House Plans

mmmm...extra-spicy crunchy gingersnaps in the brown paper bag. So good with milk. As an added bonus, Emma doesn't like them.




Scott, the architect, dropped off some plans yesterday. We need to start thinking about electrical placement, plumbing, etc. I drew an elevation of the front of the house that has us trying to decide on color and materials. We live in a colorful neighborhood, but stucco is the norm, and the least expensive choice. I think we have ruled out all the greens, blues, purples, and reds. You may find it funny that those were even on the table, but there are several examples of all of those in our neighborhood! We don't have huge expanses of stucco, so we do want a color with some pop. The big problem is finding a trim material/color that goes with the remaining choices. A long brick that looks like old adobe bricks is a good choice for the wall. There are many other styles of brick, too. Stone or stone-face would look cool and arts-and-crafts-y, but not really appropriate since those rocks aren't found here. Part of the success of arts-and-crafts style, is that as it spread around the country, a builder was supposed to use local materials to tie the design to the surrounding landscape. Craftsmanship and appropriate material choice were key principles, and, in keeping with that, we don't want to use vinyl window frames or cladding around the pillars. Many of my favorite bungalow house examples have white painted wood trim. Unless there is a white paint that has been developed to withstand the heat and dryness, and to protect the wood, it's probably not an option. But, maybe there is such a product. Alternatively, some woods do great with an occasional coat of Thompson's, and we could leave it a natural brown. Does that go with our field color choices? Of which we are left with yellows and oranges. You have to get just the right shade. I have seen a couple of yellows in the neighborhood that I like. A dark sweet potato color is popular here, and I like it on the southwest style, but maybe not for our own house. There's a big difference between liking it when you happen to see it, and liking it on your own house day in and day out.