So I’ve been thinking about yesterday’s post. Thank you for being so understanding! I will indeed take some days off from blogging during my vacation but first I’d like to share some updates to the front of the house.
Remember how I graveled everything and laid a concrete stoop last year? The door also got a new shade of green and I did wash the whole front of the house hoping that it would be good enough and make it look fresh but like always, once you start painting in one spot everything else looks really dingy. So a couple of weeks ago I started project “get on with it and paint the front of the house”. And as with all paint jobs it’s not the actual painting that’s a pain in the neck, it’s the prep work. Mine consisted of washing and scrubbing and scrubbing and rinsing and after that I got to paint two coats between rain showers. Et Voilà!
Now everything’s nice and tidy. After finishing I celebrated by installing my second pretty hose and planted my Cherry Laurel and some Daisies in a couple of pots on the stoop.
So happy that job’s done! Still to do, build a trellis for my climbing rose and have my contractors finally do the skylights at the beginning of August.
Yay!
Wonderful photos! I just love your Green door, and the hostas complement it so well. Very cool water hose, have seen one in White before. Have a wonderful holiday and enjoy! Thanks for sharing your house.
Posted by: Monsterscircus.wordpress.com | June 14, 2012 at 02:54 AM
I love how clean (WHITE!) and fresh (GREEN) everything looks. All of your work is really putting some sweat equity in to your patch of heaven. I remember the shots from when you first moved in...it is almost night and day and to think you've done so much of it DIY. So fun to watch!
Bernadette
www.b3hd.blogspot.com
Posted by: Bernadette @ B3HD | June 14, 2012 at 02:57 AM
Simply (pun intended) beautiful!!
Posted by: Anne | June 14, 2012 at 03:33 AM
Hello Benita ! What a wonderful job (as always) ! Your house looks fresh and welcoming. It was a pleasant surprise to find this post this morning, as I thought you were now enjoying a (well deserved) blog holiday. Of course you don't need anybody's approval to take a break - it is just so nice to be inspired by your hard work and pretty pictures every morning.
Hope you're having better weather than we currently have in Berlin.
Cheers ! Emma
PS: I very much enjoyed your recent gardening posts. I think the new straight lines and green lawn in your garden are a definite improvement and make it a more relaxing place to lounge in (as opposed to a jungle).
Posted by: emma | June 14, 2012 at 03:51 AM
Verkligen superduper! Grattis till (ännu) en lyckad makeover!
Din rabatt framför huset ser underbart grön och fyllig ut! Om du någon gång får tid & lust skulle det vara kul att se ett inlägg om hur den är komponerad/uppbyggd!
Posted by: Titti | June 14, 2012 at 04:36 AM
Oh you've worked so hard and it looks amazing! So fresh and welcoming. Is that a little mail box i see? if so, what does the smart litle 'ingen reklam' sign mean? x
Posted by: @byebyebirdieuk | June 14, 2012 at 04:41 AM
I knew you would have a white hose for the front of house too.
Posted by: Luna | June 14, 2012 at 04:50 AM
As always, looks great! And that ring of plants you put around the tree is coming along nicely! I have those too, in the front flowerbed, and they fill in really quickly.
Posted by: Judith | June 14, 2012 at 05:09 AM
Just den rabatten är jag inte skyldig till. Där hade jag otrolig tur att det fanns mycket fint. Har grävt bort en del som barrväxter och lökväxter men det är fantastiska höstanemoner och hostor bl a.
Posted by: Carlos | June 14, 2012 at 05:51 AM
That is our mail box and it says "No junk mail" :).
Posted by: Carlos | June 14, 2012 at 05:51 AM
Oh it's beautiful! I love the white hose here too. The perennial border is so lush, love that too.
Posted by: Leena | June 14, 2012 at 06:35 AM
A lot of hard work. How are you feeling about the stones vs grass? I see why you like the visual, but how is it working out in daily life?
Posted by: Lynn | June 14, 2012 at 07:17 AM
Every detail is perfection. Love your taste and the fact that you are so hard-working and thorough! Truly inspiring!
Posted by: Michelle | June 14, 2012 at 08:08 AM
I like the green door. I am wondering what happens to the gravel when you shovel snow? I am sorry for bringing up "snow" when it only June. ;)
Posted by: Debbie from Chicago | June 14, 2012 at 10:12 AM
The gravel is much easier to maintain. I only rake it every couple of months or so to even things out. With a mini lawn I'd have to bring the lawn mower through the house or walk around the block to mow a stamp size lawn.
