The outside of my home is so plain I am at a loss of what I can do to brighten it up. I can go out and buy a bunch of stuff I guess but that is sooo expensive. Any easy suggestions to make my house go from drab to less drab LOL. We have 10acres, lots of trees, but no color. Very rustic! Any suggestions. I know I can plant flowers but what else?

By Marg on Thursday, March 25, 2004 - 07:14 pm:

www.terrysvillage.com Very cute stuff, I have purchased from here before and am very satisfied with products. They do have outside decorating things.

Better yet is

www.collectionsetc.com for reasonable 8.99, 9.99, 12.99 and 14.99 items, very cute yard decorations. I have also purchased from them and am very satisfied.

We have 3 acres. I posted a picture of our house on the photo board under "Winter pics". I am a very colorful person. The outside of our house is Nantucket blue, with plum for the two front doors and white trim. Yes, dh agreed to the colors I chose, lol! Even painting your front door a bold color makes a difference! We want to go cedar shingles some day, but I really want color

I'm not much of a flower person, but I love hostas (sp?). I like plants that grow back every year.

Good luck, post some pics if you can;)

By Momaroze on Thursday, March 25, 2004 - 07:31 pm:

Thanks, but I'm in Canada boohoo. What cute stuff!!!! That would really make my home look brighter. The prices are so reasonable. For me to buy something like that in this area would cost 40.00 or so. The stuff is not near as nice either! Gives me ideas on what to look for. Thank-You.

By Momaroze on Thursday, March 25, 2004 - 07:38 pm:

Marg I just seen the photos of your home. It reminds me alot of where I live. Very similar in the winter time,except you have a nicer house. I love the door idea. I would love to see more pic's in the summer time with all your cute collectibles. I don't know how to post pictures or even if I can? Bye for now.

By Marg on Thursday, March 25, 2004 - 08:08 pm:

Those pictures were from a $20 digital camera from Target. I saw one similar on QVC the other day for $24. It fits in the palm of your hand, but it took me the longest time to learn the program and then post them on here! slow learner I guess.

I'm sorry I didn't realize where you lived.

By Fionadeassis on Thursday, March 25, 2004 - 08:28 pm:

Maybe some homemade wooden birdhouses...then paint them in bright colours and hang them in the trees......maybe drive through alleys looking for old gates or doors...paint them in bright colours and let vines grow up them...

I found a bunch of willow branches that had blown down in a windstorm.....I tied and glued them together to make trellises and they looked incredible...but after a month or two they 'collapsed'....I get good cheap ideas but they don't always always turn out the way I like...boohoo..

My old boss was the queen of junk and garbage....she would find old broken wooden chairs in the alleys...then paint each one in a different cool colour...then set them on her 'porch'(not really a porch, but an area where she had old chairs,a broken dresser she painted and planted violets in the drawers.....a broken shelf she 'fixed' painted and put tons of plants on..chili pepper christmas lights...)..

If you looked closely at all the stuff-you saw that it was a pile of junk...held together with duct tape and spraypainted with some old can of paint she found under her cupboard....but when you sat out there and had a cup of tea with her, it was the coolest space ever!! She is my inspiration when it comes to cheap decorating...she will spend $8 where someone else would spend $40....of course..her husband was a stingy guy and wouldn't let her buy anything!

fiona

By Coopaveryben on Thursday, March 25, 2004 - 09:07 pm:

I love birdhouses and feeders.

I have made a few paths with inexpensive stepping stones. I painted them with the kids and then put a clear poly over them, dug them into the ground, they look cute. I have some with different years of handprints and dates.

I also like the little iron poles that stick into the ground and they have little decorative flags.

By Bea on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 12:40 am:

Evalyne if you have pictures of your house you could send them to me and I'll post them for you. historicharrishouse@earthlink.net
If we see your place it would make giving you suggestions easier. Paint is often the most inexpensive way to spruce up. Try painting your front door a brighter color. Flower boxes and garden flowers help.

