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meanngreen

Which home looks nicer?

MeanNgreen
9 years ago

Hello
I was thinking of changing exterior, can you tell me which you like more?

Also do you think red mulch is nice or change it to brown?

Thanks!

Comments (87)

  • My3dogs ME zone 5A
    9 years ago

    MeanNGreen,

    I think you're on the right track with your first photo or the charcoal. I Googled images of shutters on a red brick house, and it seems they are predominantly black. See link below.

    See the first one in the top row with what looks like blue shutters? It's also the first one in the 12th row,and I love the olive green ones in that shot. But that's a different style house, and I don't think they'd blend with the gray(?) on your garage and recessed front. A 'Colonial Blue' might, though.

    Good luck, and you were very gracious about our brown mulch favoritism.

    Here is a link that might be useful: shutter colors on red brick house

  • lascatx
    9 years ago

    I like the charcoal. I've had three red brick houses and white, black and charcoal are always safe bets. You could do the shutters in a charcoal and the door in a marine/navy blue. You will just need to make sure they look intentionally different.

    I wouldn't do white -- you have so much white trim already. It needs some contrast. Browns generally don't play as well with red brick. They tend to be too similar or clash. Black and white, greys, blues and greens are easier compliments to the red brick.

    I am glad to see I'm not alone in my feelings about red mulch. My next door neighbor put it in last year -- all you can do is wait for it to fade, and it will.

  • busybee3
    9 years ago

    i like the shutters in the 1st pic much better, but i don't think you need to match the door to the shutters, although i also like black/gray/brown front doors alot!
    i definitely prefer dk brown or black mulch, although i lived in a couple of areas that have red clay as dirt and it is sortof similar in color as the red mulch... that's the only reason that i can think of that the mulch makers even make the red mulch! i also don't like the cedar mulch(i think that's what it is??) that has the yellowish tone...

  • oldhouse1
    9 years ago

    Wow! I use red mulch ( Ontario , Canada ). People have been known to knock on my door and tell us what an amazing job we're doing on our house. I guess none of them are telling the truth. How foolish of me to have such poor taste.

  • joaniepoanie
    9 years ago

    Is your siding tan or gray? If tan, then you could do brown shutters...if gray, stick with charcoal. I think you have enough white with the windows, trim, railing and garage door. I would still pull a different color from the brick for the front door.

  • alex9179
    9 years ago

    "Wow! I use red mulch ( Ontario , Canada ). People have been known to knock on my door and tell us what an amazing job we're doing on our house. I guess none of them are telling the truth. How foolish of me to have such poor taste."

    Obviously, some people like it or it wouldn't sell.
    My prejudice/reasoning has everything to do with why I joined Gardenweb in the first place. For gardening. I love plants, sweeping planting beds, the foliage, and the flowers. For someone like me, the plants should be highlighted and not the ground. Different strokes. Ideally, the bed beneath the plants is covered as they mature. So, the mulch becomes a non-issue as it shouldn't even be seen. It's a functional part of the garden...although I love the look of rich dirt.

    Hey, my neighbors think I'm crazy for hauling their fallen leaves to my place but they are a wonderful mulch that has enriched the black gumbo muck I started with to such a degree that my earthworms are mistaken for snakes.

  • rosesstink
    9 years ago

    I like the darker colored shutters in the first photo too.

    IMHO Red mulch should only be sold in areas that have red clay soil. Though even if I lived there I still wouldn't use it. I'm not a huge fan of any wood mulch but I do use bark mulch because it helps with the weeds and moisture control. I don't use it near the house though because it harbors artillery fungus.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Cornell U. article on artillery fungus

  • beachpea3
    9 years ago

    Your house is very attractive - perhaps shutters in a dark colonial blue or BM Essex Green ( a dark almost black green) - if your siding is tan.
    If you are painting trim- a cream would complement the above colors and the brick.

    If your siding is gray - Charcoal shutters and white trim.

    The mulch has been fully discussed. I like the dark brown natural mulch or compost as mentioned above.

  • mtnrdredux_gw
    9 years ago

    "Wow! I use red mulch ( Ontario , Canada ). People have been known to knock on my door and tell us what an amazing job we're doing on our house. I guess none of them are telling the truth. How foolish of me to have such poor taste."....

    If someone were to post a lawn with red mulch, and no advice was sought, I doubt any of us who have come out so negative on red mulch would have said anything about red mulch. We can't really be vilified for answering the OP.

