Detached Victorian renovation, London.
Discussion
I actually don't mind the sage green but for me the black is a little heavy handed.
Having the windows, trim and accents all the same colour is a missed opportunity to showcase some the architectural highlights of the house.
Black is often used on railings as you want them to disappear. You have a good looking house, your windows should be celebrated not hidden.
I think a smokey light grey or cream instead of black for the windows and some of the details would make it look a lot more welcoming and friendly, a bit less Adams Family.
Here's a few examples of the kind of thing I mean, I know these house styles are different but their colour schemes would work equally well for you.
Having the windows, trim and accents all the same colour is a missed opportunity to showcase some the architectural highlights of the house.
Black is often used on railings as you want them to disappear. You have a good looking house, your windows should be celebrated not hidden.
I think a smokey light grey or cream instead of black for the windows and some of the details would make it look a lot more welcoming and friendly, a bit less Adams Family.
Here's a few examples of the kind of thing I mean, I know these house styles are different but their colour schemes would work equally well for you.
I quote like the green too, I think where perhaps it doesn't work is that the front of the house has an air of "Let's see how big a bay we can get past the planners" to it, particularly as the roof window is of proportion with the bay. The green is really drawing attention to that element of the design. It still looks good, but perhaps better balanced as a whole when it was white?
It doesn't matter though, I can't see past that massive mortar launcher you've stuck on the side. :-)
It doesn't matter though, I can't see past that massive mortar launcher you've stuck on the side. :-)
paulrockliffe said:
I quote like the green too, I think where perhaps it doesn't work is that the front of the house has an air of "Let's see how big a bay we can get past the planners" to it, particularly as the roof window is of proportion with the bay. The green is really drawing attention to that element of the design. It still looks good, but perhaps better balanced as a whole when it was white?
It doesn't matter though, I can't see past that massive mortar launcher you've stuck on the side. :-)
You might be right. I think if rather than parapet walls, the bay had a full roof which came off the main one, it may blend a bit better. It doesn't matter though, I can't see past that massive mortar launcher you've stuck on the side. :-)
Good feedback all.
That irregularity in the pebbledash was not a blown section, it is just...irregularity in the pebble dash. To be fair it was very obvious when the house was white as well, and has been there since it was built.
I take the point on the black windows - I was going for a more hidden feel with the colour, but that was a personal preference.
The intention of course is over the years to grow a couple of giant red climbing roses all overthe front of the house.
As for the mortar launcher, we had to have an external flue as someone has removed a chimney stack and poured concrete down it! Remedied that at renovation to stop damp, but clearing and rebuilding a chimney would have been awesomely expensive, even outside the house. I also wanted an external rigid flue as it means I can easily swap out the woodburner if required, without scaffolding. The ridiculous height was to keep my neighbours happy, as then have high rooms on that side of the house and were worried about smoke. I really like them, and so complied with their request. And the woodburner is COMPLETELY worth it. Such a good purchase, if totally unnecessary for an practical reason...
That irregularity in the pebbledash was not a blown section, it is just...irregularity in the pebble dash. To be fair it was very obvious when the house was white as well, and has been there since it was built.
I take the point on the black windows - I was going for a more hidden feel with the colour, but that was a personal preference.
The intention of course is over the years to grow a couple of giant red climbing roses all overthe front of the house.
As for the mortar launcher, we had to have an external flue as someone has removed a chimney stack and poured concrete down it! Remedied that at renovation to stop damp, but clearing and rebuilding a chimney would have been awesomely expensive, even outside the house. I also wanted an external rigid flue as it means I can easily swap out the woodburner if required, without scaffolding. The ridiculous height was to keep my neighbours happy, as then have high rooms on that side of the house and were worried about smoke. I really like them, and so complied with their request. And the woodburner is COMPLETELY worth it. Such a good purchase, if totally unnecessary for an practical reason...
Lockdown V2 project has been to sort out the fireplace in the kitchen. This has been stripped and a stove involved, and I wanted a distressed/rustic look to match the cast iron fireplace. The fireplace was a £20 eBay win, bought for our last house and never installed. I liked the aged, rusty look of the cast iron so never stripped it back and blacked it. Now the challenge has been to make a surround to suit it.
Original fireplace had been plastered over.
