Before & After Home Makeover: Russ Wade Of Hoover, AL “Shake it Up” Exterior Color Contest Finalist
Self-described as the “white sheep in a family of tied-dyed sheep” I had a hunch that this finalist in our “Shake it Up” Exterior Color Contest, who usually opted to play it safe with neutrals, was ready for color on the outside of his home. I also thought he would have an easier time moving out of his neutral color comfort zone by seeing the rendering of his new look before the first change was made.
With that in mind, I jumped right in with changes I thought were needed to shake up his home knowing that once he saw the end result as a completed scheme, adding color wouldn’t be intimidating.
I couldn’t replace the roof fast enough. That dark, dingy color was weighing down the whole home. Without changing anything else, a new Tuscano color blend of Bellaforté Shake from DaVinci that includes a combination of four shades of autumn colors would change the entire feel of the home. Then I added some brown metal roofing as an accent over the porch.
The new roof alone improved the looks of this home considerably. I could almost have stopped there. However, this “white sheep” deserved to see other options for adding color to his exterior.
I traded his “same-old” windows for Decorum by Simonton vinyl replacement windows with Chocolate exterior frames that coordinated with the roof color. The windows were enhanced with Chocolate grids to unite the colors, which is a great way to add color especially for those who are a bit hesitant with hues.
A Therma-Tru Classic-Craft Canvas Collection fiberglass entry door with sidelites in the Rainglass privacy glass style was an update for the entry. The current door with contrasting trim seemed almost dwarfed by the windows and porch roof. To counteract this illusion I painted both in Black Spruce to help the door stand out more.
Several new low-maintenance urethane pieces from Fypon added architectural details to make the home more distinctive. I started with a new balustrade system and then added raised panel shutters to accent the windows. Finally, dormer trim kits were added to enhance the windows on the second story.
I stayed neutral for the body and trim color of the home — not because I thought the homeowner would shy away from color — but because it was the best choice as a backdrop of all the other changes.
Call it my color intuition but I feel confident that just below the layer of white that this homeowner has tie-dye colors just waiting to emerge. In fact, I don’t think he’s even waiting for the renovation to show his new colors. Is that Jimmy Buffet music I hear coming from the backyard?
Come back tomorrow to get the inside story on another of the makeovers of the “Shake it Up” Exterior Color Contest Finalist. If you missed the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday stories, just click the day you missed – happy reading!!
