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violetwest

neighbor has painted garage door bright red!

violetwest
9 years ago

(updated to show pic below)

I noticed yesterday that one of my neighbors down the street (who I don't know) has painted their garage door red; and not a subtle or toned down red -- it's screaming scarlet.

This is in a new neighborhood of modest homes with a HOA, with a very specific list of allowable exterior colors -- all shades of brown, tan, and beige.

It's kind of a haha moment for me, and I'm just posting this because I think it's funny. I'm not going to do anything but watch and see if the HOA will make them repaint it. I don't mind houses of different colors, but this one sure sticks out. I've considered painting my front door, but I think that's a little different!

This post was edited by Violet.West on Thu, Jun 26, 14 at 20:42

Comments (67)

  • gsciencechick
    9 years ago

    Maybe they are doing a flag?

  • violetwest
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    lol! you are being kind and searching for a logical reason. but I think if they were doing a flag, white would be the basecoat!

  • tishtoshnm Zone 6/NM
    9 years ago

    It won't take long for the sun to take that down a notch or 2, although I wonder if perhaps the color came out stronger than they expected and they may be inclined to tone it down. If nothing else, it will serve as a good landmark when giving directions, "yes, I am 2 houses down from the garish, lipstick red garage door..."

  • Acadiafun
    9 years ago

    Wow! I am sure somebody will complain and they will have to repaint it. What were they thinking? lol

  • awm03
    9 years ago

    Maybe it's their version of the bright red entry door. It sure is a commanding focal point.

  • dethcheez
    9 years ago

    It would fit in perfect in my hood / LOL

    Best pic I could get out a window
    But if you look to your right you can see the Barney house
    Dumb thing is they only painted the top front part purple & white & didn't paint or even touch the rest of the house at all
    It's been over a year so don't think they're going to

    And to your far left you can see part of a nice Bright Orange house

    Neither one of which compares to the "Laker" house
    Sorry no pic but it's a big two story painted Bright Bright Bright Yellow with Purple Trim
    You can see it from space

    PIECE...

  • Fun2BHere
    9 years ago

    Maybe they've been trying unsuccessfully to get a reasonable color approved by the HOA and did this to move the issue along.

  • romy718
    9 years ago

    It will be easy for them to give directions to their home.

  • anele_gw
    9 years ago

    Someone in my last neighborhood let their teenage son paint a mural on the garage door. It was a scene with dinosaurs in a fiery scene. I'll have to go back and take a photo . . .

  • outsideplaying_gw
    9 years ago

    That is really terrible, Violet. I hope your HOA takes care of it.

    We have a very active HOA at our lake condo and I was on the board for 5 years, prez for 2, and I can verify that people do not read their covenants. We still had people violating even the 'common sense' rules - leaving kids unattended at the pool, parking boats, etc longer than a week, kids running around on the tennis courts, paint colors againsts the rules (yes we made them re-paint), dogs without a leash and failure to clean-up pet poop. I could go on. It all depends on how active your HOA will be in enforcing the rules. I've talked to some homeowners in this area and some HOAs seem to go underground after a few years and just give up trying to enforce anything.

  • User
    9 years ago

    That red door would be something that happened to me. I'm not good at picking out colors from the little squares in the store. My friend helped me paint my bedroom "sage green" when we moved in. She kept asking me if I was sure this was the right color when she was about one wall done, I insisted it was. By the time the room was done, it looked like a mint ice cream cone! Needless to say...the room was repainted after that. Good thing she is a really good friend. And I let her choose the color block this time. :)

    When you said the door was red, I didn't think it was going to be fire engine red! It just screams through the picture, I can't imagine how it looks in real life.

  • Elraes Miller
    9 years ago

    I can't imagine they did this with any sense. Perhaps they are trying to irritate someone just for the sake of playing games. Love the colors of the houses on the other side.

  • violetwest
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Oh, I'm sure they'll be asked to repaint it. This is a new subdivision -- they're still building and selling houses here, and this on the first street into it. As far as I know, the HOA hasn't been even constituted yet, and still consists of the original developers.

    I know for a fact they're paying attention though, because another resident received a tear down letter for a wooden fence they built for a dog problem (only stone and iron are allowed), which they went around asking residents to sign a petition to change. And they hadn't even received a copy of the covenants and could not obtain them. (I gave them a copy.)

    These are starter homes, and most of the residents here are just not that sophisticated to read and understand the documents. Many of them may not even speak English. We had the electric company put up ugly giant poles, and other residents were up in arms, saying, they never told us they were going to do that, we were never notified. I'm like -- yes, we were. There's a utility easement right in your documents.

    So, yeah -- it's just a matter of whether they'll cooperate when they get that letter. I don't mind colors, but this is just ugly.