    I am sure your house does look great. Maybe it is an exception for some reason. Or, maybe, it would look even better with other mulch. Since, at least where I am, you need new mulch every year, maybe you should experiment? There are so many kinds, not just by color either. Texture, size. performance, etc.

    I'm sure all of us have something we like, that others do not. I know I have chosen things that the GW board did not like. I can recall a few things that people were pretty blunt about. It shouldn't bother anyone that others dislike one's choices.

  • oldhouse1
    9 years ago

    Everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion and when asked, of course you should be honest. It's the extent to which some people feel they have to go to get their point across. Honesty is one thing, but " garish, tacky etc". Just say you don't like it. Is it really necessary to beat someone down for liking something that you may not like.

    This is an amazing forum, with amazing advice. There are homes from one extreme to another. What we all have in common though, is a pride and love for our homes and we all work hard to achieve whatever it is that makes our house a home. I'm just not interested in taking that pride away from someone. Call me a wuss but I have a hard time when these posts take this kind of a turn. I'm not boo hooing because you don't like my red bark either. You might just be surprised at how charming my old house is. Red bark and all.

  • autumncolor5
    9 years ago

    Between those two I prefer the black shutters. I would also like dark green shutters and door.

  • Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
    9 years ago

    Red mulch is used at gas stations and fast-food restaurants. 'nuff said.

  • oldhouse1
    9 years ago

    love_the_yard....did you have a bad day? Did that make you feel better?

  • oldhouse1
    9 years ago

    love_the_yard....did you have a bad day? Did that make you feel better?

  • mtnrdredux_gw
    9 years ago

    Old_house --- well, just by your screenname, I want to see it!

    But anyway ... I am not sure (literally, not sure) if I agree with you.

    I think people do a pretty good job of trying not to insult folks here.

    But, if we have to be restrained about insulting any product, because someone might have it? I think that seems unduly restrictive. It certainly takes away some of the humor.

  • oldhouse1
    9 years ago

    mtnrdredux......I posted my kitchen about a year ago and you were very gracious with your comments. Since then we have completed many more rooms.

    "red mulch is used at gas stations and fast food restaurants". Clearly that was directed towards me. Am I really out to lunch? Does that not sound insulting? I really didn't intend to start an argument. Sorry, should have known better. I'll go back to my closet, but not before I spread another bag of mulch on my gardens.

  • peony4
    9 years ago

    Early in our marriage, my DH and I worked with a realtor who talked us out of a new-build area because, as she replied, "You can't zone taste." (And in that area, you really couldn't.) I've returned to that statement in so many contexts, and I think it applies here, too. What some find offensive, others may find constructive. The far ends of the spectrum are easy to identify--it's the gray in-between that's subjective.

    OP, you're a trooper. :-) Since you asked about the mulch, my preference is to go with a mulch that's brown because it draws less attention to itself. Your landscaping looks relatively young. In a few years, it will be 2-3 times the size. Assuming you need mulch every year or two, I would do what you like now, while the plantings are still young. When they grow and are more the focal point, I would choose brown/natural mulch that doesn't compete with them.

    Regarding shutters, I think the black/charcoal are more attractive.

  • oldhouse1
    9 years ago

    mtnrdredux......I posted my kitchen about a year ago and you were very gracious with your comments. Since then we have completed many more rooms.

    "red mulch is used at gas stations and fast food restaurants". Clearly that was directed towards me. Am I really out to lunch? Does that not sound insulting? I really didn't intend to start an argument. Sorry, should have known better. I'll go back to my closet, but not before I spread another bag of mulch on my gardens.

  • mtnrdredux_gw
    9 years ago

    Not necessarily, Oldhouse ... people often post without reading what was posted ahead of them. Especially in a post like this, where an opinion is solicited. Sometimes I make a point of not wanting to see what others posted, so i can given and unbiased view. It's very possible that poster didn't know your POV.

    Anyway, sorry OP. In re your shutters! I always like charcoal or a glossy black with brick. Or even a very dark green/black. We had a color called Inkwell from SW on our last (brick) house.

  • TxMarti
    9 years ago

    I like the charcoal shutters and red mulch.

  • doodledog_gw
    9 years ago

    Lol on the red mulch! I thought I was the only one who didn't like it. It seems to clash with greenery and flowers. I too am in Ontario and its probably used my 1/5 of my "mulching" neighbors. In all cases I think black or natural would have looked less garish.

