First off, did you have a nice Easter?  I had a lovely long lazy weekend which was fabulous.  We don’t really ‘do’ Easter but it was just nice to chill and enjoy the time off work.  I also posted on Sunday but being that it was actually Easter Sunday, probably not the best idea.  Oh well.  Anyway, if you missed it, I’ve actually posted the article in Red Magazine that I’m in!  It was the highlight of my week for sure :)  Thanks for all the lovely comments as well, you guys are the bestest!  Now, on with today’s post…

The only time I’ve ever shown the front of my house was in my very first post.  In nearly three years, I’ve barely mentioned it and that’s because it’s really not something that’s particularly lovely.   I mean, it’s fine, there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with it but when I see so many other gorgeous homes in blogland or on Pinterest, my tiny front garden, typical for an Edwardian house here, seems terribly small and terribly pedestrian.

I’m hoping that this Spring (when it ever decides to get here – seriously, 5 degrees in April?! WTF Spring?!) I’ll be able to take a couple of weekends and make something pretty out of it – good things come in small packages, right?  Right.

Meh.

Here’s how it looks via Google Street view because I’m too embarrassed to take pictures from across the road so you can see the whole thing.  I’m pretty sure my neighbours already think I’m bonkers.  But anyway, you can see the big gnarly weeds, ferns and the overgrown rose climber that was inexplicably growing just behind the little brick wall – Climbing NOTHING BUT AIR.

Via Google Street View.  It looks worse here than it did in real life.  Honest.

So this weekend, I decided to take the first step in the rejuvenation of this space.  5 degree weather and 15mph wind be damned – I tackled all those ugly scrubby plants and weeds at the front.  I know, I’m hardcore.

Scrubby bushes gone!

Wayne had to help me to get the massive rose bush root out and a couple other weird looking stubborn roots but this is what we ended up with… a blank canvas.

Yeah, it’s not pretty is it.  I know.  But these are my before pictures so please be kind.

Even our gate and the little fence which divides our property from our neighbours’ is rusty and is desperate for a paint job (or replacement if I can squeeze it out of our budget).

So what’s the plan?  Well, the large shrub to the right of the property is staying.  It needs to be shaped at the moment to look a little neater and more boxy.   It provides a nice border between our home and the little alleyway that runs along side the house.  But that old crappy looking concrete paving and crooked edging you see has GOT to go.  One of our neighbours (all the houses here on this street are pretty much the same from the outside) has the whole area bricked like a little patio (again, I didn’t take pictures because yeah, freak alert).  I really like how it looks and so I’m considering copying them because it looks so nice and clean!

I’d like to add some big  potted plants – perhaps a bay tree or two or box topiaries or something for height as you’ll only be able to see the tops of things unless you are right next to the house due to that little wall at the front.  I don’t know, though, I’m open to suggestions and still looking at inspiration pictures.

I also want to paint the front door.  My door is like a burgundy brown.  Gross.  I hate it.  It does absolutely nothing for the brick work around it.  I’m thinking a pop of colour might work here (a deep glossy navy blue?) and replacing the old hardware and getting a cool knocker and new door numbers (removed in these pictures) or maybe frosting the glass in the transom with the number in letters ‘etched in’.  I’m not crazy about the glass in the door but I don’t really have it in the budget to start getting that changed out so it’ll stay.

I’d also like to get a new cuter welcome mat.  That boring mat has definitely seen better days.  The white post at the front of the little brick wall needs painting as does the area inside the little porch area and the stairs need a proper clean but those are all quickie jobs.

Here’s my little mockup on Photoshop of some of the changes I’m thinking of!  This was just for fun, really, and not necessarily indicative of my actual plans as they are all sort of up in the air but I thought I’d share anyway :)  (Yes, my Photoshop skills still need work.  The window boxes are shocking.)

There’s not a lot of space here and yet, it needs a ton of work.  What would you do with this space if it were yours?