  • dethcheez
    9 years ago

    HOA ~ LOL
    There's Aint No Sticken HOA Around Here

    I live in the ghetto
    Upper middle class ghetto
    But It Still Be Da Ghetto None The Less

    The pics of houses I could post
    Don't get me wrong there's some nice ones & some really nice ones
    AND
    Then there's the ones where you just have to ask
    What Were You Smoking

    But like I said I Live In The Ghetto
    And you're liable to get shot at or have someone sic a pit on you
    If they see you taking pics of the house for some unknown reason
    LOL

    But I'll see what I can do
    You have to see the garage door with Star Wars cr@p stenciled all over it

  • rosebud57_gw
    9 years ago

    What color was the door before?

    Don't live where there is an HOA (thankfully) but there is a development across the road from me where they aren't allowed to leave their garage door open......imagine? I can't. Chalk it up to rebel in me having someone tell me what I can or can't do in/to my own home.

  • violetwest
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    well, it was some shade of brown or tan before -- not sure exactly, it's a couple of blocks down from my house. Dull, sure, but at least it matched the color of the house.

  • CaroleOH
    9 years ago

    Well, while I have had my issues with our HOA, it is for this very reason that I'm glad I have one to at least be the "voice" for lodging a complaint. LOL. That is really not even remotely attractive. I truly hope they were acting out trying to annoy one of their neighbors. If they thought this was an attractive change to their house, then that's even more concerning!

  • dedtired
    9 years ago

    That's a riot. There must be some story behind the color choice. Keep us posted.

    My favorite garage door is in Provincetown on Cape Cod. Someone painted two very colorful pictures of Marilyn Monroe on it.

  • Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
    9 years ago

    Hmm, I'd like that a lot better if it looked like her.

  • dedtired
    9 years ago

    LOL, Bumblebeez, I agree. It is not a very good likeness.

  • Gracie
    9 years ago

    It must be one of the caricature artists in Provincetown. He left out the tiny body with the skirt blowing up.

  • nancybee_2010
    9 years ago

    It looks like a drag Marilyn Monroe to me.

  • User
    9 years ago

    OMG, Violet, that is viciously ugly! The red color is not even a pretty red! I would be really angry.

    We lived in a house with an HOA headed by an ex-marine colonel. He was insane and enforced the bylaws to a "t" but the neighborhood did look nice, even if everyone despised him. No good deed and all that...

  • suska6184
    9 years ago

    I remember when we were house hunting years ago, DH wisely told me to make sure I really liked the view up to the property line, because you have absolutely no control over what you may eventually see beyond it. (No HOA for us.)
    That door is kinda funny. I wouldn't worry about it, because with an HOA it will definitely not last long.

  • golddust
    9 years ago

    This 'Brady Bunch' special is across the street, one down from our new house. I love the diversity in the late 60's, early to mid 70's development.

    Variety is the spice of life!

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    No HOAs around here so people can do what they want.

    While for the most part homes are attractive around here, down the street someone painted their house lavender and up the street someone painted their house port-a-pot blue. Fortunately, I can't see either of them from here. TG for trees!

  • lynninnewmexico
    9 years ago

    I don't blame you for being upset, Violet! If a HOA won't enforce it's covenants, why have them in the first place? I hope they come to their senses quickly.
    Here in our development, we also have covenants, including one that states that all homes must be stuccoed an earth color (specifically, some shade of light tan to a medium brown) including garage doors. This, so that our homes blend into the landscape, letting our beautiful mountain and Mesa views take center stage. I still remember one set of (thankfully, not long-lasting) new neighbors who decided to have their house re-stuccoed cotton candy pink (seriously). They tried to justify it as the color of a NM sunset. That one didn't fly with our HOA and, thankfully, they had to have it redone.

    Keep us posted as to the outcome, will you?
    Lynn

  • violetwest
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    our views are nice, but not as pretty, so I would prefer some color. NOT FIRE ENGINE RED though! haha

    We actually had a case (lawsuit) we handled some years ago, where we represented a homeowner who painted their house a bright yellow-orange, even though the covenants specified "natural colors of the desert" or some such. We were able to get it approved by showing that native wildflowers grew on the spot that were the same color.

    I'm driving by the house every day to see if they've repainted--not yet!

  • theforgottenone1013 (SE MI zone 5b/6a)
    9 years ago

    Personally, I LOVE the red on the garage door. It's like a big middle finger aimed directly at the HOA.

    Rodney

  • PRO
    Lori A. Sawaya
    9 years ago

    OH. MY. GOSH.

    The most amazing thing is that had to have taken a lot of work to pull off. Exterior reds are not easy - there had to be a tinted primer under a couple coats.

    Looks like a great paint job. Have to wonder about who lives there and whether or not they have color vision impairment issues - seriously, not being funny.