78 kitchen by baconrashers, on Flickr
Opened out, stripped and with stove and fireplace installed
IMG_20200718_224933 by baconrashers, on Flickr
Wonky, uncalibrated and crackle glazed tiles installed into the surround. I washed the tiles with black grout before sealing, to bring out the crackle finish. Then grouted the joints with olive green grout. I tiled this myself as wonkiness is to be welcomed here, so had no problem with not being a pro.
IMG_20200801_180852 by baconrashers, on Flickr
IMG_20200801_143526 by baconrashers, on Flickr
Crackle glazing accentuated. Took a couple mlre wipes from seen below to really get this artificial ageing even.
IMG_20200728_174927 by baconrashers, on Flickr
Now the fun bit. Mild steel angle and strip from eBay left outside to rust and them cut up to make a new surround.
IMG_20201110_095427 by baconrashers, on Flickr
IMG-20201110-WA0002 by baconrashers, on Flickr
It all fits nicely, I have taken off the sharp edges with the mitre saw (and will file them round. It is currently back in the garage, sprayed with a mydrogen peroxide/vinegar/salt mixture to get some more aggressive ageing - at which point you rub that rust back a bit and stabilise it, and assemble the whole thing...will update once done!
Big stuff on renovations is great, but sometimes, the little stuff really excites you!
Original fireplace had been plastered over.
78 kitchen by baconrashers, on FlickrOpened out, stripped and with stove and fireplace installed
IMG_20200718_224933 by baconrashers, on FlickrWonky, uncalibrated and crackle glazed tiles installed into the surround. I washed the tiles with black grout before sealing, to bring out the crackle finish. Then grouted the joints with olive green grout. I tiled this myself as wonkiness is to be welcomed here, so had no problem with not being a pro.
IMG_20200801_180852 by baconrashers, on FlickrIMG_20200801_143526 by baconrashers, on FlickrCrackle glazing accentuated. Took a couple mlre wipes from seen below to really get this artificial ageing even.
IMG_20200728_174927 by baconrashers, on FlickrNow the fun bit. Mild steel angle and strip from eBay left outside to rust and them cut up to make a new surround.
IMG_20201110_095427 by baconrashers, on FlickrIMG-20201110-WA0002 by baconrashers, on FlickrIt all fits nicely, I have taken off the sharp edges with the mitre saw (and will file them round. It is currently back in the garage, sprayed with a mydrogen peroxide/vinegar/salt mixture to get some more aggressive ageing - at which point you rub that rust back a bit and stabilise it, and assemble the whole thing...will update once done!
Big stuff on renovations is great, but sometimes, the little stuff really excites you!
ali_kat said:
I love it!!
And not just because I need to pick your brains
What paint did you use for the burners please?
Need to do our radiators, but can only find black or white! Short of using car paint I’m at a loss
Hi Ali - missed this. I used Calfire aerosol stove paint. You really don't need this for radiators though, they just don't get that hot. As long as your prep is good (or you just cheat and prime with Zinsser BIN primer), interior wood/metal paint works just fine. Advantage with this being that you can colour match to your walls to blend the rads in.And not just because I need to pick your brains
What paint did you use for the burners please?
Need to do our radiators, but can only find black or white! Short of using car paint I’m at a loss
ElectricSoup said:
Hi Harry, what make and model is your little green stove please? It's jolly pleasing.
It's an Ekol Apple Pie. Nice little thing but a few caveats:- I'd get the stack mounted one as it is quite close to the ground, or I would mount it on a platform
- Mine doesn't draw too well, which will be to do with the flue. It takes a 4 inch flue but we installed it with a 5 inch for reasons that I won't go into. In any case, the draw is poor on the high flue. I shall try to fix it with a rotary cowl next time we are up on the chimney, but I suspect the problem was using the wrong diameter of flue.
- it is very fussy about wood - needing very dry, kiln dried to really work. I suspect that this is the draw issue, though.
- it is cast iron, so takes a while to heat up. This is a stove best used if running all day, rather than for a quick blast of heat.
- It really is very small, and needs small logs. Best for a smaller room, really.
I think it will eventually get moved to an upstairs room, and another stove with a 5 inch outlet and bigger window will go in the kitchen, even though said stove will not fit as neatly into the fire surround.
Harry Flashman said:
Hmmm, a man with a Martini Henry 577/450 on the wall! Does it work? The licensing of these is bonkers - you can hang a gun on the wall that can shoot a 600 grain bullet 9 inches into solid pine. Possession of the ammunition on the other hand, is problematic. I'd put mine on my ticket, but I'd have to go down to Bisley to shoot it, which is too much of a PITA. 
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