Posted by: Carlos | June 14, 2012 at 04:00 PM
When the ground freezes the pebbles and moisture also freezes and create a hard surface and I just shovel or brush the snow off the path to the door. Easy peasy!
Posted by: Carlos | June 14, 2012 at 04:02 PM
Perfect x
Posted by: Hxx | June 14, 2012 at 04:41 PM
It looks fantastic! Peaceful. I scroll through all the photos and it feels like... meditation. Yes it does.
I wonder, do you sometimes say to yourself that ok, I have hundreds of things on my list but today I´m going to do something else, something completely different, or do you just "have to do it" until it´s finished?
Benita, I don´t know how you find the time for all this, it´s a mystery. I myself feel that I´m running around all day long and finding that space of time seems almost impossible. I wish my home looked as tranquille as yours.
Does your neighbours give any comments? They must say that the transformation is unbelievable. Perhaps others will start improving their homes aswell. If we get inspired by just looking through the internet, they who can see it irl must be trilled - at the least. :)
Posted by: Vanessa | June 14, 2012 at 05:08 PM
What a lovely sight to return home to everyday. You should be proud of all your hard work, it really looks wonderful.
Posted by: Paula | June 15, 2012 at 02:48 AM
How lovely. Our house was built in 1953 and I think gravel in the front would suit it as well - I am inspired. Can you tell me what the plant at the base of the tree is called? I didn't think that was the cherry laurel, and certainly not daisies.
Posted by: Anna | June 15, 2012 at 02:49 AM
It's Ormöga in Swedish or Omhaloda Verna in latin. Don't know the English name I'm afraid. http://bit.ly/KGb2S5. I got it in the back yard and moved it to under the cherry tree after seeing my neighbor have it under her tree which looks so good.
Posted by: Carlos | June 15, 2012 at 03:05 AM
I do do other things even if I have a list of things to do. I have to since I ALWAYS have a list of things to do :). I don't like to take breaks in the middle of a project though. I finish one thing, do something else for a bit and then get on to the next project. As for getting stuff done I'm one of those people that works fast and effectively and tend not to listen to the radio or music while I'm working and am not good at chitchatting while I work. I just get on with it. It's not that I wouldn't like to listen to something while I work it's more like I start my project and after a few hours realize I don't have anything on and then don't bother because it would take time to get a radio/iphone or whatever. I guess i just get into "the zone" when I'm working on my diy projects:).
Posted by: Carlos | June 15, 2012 at 03:14 AM
I'm sorry, I just realized that maybe you meant what's at the base of the little tree I planted in the pot? That little tree is the Cherry Laurel and underneath is Ivy.
Posted by: Carlos | June 15, 2012 at 03:17 AM
That makes sense, thanks Benita.
Posted by: Debbie from Chicago | June 15, 2012 at 11:27 AM
Yea, under the cherry tree. I took an immediate liking to it. :) thank you.
Posted by: Anna | June 15, 2012 at 02:53 PM
Benita you have your self a sparkling little gem, don't you! So fresh and crisp I just love that combination. I'm wondering where you got your light by your front door as i was looking for a light that would be clean and modern and doesn't take up a lot of space? The colour on the front door......perfect!
Posted by: lorie | June 16, 2012 at 10:05 PM
Here's the light: http://www.clasohlson.com/se/V%C3%A4ggspotlight/Pr362514000 Not sure if the brand's available in other countries though.
Posted by: Carlos | June 17, 2012 at 05:13 AM
Å så fint det blivit!! Var i all världen hittar man en så snygg vit slang? Och hur har du fått till den fina runda kantstenen runt trädet?
Posted by: Renée | July 22, 2012 at 03:59 PM
Slangen kommer från Garden Glory http://gardenglory.se/ och kantstenen från Flisby http://www.flisbyab.se/Article.aspx?id=498 :).
Posted by: Carlos | July 22, 2012 at 04:06 PM
! you've transformed your whole garden so much. Its unbelieveable. wish i had more time to go through all the posts i missed reading..will do it bit by bit! I moved from the UK to india recently and hadn't been keeping up with my fav blogs for a while. Great to get back here :)
Posted by: rekha | July 26, 2012 at 06:23 PM
Holy cannoli! That white garden hose and nozel! Love. Want. Won't get. Hubs and the teens wouldn't treat her the way she should be. She'd be dirt-covered and dingy in no time. :( I'll have to admire her sexiness from afar.
Posted by: michele double you | October 30, 2012 at 03:34 AM