  • arcy_gw
    9 years ago

    Lip stick on a pig is why one shouldn't use dyed mulch of any color!! I find the purple/rose? shutters against the brick does not work for me. On the other window/door the color looks good with the grey.

  • robo (z6a)
    9 years ago

    I had a brief love affair with black mulch until I realized it faded and I am way too lazy to keep renewing.

    I like red mulch on two types of landscape here. It probably helps that there is red clay soil in places here so it does look more natural. I'm picturing a tidy white house, a neat suburban lawn, maybe a lighthouse in the front lawn, lots of cottagey blooming perennials...or a very neat modern landscape with architectural grasses, squared off edges, etc.

    The natural precedent...


    http://junkboattravels.blogspot.ca/2012/04/scenic-sunday_29.html


    http://jmiltenburg.com/category/photoblog/ontario-nova-scotia/

    My personal preference is now for natural brown, especially when you first put it down, so rich and dark. And amazing smelling. By the end of the season it doesn't look nearly so nice, but still gets the job done of weed suppression and moisture control.

  • jshore
    9 years ago

    I realize now that my response was kind of snarky, and I'm sorry. I like the charcoal grey shutters with dark brown mulch.

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    Oldhouse,

    Don't take any comments personally. Instead, view them as helpful. Perspective and proportion are really important. If 20 out of 25 responses express a strong dislike of something, I'd consider that very, very helpful. I'd want to know if that is how a vast majority of people might react to something. I/you also always have the option of not caring one whit what anyone else thinks about red mulch and going with it if YOU like it.

    The whole point of this forum is to get others input, opinions, reactions, ideas. People often express opinions just as strongly in a positive way. That too is a measurement. Take the bad with the good.

    But nothing can be personal since no one knows you or anyone else here. Taste is very subjective, so take opinions as they come, but don't be swayed by them unless you feel a strong argument has been made (and in fact, the very strong negative reaction here to the red mulch might well be considered a "strong argument" for you to consider).

    It can feel like an attack, but it's not. Keep egos in check, and listen objectively.

    You came here and asked for opinions. You got a lot of them, and they're all helpful, including Mtn's. Had Mtn said something like, 'What, are you a JERK?? Red?? Wow, I'm glad I'm not your neighborâ¦" You'd have a case.

    Instead, she gave you a very, very helpful response which you can either gain something from or simply disregard.

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    When you solicit opinions on GW you'd better be prepared for the fact that not everyone will like your choices, and that's really not what it's about anyway. I chose a rug for our basement that 100% of responses said does not look good with the floor. I kept it anyway. Now, when we have The Basement Reveal, lol, I do not expect anyone to go on about how the room is great, too bad about the rug. People expressed their opinions when I asked, but when the rooms are posted I'm pretty sure that even if they think the rug looks terrible, no one will say so. Instead they will find something they do like to compliment. That's how it works. Be honest when opinions are solicited, be supportive when the finished product is posted.

    This thread solicited opinions, and honest and helpful ones were given. If the OP decided to use red mulch and posted an after picture, she would not be excoriated for her choice. It's unfortunate that any poster feels so insecure about a choice of mulch (of all things) that these opinions have been taken as a personal attack,

    And, btw, I LIKE recessed ceiling lighting, "cultured marble" bathroom countertops (in solid colors) and even fiberglass shower inserts, things that are universally loathed on GW. They have been called dated, tacky and worse--- and I couldn't care less.

  • awm03
    9 years ago

    Still, just because someone asks for your opinion, it doesn't give you license to be insensitive. It's not difficult to express an honest counter opinion without using hyperbole or denigrating adjectives like "tacky." Yes, we have a right to our opinions, but insisting on expressing those opinions in an abrasive fashion because it's *Your Opinion* strikes me as self-centered.

    "My honesty may be rude, and you'll just have to develop a thick skin." B.S. to that.

    There's a Somerset Maugham quote (that I can't find, unfortunately) about so much cruelty is intentionally inflicted on others under the guise of "Just being honest."

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    And yet, you're all making mtn feel bad.

    I'd want to know if something I was considering was considered tacky.

    I think we can all safely assume that no one hear has any motive to hurt anyone personally. If you know that, you can hear the comment in the fashion it is meant to be heard.

