Lubber

To try to make the front look a little better I decided to build a little flower planter to be attached to the front lubber. I haven't attached the flower planter yet because I'm not sure about color scheme yet. I could paint it all brown to match the outside trim color, I could make it all yellowish to match the inside lubber area and it could make it look a little brighter in that area. I have also thought about painting the whole thing brown and then paint the corner front pieces yellowish to make that area stand out and still go the the house.

Before


It was falling apart and almost falling out.


Side and and framing replaced with new wood and new paint and the inside part got new paint.


Putting the first couple of parts together


Putting the first couple of parts together (side angle)


Box area is together


Box area is together


I put some gorilla wood glue on the back boards to keep them together and then clamp them together over night to cure


Before adding the front corners to add a little better look


The new added corner pieces to give it a little better look then just a box shape


Together


Together


Together



Kind of idea what it will be like





I just finished the flower planter on the lubber and here are the updated pics.

Box painted and getting ready to screw it onto the lubber


I add a plastic bag to be used like a liner and that way keep water from it as much as possible so it last longer. I also add some styrofoam packing peanuts to the bottom for a little bit of drainage. I had already drilled 5 small holes on the bottom so water can drain out.


Here is abetter view of the liner


Here is the front view of the planter.


I add 2 tulips and some small creepying jennys


The lubber looks better


Now the front of the house is looking better with the lubber, added lazy susans next to door, and solar lights in front (which I got yellowish kind to go with the house and front porch light)

Front Flower Bed Ideas

I'm not 100% sure what to do yet in the front, I thought I ad a good idea and then another idea jumps out and I just want to make it look nice. Not to girly but still nice.

The original idea of just a small little flower bed on the front right side where the porch cuts off. I wasn't sure if just flowers (different heights or all same type (same color or different). Now I think I will put a couple of bushes in the back. Maybe let them grow just above the trash cans.

From House

A new idea is to maybe have the corner flower bed come out a little farther and maybe extend the flower bed around the front. Either have just ground level flower bed, or make a little higher raised flower bed. Maybe make two and have a opening the size of the front door between the two boxes. I also thought about just making 1 really long flower bed that would go over or take out the gray concrete blocks and have the flower bed their instead. But I don't know how it would be to have the front door blocked from the street view. I haven't really seen that look much and that might be a no no to block the door, even thou you can get to the door by the left side that goes to the garage and the driveway. Also if I did put a long flower bed I might add a wooden railing to give the porch area more of a porch feel. I need input on that.

From House

Left side idea of raised or non raised flower bed

From House

Right side idea of raised or non raised flower bed

From House

Side flower bed with a long raised or non raised flower bed. Maybe a ground level flower bed with a stepping stone in the middle.

From House

Long front flower bed idea

From House

Also to help make the front look better I first thought about putting mulch around the front 3 trees, maybe in small circles like you see some people do. But then I also thought about it might look better to have 1 big mulch bed around all three trees. I'm not 100% on the big mulch bed because if I make it wide enough to go around the bigger tree to cover a couple of spots where the root is at ground level (you see the root) then I would have to make it twice as big as the other two smaller trees. I would have just enough room to run the lawn mover be the end of the mulch bed and the fence, but from above it would look like (to be PG13 a male part) or a flower vase. And I'm not sure that would really look right. I kind of would like to keep the fence in place, it kind of goes with the house and gives it a older look, but I don't have to keep it. I could take it down and then add a small flower bed (with flowers) where the road and yard meet and it is a quick little step angle for about 1-2 feet. With the big flower bed I could keep it just mulch or maybe put Hostas in the middle.

From House

From House

You can't see the bare roots coming from the ground in the picture but they are their.

From House

You can kind of see where it would go from round around the big tree and then go more straight with the two smaller trees (the male part) (facing house)

From House

You can kind of see where it would go from round around the big tree and then go more straight with the two smaller trees (the male part) (facing house) (facing street)

From House

Also in the front the mail box is in a concrete square and I was thinking about making it look nicer with maybe a small little mulch circle to hide the concrete square and to give it a better curve appeal.

From House

Then also I have had a idea of maybe putting up a line of bushes along the side of the house to give it color. Going from the back patio area to the air conditioner. Either let them grow as just above the air conditioner or maybe go with the brick/vinyl line. I'm not sure if that would be to tall. Either way they would be below the windows.

From House

Also on the side their was a tree, now just a tree stump, but I was thinking about grinding it down and then maybe just add a small circle flower bed for small flowers like panties and that type of flowers that are low but add color.

From House

Some day when I add new gutters I will add at least 1 if not 2 rain barrels, one will be in the breeze way behind the lubber.

Also in the back yard, I need to take a updated pic, but if you look at the pic below and see where the dog/playhouse thing was that I tore down in the back right area of this picture. But that area has live electrical wires running to it and I think I know where it hooks up in the shed. I was going to install a switch to it but I'm not sure if I just to put there. Seems like a waste not to use the electrical wire. I was thinking about a tall light post or I have even thought about a small water fountain. I'm not sure because that will be next to the trailers and I could add the light post for security or a fountain with maybe a couple of bushes would hide the trailers from the patio view.

From House

Here is the back yard look right now. The couple of concrete blocks in the yard going parallel to the patio is where I am going to one day add a horse show pit.

From House

Also in the back I put the fence type thing, forgot official name, and would it be better to keep it like that or maybe add a small flower bed like I did with the patio and have plants/flowers in front the fencing?

From House

Patio

My next personal goal was to make the patio more like a area that people could hangout and just relax. The patio area was small so I decided to use the carport for a patio area which gives the patio more area and a cover from the sun and rain.

All the concrete areas needed to be cleaned badly. I pressure washed all the concrete front and back

Front area being cleaned


Front Porch Cleaned


Patio


Back Patio Area Being Cleaned. You Can Guess The Dirty and Clean Area


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I recently went and bought new patio furniture. I bought a swing that you can lay the back part down and lay down on it. Also I got a small table with 4 chairs.

Small Table and Chairs


Swing


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I started to work on the fire pit. I'm not sure what to do with the top part or if I want to go back and put mortar on the bricks to make then not move at all. I might just so a small child runs into it.

Before


Beginning of making the firepit


First two rows put up


Third row going up


Third row going up


First Design up


First Design up


The patio is pretty square and I wasn't as fond as the rectangle shape so I moved the bricks around and made it more square. I think it looks better.


New Design


Now trying to decide on a top part


Changed the Firepit layout to a round circle and not a square


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I wanted to add some lighting but I wasn't sure how so I decided on rope lighting and I got about 48 ft of rope lighting at Lowes and it puts on more light then I thought. I do have about 3-4 ft extra at the end near the street side so I'm not sure what to do with it. I might undo the lighting on the front part (where you are looking at it), and make a up and down like a wave pattern. Not sure yet.

The new rope lighting (lights aren't that bright)


The new rope lighting


The new rope lighting (lights aren't that bright)


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Before


After (as to date June 09)


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I just got done doing some things to he patio and here are a couple of changes.

Changed the Firepit layout to a round circle and not a square


Patio Looking out to street


Patio now looking in from street (recently add the new flower planter on right corner)