Improve my entrance
Discussion
Looking for some ideas.
large area of gravel leads to this.
Concrete paving which despite cleaning never looks that good, steps which are not inviting and a miserable brown front door.
We are planning to renew the door (and replace the garage door to the left with it as it's in better condition than the garage one).
With the walls being "chalk white" and the woodwork dark brown the front door colour seems limited in choice. It will have more glass than present as the hall way is very dark so the colour is not so important I suppose.
The front door faces north, the concrete paving is often wet (west coast Scotland), the sun only reaches it early morning and therefore even more depressing than when dry. Replacing it with Yorkstone would look nice but past experience of north facing yorkstone is it turns green and slippy very quickly.
Decking would be the same and gets faded and tatty quickly. Yellow Bilau, does that lose colour?
Plastic decking looks plastic.
Block paving?
Could reduce the amount of paving and use more gravel, the gravel looks slightly more cheery than the hard surfaces.
Paint the steps?
Wouldn't mind raising the (reduced) hard paving area by say 150mm to lose the bottom step. (Done this at the rear where I've raised the previous crappy patio with Yorkstone (south facing).
The budget isn't limitless, but we want to get it right. It's becoming depressing every time you return home to see this. I've normally got a few ideas, my wife usually has 10x more.
Come on please, what's new?
large area of gravel leads to this.
Concrete paving which despite cleaning never looks that good, steps which are not inviting and a miserable brown front door.
We are planning to renew the door (and replace the garage door to the left with it as it's in better condition than the garage one).
With the walls being "chalk white" and the woodwork dark brown the front door colour seems limited in choice. It will have more glass than present as the hall way is very dark so the colour is not so important I suppose.
The front door faces north, the concrete paving is often wet (west coast Scotland), the sun only reaches it early morning and therefore even more depressing than when dry. Replacing it with Yorkstone would look nice but past experience of north facing yorkstone is it turns green and slippy very quickly.
Decking would be the same and gets faded and tatty quickly. Yellow Bilau, does that lose colour?
Plastic decking looks plastic.
Block paving?
Could reduce the amount of paving and use more gravel, the gravel looks slightly more cheery than the hard surfaces.
Paint the steps?
Wouldn't mind raising the (reduced) hard paving area by say 150mm to lose the bottom step. (Done this at the rear where I've raised the previous crappy patio with Yorkstone (south facing).
The budget isn't limitless, but we want to get it right. It's becoming depressing every time you return home to see this. I've normally got a few ideas, my wife usually has 10x more.
Come on please, what's new?
Edited by Skyedriver on Thursday 25th February 19:26
Clifford Chambers said:
I have (by the sounds of it) A similar problem, north facing, a bit dull and concrete slabs.
My solution which I'll implement this yr is planters and colourful pots. Any dull awkward surface can be improved. Pick plants that work with shade, evergreen ferns, hellebores, hostas, privet.
The big benefit is if something doesn't work, move it.
Summer time we have a couple of Acers in pots but take them in over the winter.. They aren't the ideal tree for there anyway as the east winds burn the leaves. Pots, tubs, nothing makes it look more than a pig with lipstick. It's shaded from about 10.30am even in summer, the stained grey flags look drab even when cleaned with bleach solution. The steps won't clean up. Been here three and a half years and it's starting to get to us.My solution which I'll implement this yr is planters and colourful pots. Any dull awkward surface can be improved. Pick plants that work with shade, evergreen ferns, hellebores, hostas, privet.
The big benefit is if something doesn't work, move it.
Edited by Clifford Chambers on Thursday 25th February 17:58
Brilliant, some good ideas there to consider.
Had thought reduce the paved bit, hadn't thought about increasing steps. Rather stuck with the gravel colour I fear as it extends from the access past the house to the garage at the rear. Too much to replace.
Going to read each idea over and come up with a plan.
Thanks
Had thought reduce the paved bit, hadn't thought about increasing steps. Rather stuck with the gravel colour I fear as it extends from the access past the house to the garage at the rear. Too much to replace.
Going to read each idea over and come up with a plan.
Thanks
Clifford Chambers said:
TBH now I've seen the photo, the more I think planting, colourful pots and the right stuff (not acers) makes sense.
Imagine lustrous, verdant, tiers of ferns. A couple of dowdy acers (acers rarely thrive in pots) just won't cut it.
ETA, get someone to photoshop it and you'll se what I mean.
This is ours, looks daggy now. Wait till we've finished.
My wife loves your front door. Your paving looks like ours.Imagine lustrous, verdant, tiers of ferns. A couple of dowdy acers (acers rarely thrive in pots) just won't cut it.
ETA, get someone to photoshop it and you'll se what I mean.