  • alley_cat_gw_7b
    9 years ago

    The second photo looks nice...the first is too much black. As for the mulch...i wouldnt use red for anything...unnatural color in my opinion. Never seen it look good.
    Just my 2 cents

    Al

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    Awm03, I think the reason people have been so forthcoming with their opinions in The Great Red Mulch Controversy is that so many people simply loathe it. I personally haven't seen that kind of animus against anything else, and like Tibb suggested above, the fact that so many people hate red mulch with such fervor is information that's good to know.

    I'm sorry if any feelings were, er, mulched during this discussion.

  • Jamie
    9 years ago

    God bless you MeanNGreen. I feel badly about the negative comments. The home you picture does not look bad with red mulch. Not at all. Does it look better with brown? Perhaps.

    My theory about what happens on line that would never happen IRL: A common or standard mindset somehow develops, and deviations are less permitted than they would be in three dimensional face to face space.

    I tell myself that this happens because we are wide open out here in cyberspace, and we want to feel close, so we cohere around certain ideas. I feel that if we had the mulch conversation around a coffee table it would have come off softer and funnier.

  • suero
    9 years ago

    Jamies,

    Now i've got a picture in my mind of red mulch around a coffee table -- sort of like a shag rug.

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    9 years ago

    Dyed mulch always elicits these kinds of responses ; it is 100% predictable.

    My primary problem with it is that the second this mulch is applied to a property, all of the attention goes straight to the mulch and not the pretty home, not the color of the door, not the lovely landscaping, not the interesting architecture. It's all about the mulch. That is simply the way it is.

    If a carload of perfectly nice strangers drive by a beautiful home surrounded by a stunning landscape finished with bright red mulch, guess what the reaction will be? Even if someone loves the mulch, it always detracts from the primary features of the home and property.

    Part of the reason for this focus is because of how unnatural it looks, to most people glaringly, painfully so. The bright red or orange color seems so at odds with the colors of a landscape or perennial/annual display. I've never seen brick that it complements.

    Those who are attracted to the color should just go ahead and use it, and then love it. You don't need anyone else's approval and sure don't want the negativity.

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    9 years ago

    Edited to remove duplicate

    This post was edited by rhizo_1 on Tue, May 20, 14 at 15:37

  • mtnrdredux_gw
    9 years ago

    Hey, Tibb, I didn't feel bad. I actually thought I was defending KSWL!

    Btw, at some point one poster asked for more - WHY is red mulch bad? So we all went back at it!

    I think honesty (if blunt) is one of the big positives of GW! IRL people are far less likely to give you honest feedback.

  • awm03
    9 years ago

    kswl, red mulch wouldn't be my choice either here in CT, but rosesstink & robotropolis have a good point that, in areas of red soil (like parts of Georgia or Oklahoma), red mulch might look more natural than dark brown mulch, especially after it's faded some.

    I always disliked pine bark chip mulch until I found out it really does a decent job of keeping weeds down. So I use it, but curse every time I have to dig into it. And I've grown accustomed to the look.

    jamies, I liked your comments about RL vs. online.

  • alex9179
    9 years ago

    I like pine straw mulch. Before my other neighbor's pine trees died I used to rake it all up, on my side, for my front beds. Looks like you have plenty of that for free!
    Compost is a great mulch and wonderful for the plants. Some city utility companies actually provide it for low cost, you might check into that. My parents get theirs for CHEAP.

    I like the Forest Floor aesthetic ;)

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    Agree, mtn.

    I was just pointing out the irony of those comments.

    But, some people are direct, others less soâ¦point being, you can't please everyone, so IMO, best to approach these things with the assumption that there is never any intent to hurt feelings. Egos get us into so much trouble!

    On the thread about how to decorate around a deer head, I commented that I'd replace it with the husband's (who shot it) head. While I thought that was a very clever, knee-slappingly hilarious but also rather profound comment, it was completely ignored by ensuing comments and so I knew it was not appreciated for its incredible wit or its poignancy. Lol.

    I admit it! I don't get the "trophy" thing about shooting an unarmed deer! But I was so clearly in the minority there, and I'm sure some took it very poorly. Soâ¦sigh.

  • Irish2
    9 years ago

    In answer to Op I like the first picture # 1 with the charcoal shutters.

    I read with interest this entire thread because I thought it was just my
    "pet peeve" regarding the red mulch! My DH puts up with my decorating
    quirks and I know I'm not alone her at GW!