By Marg on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 09:09 am:

I also placed inexpensive flower boxes holders (made out of metal) at the front four main windows. They were from Lillian Vernon at an outlet for $5 a piece, and I bought the actual boxes for the flowers at a Dollar General store for $3 a piece. Both pieces at each window are a deep green (more color) and when I plant flowers at the windows they are usually bright in color yellows, maroons and usually some ivy mixed in for length.

By Momaroze on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 09:33 am:

Lillian Vernon has great pieces as well. She's not shipping to Canada. Still I got some more ideas. I love metal box holders for plant boxes. Great prices my gosh there must be a website similar in Canada. I've keyed in a bunch of words but cannot come up with anything except for ebay....well I guess I could try that. We have a wallmart not too far from us, mabey I will go there. It is fairly new so I haven't been there often. Oh...Ivy is a good idea for mixed length. See I am not very good at this kind of stuff. I really wish I was. I would even like to build my own wooden plant boxes but I don't know how, I'm betting it is easy though. My dh has been saying for years that he will build me some and I am now telling him if not I am going to buy two of those cedar round planters that cost 30.oo each! Mothers day is coming up, we will see what happens.

By Momaroze on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 09:38 am:

Oh by the way Fiona what I would do to sit on that ladies porch for a cup of tea LOL. Maybe I can get creative???? Birdhouses are neat and the stepping stone idea I love too. Thanks Bea, I don't have many pic's of my home yet.....maybe one day when it looks nicer. Painting the door may be something I will do. It is white but maybe I will go blue to match the living room curtains? Great ideas girls!!!

By Rayanne on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 11:46 am:

What about Light fixtures for at night? That always looks pretty to me.

By Marg on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 12:29 pm:

You know what I do, you all will think I'm crazy. I sit in each room I want to decorate and I just sit there (in a mostly empty room) and really think and feel how I want the room to look, I right down all my notes and make out a mental or written plan how I can get to that point. I also love good deals! I constantly am looking and I love the Dollar Tree here in the U.S. (not sure if they have them in Canada).

I also sat up in the driveway one day looking down at the house, and sat there and thought what do I want this house to look like in the end?

I love seaside homes, and dh buys those home renovation books, I get some ideas out of there. I wanted a gray/blue color with white trim. The door just popped in my head when I was looking at paint samples in Sears. Everyone (inlcuding dad) thought I was crazy! But when it was painted, they were like, wow that color did work!

Look at Christopher Lowell's show, he loves color and is a real encouragement to get out of the "everything has to be white." Don't be afraid, you can always paint over it!

I also saw a great idea on a show the other day, I think on the Carol Duval show. You take a picture of your room or house and place a clear sheet ( the kind you use for overhead projects, transparencies - sp?) and make the changes you'd like to see in the color you want to see it changed to, do this with a colored marker). You can see what it will look like with out doing the work and being disappointed.

By Momaroze on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 03:32 pm:

Outside light fixtures are beautiful in the evening. I'm not quite there though. Marg, we do have a "dollar store" here. I love deals too!!!I'm too cheap to buy the expensive outdoor cute stuff even though I always see beautiful things. Hopefully our dollar store this year will have nicer stuff than last year. Maybe I will splurge on one expensive item this year. I'm always thinking of the kids. I tend not to buy items that look pretty (not functional). You know what I mean. I'm slowly learning to treat myself a little better, even a little can go a long way. More great ideas, I really appreciate your help. By the way I was just outside doing yard work, and doing the same thing you mentioned above, gazing at my house and trying to picture what would make it look nicer. I love the seaside homes too! I also love the cottage look which I think is more fitting for around here. Bye for now. E.

By Bea on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 04:30 pm:

If you have a Big Lots nearby, look there for outdoor pots and ornaments. They really have the best prices.

By Coopaveryben on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 05:21 pm:

We can't forget wind chimes, I love Wind chimes on porches, from tree's, anywhere!