The coronavirus has shook things up for me and I’ve delayed posting anything as I’m adjusting to this new normal. I hope that everyone is finding security and comfort during this unusual time.

Remember when I shared with you my old hobby of photoshopping houses for sale? Well, I recently found a small, older house for sale that captured my attention. It’s a cape cod, which is in my top three of favorite house styles, but this home has a peculiar front entrance (see below).

Ack!! The asymmetrical, I guess you would call it, vestibule is the only thing I can see when I look at this house. Even the pitch of the roof is asymmetrical. While brainstorming ideas, all I could think about was ripping that thing off and either building a new portico or just having a flat front. However, as I was photoshopping the house I was pleasantly surprised how that annoying feature turned into just a quirk of the house.

As you can tell, I stayed true to my design preferences. The house needed a new roof, so a black, multi-dimension shingle seemed appropriate. The siding would be replaced with a white hardie board siding. The windows (at least in the front) would be replaced with larger, more modern versions. Brick would be added to the visible concrete foundation and the concrete front porch steps would be painted. The photoshopped imaged has a light gray paint on the front steps, but I would much prefer a crisp white paint. I added a window to that vestibule-thing to help balance it out. A larger outdoor light fixture was placed above a new wood front door.

I love boxwood bushes and would line the front of the house with them. I prefer the dwarf or miniature version, so they stay small and compact. Lastly, I would top off the house with rich wood flower boxes under all the first floor windows. I can’t believe how much I love this house–especially since I am a lover of symmetry.

I love to dream up new designs for houses but redecorating my house wasn’t enough for me, so I got into the habit of putting my spin on real estate listings.

Every Saturday morning, I would wake up and noodle around with different ideas until my family woke up. I would occasionally request that my husband look at the real estate ad, my re-imagined design and try to convince him that we should purchasing it. He never bit but I found a hobby that was fun, rewarding and functioned as a stress relief. Anyway, life got busier and I stopped doing it. While cleaning up my old computer files, I came across some of these little nuggets and was pleasantly surprised by how much I still love them. I thought it would be fun to share them on here.

I only found two files but you can see that I have a very specific aesthetic– I love brick, flower boxes, black roofs and big windows. You can also tell that I am into small houses. I looooove small homes and wished that we, as a society, could give them more attention and love. Let me be clear- I’m not talking about tiny houses, although those are fun too. I am talking about houses that range from 800-1500 square feet.

The first house, as you see above, looks like the quintessential house that every kid draws. It is basically exactly what I draw when I am trying to communicate “house” to anyone. I think the outside of this house is plain but has so much potential to be adorable.

I would add grills to the existing windows and change out the white louvered shutters for new raised panel black ones which I think gives the house a more refined look and plays well with the new portico that has a metal roof and round columns. The front stoop area was expanded and brick was added to the stair risers. Add a few black window boxes to the house and some landscaping complete with hydrangeas and black mulch to give this exterior a fresh new look.

This next house is one of my favorites not only because it reminds of me of a classic doll house but because it’s a great size for a small family. In my redesign of the house, I would replace the siding with a white shaker hardie board and put on a new roof with black dimensional shingles. The house would get new windows with black frames and grills which I think gives it both a modern but classic look.

I would open up the porch by removing that half wall (is there another name for this?) that surrounds it and just have the porch be completely open. All the columns would be replaced with simple square ones and the floor would get a new finish. It could be painted or some type of wood composite material could be laid on top to warm up the entry way and also tie into my omnipresent flower boxes. The front door would be replaced with a large, wood, 2-panel door with sidelights. Lastly, the foundation of the house would be covered in a brick facade. I ended with a simple landscape of black mulch and several boxwood shrubs around the front of the house.

Okay, this last one is the house I imagine living in when I am a grandmother. It’s a white, single story, adorable house that just needs some love and attention. I would replace the roof with a black, dimension shingle which creates a nice contrast to the white exterior of the house. To really add some interest, I would add a single faux dormer. I am usually a big proponent of symmetry but because the door is not centered and the tree is on the left side, it feels like this house could get away with one dormer.

I would add new windows that were larger and had bulkier trim around them. I would eliminate the shutters to make the house feel updated and more modern. I, of course, need wood window boxes to give the house some life. I would use the same wood, 2 panel front door to tie into the wood window boxes. I would complete the look of the house by replacing the front cement walkway with a new brick one and plant some creeping phlox in that stone flower bed.

I have a few more to share but I’ll do that in another post. Maybe I’ll revive this hobby?