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    I appreciated it, Tibb :-) But I didn't post on that thread because that choice was already made, that OP wasn't asking for opinions on the trophy, just the mantel decor. Which was also my point in this thread: give an opinion when asked, and keep mum if you don't like it after the decision is made. (I also liked the mention of a deer head wearing headphones, lol.)

  • Jules
    9 years ago

    I visited a pole barn full of antiques today, and check out what I found. The owner looked at me funny when I began laughing for no apparent reason. The only reason the scene was humorous, of course, is this thread, not the mulch itself.

    I suspect all of us will giggle a little when we see red mulch in the future.

  • TehyaJenZ6
    9 years ago

    There is a house similar to yours in my neighborhood and they have bright aqua shutters/door. I'm surprised the HOA allowed it, but once you get past the initial OMG factor, it's really nice looking and eye catching.

    Agree with the majority on red mulch, though I don't think it's as horrible as some do. White rocks. That's my peeve, and the former owner has some here in the backyard. I cringe every time I see it.

  • SunnyCottage
    9 years ago

    Tibb, for whatever it's worth, I noted your "trophy husband" comment and thought it was clever (I also agree with your take on the whole thing), but declined to comment since, as kswl pointed out, the die had already been cast so to speak. I also felt that if I said anything, it would be hypocritical considering my leather (dead cow! dead cow!) furniture. ;-)

  • CaroleOH
    9 years ago

    I'd go with the Charcoal shutters and I agree with someone else's post about a dark green would be nice too.

    I also am not a fan of red mulch. Mostly because like others have said the ground isn't red and if it is, then pine straw is a much nicer mulch than red mulch.

    Plus, compost mulch or triple shredded brown hardwood mulch breaks down and adds nutrients to your soil. Red mulch is often made of shredded pallets and crates because it needs to be a lighter wood in order to dye to the proper red color. This is not wood that will break down and be valuable to your soil. Many times these pallets etc are treated with chemicals to preserve the wood and you're introducing that to your garden. If you do want red mulch, just buy if from a reputable source and read on the label what it is made from - they have to list that on the label. Some red mulch is made from brand new trees that are still light in color and that would be fine.
    Many tomato gardeners will put red mulch around their tomato plants because they feel the red color heats the ground and reflects light differently on their tomatoes. I don't know if this is true or not, but in a front yard, I'd do triple processed brown mulch.

    I completed a Master Gardener class this past winter so that's where I've learned about the benefits/disadvantages of different kinds of mulch.

  • hausfrau61
    9 years ago

    I love the red shatters the make the brick look fresher. Mulch brown looks great.

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  • oldhouse1
    9 years ago

    Caroleoh, thank you for being the voice of reason and not taking an attack approach. I was not upset to hear that people didn't like red mulch, it was more the suggestion that it was in such poor taste and that's putting it nicely. No need to be insulting when getting a point across. I spend many hours in my gardens and have sold many homes very quickly because of them. They are far from tacky. I have always used red bark and it actually fades to a very nice brown. I honestly don't know what it is made of but thank you for pointing out that it might be made from pallets. I definitely don't want that and will look into it. If that is the case I will change what I use. I actually would prefer to not use bark but we live in the middle of a conservation area where weeds run rampant and are on a cistern so watering is at a minimum. I really appreciate not only your tone but also your advice, so thanks.

  • oldhouse1
    9 years ago

    Caroleoh, thank you for being the voice of reason and not taking an attack approach. I was not upset to hear that people didn't like red mulch, it was more the suggestion that it was in such poor taste and that's putting it nicely. No need to be insulting when getting a point across. I spend many hours in my gardens and have sold many homes very quickly because of them. They are far from tacky. I have always used red bark and it actually fades to a very nice brown. I honestly don't know what it is made of but thank you for pointing out that it might be made from pallets. I definitely don't want that and will look into it. If that is the case I will change what I use. I actually would prefer to not use bark but we live in the middle of a conservation area where weeds run rampant and are on a cistern so watering is at a minimum. I really appreciate not only your tone but also your advice, so thanks.

  • Bunny
    9 years ago

    Tibbrix, I appreciated your comment in the deer head thread. Maybe her husband's head on a pike would work...Okay too much Game of Thrones in my house.

    At various points I thought the thread might have been a spoof, that very nice house with that dead deer on the wall. The suggestion of putting nice blue and white china around the head was on the level?

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    Awm, for what it's worth, I live in Georgia and red mulch looks just as unnatural here as it does everywhere else, "red" clay notwithstanding.

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