Rose Cottage Ltd

There has been a lot of time spent studying stucco over the last 6 months. Who knew that making the choice to use stucco to replace exterior siding would prompt so many design decisions.

I knew I wanted a English cottage appearance but since my name isn’t Hansel or Gretel and I’m not likely to do a thatched roof, I didn’t want this:

Quaint as it is, it isn’t really my style.

On the other hand, many stuccoed houses I saw ended up looking like commercial buildings or survival bunkers. What I wanted from stucco was a nice clean line and a little interesting texture – along with the added insulation from weather and noise.

I began studying what is known as “Cotswold” style. Close, but no cigar!

This style – along with its sister style Tudor, does not really go well with my one level house. Tudor looks great on large homes and commercial structures. Here is a photo I took of the Hotel Roanoke in Virginia. It is an impressive building, but all this trim color will make my little 1600 square-foot cottage look a little choppy and I will have trim to consider.

Hotel Roanoke, Virginia

I found the website Ontario Architecture which gave me some really good design ideas and an image fairly close to what I wanted.

Clean lines, some nice opportunities for architectural design elements, and a natural-look color.

Color? Oh no. What about color? How do you get it, or not?

Back to The Mold Store I went since I’d already purchased powdered colorant for my paver stones. They had quite a few colors, but for my stuccoed walls I want a pearly-gray/white color. Early samples made from the very first stucco mix had the outcome a little too much brown tone for my taste.

Much of this color issue has to do with the sand portion of the stucco mix. Sand comes in a huge variety of shades and it all is certainly not white! Cement has less variety but from what I gather, true, Portland cement is the cleanest and brightest to work with.

Many people do not worry about the base stucco since they plan on painting it. I’m trying to avoid this step. This is not an adobe home with the standard southwestern colors and I really don’t want to have to paint this house after all this work.

A little further research found a whiter sand available nearby and the addition of white powder colorant to the finish mix got the stucco within the color range desired. This was still a little damp when the picture was taken.

Now, that it appeared the color was do-able, and I’m beginning to find ways to make a specific texture on the surface, how the heck do you make this stuff stay on the wall? That’s a story for another day…

Not long ago I suggested adding some updates to your kitchen by simply adding a new kitchen faucet. The same can be said for adding new bathroom fixtures. After giving the walls in my bathroom two fresh coats of paint, I decided to see what there is to update the hardware – there are a LOT of choices!

This Rohl Satin Nickel Country Bath Bridge Faucet with Swarovski crystal levers will add some class to any bath or powder room.

ROHL’s Country Bath Collection combines comfortable dimensions with rich detailing elegant designs, quality finishes and expertly engineered turn valves for an ideal selection in the master bath, powder room and shower. Choose from the collection’s wide variety of designs and finishes including Austrian crystal levers and cross handles to achieve the ideal ambience in your home’s master bath, powder rooms and showers.

Newport Brass, with over 20 years experience designing decorative plumbing and bath products, will satisfy your most intimate desire to transform an everyday kitchen or bath into a room of classic beauty and distinction.

The Newport Brass Antique Nickel Lavatory Faucet with Country Base and Lever Handles might be the right option for your bathroom’s upgrade.

Here is a snazzy Vestige Oil Rubbed Bronze faucet from Moen.

The richly detailed Vestige line features nostalgic designs topped with a finial accent that compliment traditional decor. Oil-rubbed bronze finish delivers a rich, dark brown, old world finish with striking light and dark accents High-arc spout provides more clearance 2-Handle lever design for ease of use.

The
Kohler Polished Chrome Neuville Bathroom Faucet offers a more modern approach to faucet upgrades.

Brass construction and a lifetime limited warranty.

Free Shipping & No Sales Tax @ HomeClick.com!

Need I say more?

Here is one from this morning’s front page at CNN:

“It doesn’t pay to remodel your home.”

Now, all those readers with ADD who just read headlines will have it locked in their brain that remodeling a home is not a good idea.

If you actually read the article, there are several things limiting the title’s accuracy.

#1 They are discussing remodeling in regard to resale value later. This is obviously not the only remodeling reason or purpose.

#2 The numbers they quote re: costs and ROI, are from the Board of Realtors…you know, the people who make money from your buying and selling of property, not from your remodeling.

#3 The article seems to think that everyone remodels just for resale.

#4 Most of the projects they discuss require a professional contractor.

None of the above is really accurate.

Remodeling can certainly be done to help a resale. Almost everyone knows that kitchens and bathrooms, and curb appeal, are the three main areas to work on if you want (or in this economy), need to sell your home. Watch even one episode of HGTV’s House Hunters” or House Hunters International and watch people as they view the homes for sale.

At the same time, look at the same shows with a remodeling focus. How many of those homes are fairly new, with nice kitchens and baths, and great landscaping, but someone STILL turns up their nose at a non-granite countertop, or a non-pedestal sink? Quite a few. So remodeling for the sake of resale means you must have a crystal ball to predict exactly what and with what to renovate.

So, if I drop $20,000 into a bathroom renovation in 2010 and I decide to sell in 2015, how much of the new “latest and greatest” am I still going to have to add? What will the big selling point be for bathrooms in 2015? Pre-heated bathtubs maybe? I’m not playing this game. The risks are too expensive.

Instead, I am remodeling my home to make it what I want – and I am quite happy to do so as long as my health and wallet permit. If I was a gourmet chef I might need or want a $100,000 kitchen, but I’m certainly not going to build one for some potential culinary-focused buyer. If I need a new stove, I’ll buy what suits my lifestyle. If I want a certain shade of paint that matches my color preferences, I’m going to have it. Chances are, if I did ever end up selling this place, I will paint it before showing anyway.

Meanwhile, I live in the house I want and I remodel within reason to make it better – for me and my family.

I’ve flipped houses in the past and there are certain unwritten “rules” of making a house presentable to buyers…muted paint colors, updating lower-cost things like faucets and lighting, sprucing up the yard and landscaping. My advice though is to not live your life, and manage any remodeling projects, with just return-on-investment in mind. Remodeling can enhance indoor and outdoor living spaces – for you, now. Worry about resale if and when it happens.

Who knows? You might just remodel yourself into a home you never want to leave….