A note: Wishing everyone good health. Dusting off the blog in an effort to be productive and provide a distraction. Thank you for following along. Some of this work was completed in the Fall, but several DIY projects going on now. Be well!

The upside of peeling paint is the opportunity to see the bottom layer. Our goal is to restore the house to its original state (to the best of our ability). So after some detective work we were able to find a color scheme close to the original, and forge a plan for the rest of the project.

The garage, although attached to the house (adjacent porch, turned breezeway, later turned combined laundry/mudroom) was added sometime in the 1950s. Someone went to great lengths to match the siding, although due to the low roofline (most likely low as not to impede the view from 2nd story windows), it seemed out of place.

The goal: to create a more attractive garage to better reflect the time period of the house. In the 1920’s houses would have had a detached garage or barn or no garage at all. By changing the siding (we salvaged what we could for future projects) and painting it a contrasting color, we hope to accomplish a fresh new look.

By adding varied width vertical boards, the garage looks less like an extension of the house and more like an attached barn.

Color inspiration from a 1920s house paint book and choices from today’s color chart.

Next: the result!