love with a specific pin that had stuck out in my mind earlier in the year. 4 Men 1 Lady had posted an image to Pinterest featuring a wonderful wooden backdrop to their numbers. It gave a great texture behind the brushed, modern numbers.
Photo care of 4 Men 1 Lady Blog.
What I especially loved about this example was that having the numbers attached to a solid background meant mounting it would be that much easier. When we finally found a house we loved and it ended up with a Bedford stone exterior (yes, we loved the numbers before we even had the house), it became clear that the stone being uneven would add some extra headache. If the numbers were attached to a board and then the board was attached to the house, it would make installation way simpler.
So after finally searching the interwebs and many a magazine, I discovered that the answer to the question of expense was right in front of me. Well, actually it was 1.8 miles down the road. Even though I had checked at other stores, it turns out that Home Depot had had them all along. To really top it off, they weren't $21 each, but $5.99. What a difference!
So the day finally came. I had purchased my Saffron red paint for the front door, and in an effort to add a real impact to our curb appeal, I also picked up our house numbers. I then brought them home and sketched up my vision for Scott to put together while I worked on painting the front door.
So after finally searching the interwebs and many a magazine, I discovered that the answer to the question of expense was right in front of me. Well, actually it was 1.8 miles down the road. Even though I had checked at other stores, it turns out that Home Depot had had them all along. To really top it off, they weren't $21 each, but $5.99. What a difference!
So the day finally came. I had purchased my Saffron red paint for the front door, and in an effort to add a real impact to our curb appeal, I also picked up our house numbers. I then brought them home and sketched up my vision for Scott to put together while I worked on painting the front door.
This may not be the original sketch, but an approximate re-enactment
To build the base, we would take three equally sized pieces of scrap wood that we cut and attach them to two vertical wood slats (also made from scrap wood) using screws. From the front, it would then give a look much akin to that of the numbers on the board that I'd fallen for on Pinterest, except that we were mounting our numbers horizontally. We also used some of our left over Dark Walnut stain that we had to give a rich, dark finish.
From the front, would would use the included templates that came with the numbers and align them, being sure to tape them to the wood once they were in place. We then marked the holes with a pencil and pre-drilled for the included screws to sink into.
Then, using a mallet so we didn't scratch up the numbers, we proceeded to gently knock them into the pre-drilled holes. This was easier said than done since the included screws were kind of cheap and liked to break, but eventually, Scott got the hang of it and in the end, we were left with something pretty awesome.
To build the base, we would take three equally sized pieces of scrap wood that we cut and attach them to two vertical wood slats (also made from scrap wood) using screws. From the front, it would then give a look much akin to that of the numbers on the board that I'd fallen for on Pinterest, except that we were mounting our numbers horizontally. We also used some of our left over Dark Walnut stain that we had to give a rich, dark finish.
From the front, would would use the included templates that came with the numbers and align them, being sure to tape them to the wood once they were in place. We then marked the holes with a pencil and pre-drilled for the included screws to sink into.
Then, using a mallet so we didn't scratch up the numbers, we proceeded to gently knock them into the pre-drilled holes. This was easier said than done since the included screws were kind of cheap and liked to break, but eventually, Scott got the hang of it and in the end, we were left with something pretty awesome.
I'm not showing you our whole address. The internet is a crazy place, silly!
It's difficult to tell, but the numbers aren't flush mounted, they are actually floating, which gives it a more dimensional feel. It's a nice touch you can really see when you walk by it in real life.
It's difficult to tell, but the numbers aren't flush mounted, they are actually floating, which gives it a more dimensional feel. It's a nice touch you can really see when you walk by it in real life.
We ended up mounting it near our garage so it would be easier to see from the road. The tree in front of the front door really would have hidden it from view otherwise and it's WAY too awesome to hide. With the new red front door, though, it helps balance out the fancy.
So now, we only have about 10 million things to do, but we're running out of summer, so we're glad to have at least gotten the two main front projects done. Some other things we would like to add to the front is:
-New front window (Our current one is single pane and doesn't open. It's not great on energy costs, nor particulary attractive close up)
-New landscaping
-New sconce lights to flank the front door and the garage door
-Possibly creating a knee-high raised bed under the big window to add some height, since we're on a hill and those plants are difficult enough to see as it is.
-Maybe some shudders around the windows, to really establish the look. We've seen them on some other BStones (Bedford stone homes), and we're torn on how we feel yet.
Besides that and the list of other things that need to happen on the inside of the house, there is plenty left to do (and write about!) over the next couple of years. For only being in the house a month a half, though, we're actually doing pretty well! Go us!
So now, we only have about 10 million things to do, but we're running out of summer, so we're glad to have at least gotten the two main front projects done. Some other things we would like to add to the front is:
-New front window (Our current one is single pane and doesn't open. It's not great on energy costs, nor particulary attractive close up)
-New landscaping
-New sconce lights to flank the front door and the garage door
-Possibly creating a knee-high raised bed under the big window to add some height, since we're on a hill and those plants are difficult enough to see as it is.
-Maybe some shudders around the windows, to really establish the look. We've seen them on some other BStones (Bedford stone homes), and we're torn on how we feel yet.
Besides that and the list of other things that need to happen on the inside of the house, there is plenty left to do (and write about!) over the next couple of years. For only being in the house a month a half, though, we're actually doing pretty well! Go us!
I'll be honest, when I first started reading this post I was thinking, "how big of a difference can numbers make? You probably won't even be able to see them." BUT, I actually really like these a lot! They look great and those are some very sleek numbers! Good job!
ReplyDeleteYummmmmmm.
ReplyDeleteAlso, you know I'm a big fan of shutters. They really can change the look of the house. I remember when we painted the original shutters from white to black. It was the firs time I was really starting to love the exterior of the house!