    Hope it's okay if I share the picture/link. I know a few people who'd like to see it. :)

  • justgotabme
    9 years ago

    funcolors, the link did not appear.

  • violetwest
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    No, I think she's sharing the picture elsewhere, which is fine --

    it looks like a very nice paint job -- just . . . bright!

  • justgotabme
    9 years ago

    Thanks Violet. That does make sense now. I'm on pain MEDs for for an injured arm. My brain doesn't work quite right when on them or in pain. I'd rather control the pain though.

  • violetwest
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    hope you feel better!

  • PRO
    Lori A. Sawaya
    9 years ago

    No - I did not share. Was waiting for permission from Violet.

    Even if it were on the regular, public forum and not over here on conversations, I'd still ask before sharing. :)

    Planning to share with my Google+ designer friends and maybe on my LinkedIN forum.

    Thought about sharing on Facebook but the way they control everyone's newsfeed no one would ever see it! lol!

  • violetwest
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    That is very courteous- permission granted

  • PRO
    Lori A. Sawaya
    9 years ago

    Thanks, Violet. Appreciate it - and I am going to Photoshop out the address just because that's not important to the story - no one needs that info.

    And I'm like everyone else, anxious to see how this color story ends.

    This post was edited by funcolors on Tue, Jul 1, 14 at 23:39

  • justgotabme
    9 years ago

    Thank you Violet. It is feeling much better than it did this morning. Hubby suggested Bengay to help with the muscle pain. It helped more than the pain MEDs did. I do think I pulled a tendon, since that part still hurts when I try and straighten my arm or move it certain ways.
    I too am curious to hear if they change the door in any way.

  • loribee
    9 years ago

    Yet their front door is white?? That's odd. I would've just done the front door!

    Feel better soon, Becky.

  • 4boys2
    9 years ago

    Could you imagine asking the painter to paint the door red
    then coming home to find he painted the wrong door ??

  • justgotabme
    9 years ago

    Gosh, I never even noticed the white door Lori. And thanks. My arm feels much better today.
    Maybe that's what happened forboystoo!

  • SunnyCottage
    9 years ago

    Personally, I LOVE the red on the garage door. It's like a big middle finger aimed directly at the HOA.

    As well as all of the neighbors who have to look at it. There are ways to make one's protestations known without resorting to juvenile tactics that only add insult to injury.

  • violetwest
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Just an update: The red door is still there. I do fully expect it will be repainted . . . someday. Things move kinda slow here in manana land.

    I took a walk around my neighborhood last weekend, while thinking about my current front yard dilemma (in case you're interested, I've posted a link to that thread over in the Landscape Design forum); and I must say -- I MUCH prefer the red door as opposed to the Disney figurines and other, let's say, "questionable" statuary and design elements popping up in some of my other neighbors' yards.

    No HOA rule against bad taste, sadly.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Designing for Dust and Water

  • violetwest
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Update: I'd about given up on this guy repainting his garage; but today I drove by, and he's painting it back to a neutral tan.

    yay!

    now, if I can only do something about the neighbor who seems to be operating a used car business out of his house . . .

  • msrose
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the update! I'm surprised it took this long with an HOA.

  • gsciencechick
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the update. You should be able to call your city zoning and code enforcement for the used car lot. We have a 311 number for that or we can do it online. At least in our city, they are pretty responsive to calls like that.

  • violetwest
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    ha! I don't think my "city" has that. My "city" government was so corrupt that the state took it over. (Lap dances for candidates anyone?) They haven't even annexed my area property, so the county, state, and fed gov't still think I'm in an unincorporated area.

    I may alert the HOA though.

  • avsforme
    9 years ago

    They were just expressing their artistic freedom...no HOA no rules (in general). Who wants to live in a beige world!

  • Elraes Miller
    9 years ago

    Thanks for updating. So glad a neutral color has been chosen.

    As for selling cars, they have to have a license and I'm not sure if all cities allow this out of a neighborhood home. Am sure your HOA doesn't allow it, when I lived in one you couldn't have a motor home in the driveway for more than 3 days.

    Licensing is easy to check on line by entering the address and auto resale. The city can tell by the number of titles transferred. Usually 3 is the limit per year.

  • violetwest
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    well, a quick look at my state's licensing info says that a permanent place of business that's not a residence is required. I'm not seeing a lookup feature, but they also have a sense of humor:

    "The process for obtaining an automobile dealer's license in New Mexico may seem as complicated as the Manhattan Project. You may even be tempted to camp out in front of the National Laboratory in Los Alamos in the hope that some brainy scientist will give you the secrets to break down the complicated code that seems to surround the licensing process."

    3 a year? try 3 a week. Should I go out of my way to get this neighbor in trouble? Don't live right next to them.

    This post was edited by Violet.West on Sun, Sep 14, 14 at 19:22

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