This is ours, looks daggy now. Wait till we've finished.
Edited by Clifford Chambers on Thursday 25th February 20:14
DozyGit said:
I personally think you should get;
1. Resin bound driveway
2. Dig 1m deep holes and fill with topsoil/compost rich soil add watering tubes and have full standard trees of choice (google if you don’t know what a full standard tree is)
3. Build stone steps and have tops in resin bound
4. Have hanging pots from wall with evergreen dropping creepers- clematis can be found
5. Change awful brown timber to white ;-)
Thanks for the ideas but:1. Resin bound driveway
2. Dig 1m deep holes and fill with topsoil/compost rich soil add watering tubes and have full standard trees of choice (google if you don’t know what a full standard tree is)
3. Build stone steps and have tops in resin bound
4. Have hanging pots from wall with evergreen dropping creepers- clematis can be found
5. Change awful brown timber to white ;-)
1) too much gravel at the moment to replace with RBG (cost). And it's rural Scotland
2) once broken through the paving and sub base (and I think concrete) the original ground is a thin (150mm) sandy layer on seawashed gravel (think the area used to be underwater or beach in prehistoric times). Don't think the trees would survive or have meaniful growth due to wind (70+mph at times) and rain and lack of light.
3) stone steps are a possibility but RBG on the top is a bit too far for up here.
4) hanging pots will end up on the ground/in the next field due to wind.
5) the whole house has brown frames (some upvc some timber) t least it's not fashionable grey).
ChocolateFrog said:
Replace the doors, and maybe the windows, or if on a budget give them a lick of paint.
Replace slabs with porcelain tiles for minimal maintenance. Or again if on a budget I'd be tempted to continue the gravel upto the front door and just have a stone step but larger as someone above suggested. 3 large steps or levels building upto the door height.
A couple of large decorative plant pots with a couple of fruit trees in and you're sorted.
just replaced some windows with brown.Replace slabs with porcelain tiles for minimal maintenance. Or again if on a budget I'd be tempted to continue the gravel upto the front door and just have a stone step but larger as someone above suggested. 3 large steps or levels building upto the door height.
A couple of large decorative plant pots with a couple of fruit trees in and you're sorted.
Edited by ChocolateFrog on Friday 26th February 11:23
Porcelain tiles? Did a patio once with them did look good. Been wondering about Caithness Stone for the step tops and the reduced area paving. gravel up to the steps would work but only if I retain all the steps. (Depth of gravel and gradient). thinking again Caithness stone or anything black is just going to darken the area more.
We've cherry, plum and apple trees in the back garden that are struggling to survive (wind, ground conditions, rabbits)
Edited by Skyedriver on Friday 26th February 11:51
Yes, got it. Bit of time to think it out and decide on step and if required reduced size paved area. Something light, going to investigate porcelain paving and smooth finish rather than "riven" as that tends to collect dirt and moss.
Thanks everyone some good ideas and "food for thought"
Thanks everyone some good ideas and "food for thought"
OP here,
It's exactly the same as a year ago...
We got a guy from a local landscaping company around, came up with some good ideas but initial estimate was too expensive. We cut it back but it took months for him to get a revised price and by that time we'd had a few changes envisaged so went to discuss but he's megga busy as he's a couple of other lines of work too. Outcome is lead in times for some of the materials mean a December/January start so I've just emailed him an hour ago to delay until next year due to weather.
We'd decided upon Florence white porcelain with green slate upstands but worried it may look too "urban/posh" for a Scottish country setting.
We knew exactly what we wanted for the back of the house/patio, I bought the materials and built it all in a matter of weeks, the front however is going to be going for longer than Coronation St it seems!
Would do it myself but porcelain isn't easy to cut apparently, there's also a "coursing" problem, trying to get the joints to all line up with the proposed steps going around a corner. Nowt straight forward.
It's exactly the same as a year ago...
We got a guy from a local landscaping company around, came up with some good ideas but initial estimate was too expensive. We cut it back but it took months for him to get a revised price and by that time we'd had a few changes envisaged so went to discuss but he's megga busy as he's a couple of other lines of work too. Outcome is lead in times for some of the materials mean a December/January start so I've just emailed him an hour ago to delay until next year due to weather.
We'd decided upon Florence white porcelain with green slate upstands but worried it may look too "urban/posh" for a Scottish country setting.
We knew exactly what we wanted for the back of the house/patio, I bought the materials and built it all in a matter of weeks, the front however is going to be going for longer than Coronation St it seems!
Would do it myself but porcelain isn't easy to cut apparently, there's also a "coursing" problem, trying to get the joints to all line up with the proposed steps going around a corner. Nowt straight forward.
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