The Nest: Front Door Blues
By Meg Harrington
Update: There’s a flurry of activity going on over at The Nest—the subs are wrapping up the unsexy, but necessary, behind-the-wall things like HVAC, electrical and plumbing. We’ve all got our lists out and are frantically checking them twice before confirming doors, hardware and what side the refrigerator is going to open on. New siding is going up, and we’re going to make some serious strides with the porch this week. If only the weather will cooperate…
I’m determined not hold this job up with even a speck of indecisiveness so I’m doing all my homework before I’m even asked. And this weekend (warm and sunny, finally) we headed over to The Nest to figure out the exterior paint colors.
The Nest is definitely not a fancy Euro-cottage. Instead, we’re channeling a Nantucket-meets-Buckhead vibe and I’m all for pouring on the charm.
My first inspiration came a couple years ago when Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles published this storybook cottage. Norman Askins and Jackye Lanham were the architect/design team and their collaboration was just perfect.
This is what started my cottage craze. AH&L August 2012.
The blue door is really what caught my fancy so I started playing around with a threesome of colors also inspired by this image from Pinterest: creamy white, French-y mouse and a indescribably lovely shade of blue/green.
I found this on Pinterest via Heirloom Philosophy and it got me thinking about these three colors for The Nest.
More surfing pulled up these inspirational little gems:
This is so gorgeous. Is it just me or does this look like Notting Hill in London? Pinterest via Sarah Berry Design.
The most gorgeous shade of bluey/green. Pinterest via Megan Brook Handmade.
Luckily, the hubby is ready and willing to take a paint risk with me, so we loaded ourselves down with samples from Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams and got to work.
A few weeks ago, I went through a gazillion whites and ended up with Sherwin Williams Alabaster. When we tested the swatch on the house, it pretty much blended in with what’s already there so we checked that box off.
A nice new coat of Sherwin Williams Alabaster will be the brick color.
We nailed the future front door with the first sample: Benjamin Moore’s Wythe Blue (top left swatch). I am just crazy about this color. It’s the perfect shade of robin’s egg blue and sea green and just makes me smile.
Benjamin Moore Wythe Blue
We put up about six different colors for the shutters (which we’re replacing and I’m agonizing over what style to use) trying to stay in what I like to call “French mouse”—a perfect shade of gray and beige.
Sherwin Williams Dovetail. Pretty mouse-y, non?
Sherwin Williams’ Pavestone is right up there, too.
In the meantime, we have to design the front door, and I’m picturing something like this:
Charm galore! Pinterest via Better Homes and Gardens.
The Nest is all about cute. From Pinterest.
This is pretty fabulous too. And a special door for our three kitties. Pinterest via Homebunch.
And to really add some pizazz to the future front door, we just ordered a fabulous copper gas lantern from Bevelo.
So stay tuned. We’re picking up speed!
The Governor gas lantern from Bevelo will hang next to the Wyeth Blue front door. There’s only room for one but it’s going to be perfection (I hope…)
Want to see the finished product? Tour The Nest here!
