How to Replace a Light Fixture

In this 1955 semi-detached home live the proud new parents of a precious newborn baby girl. Theyhadsearched for two years before they found this property in 2011 in the Town of Mount Royal.They spent considerable time and money updating the original 1950s interior and are now concentrating on enhancing its curb appeal. One of their pet peeves is the damaged white siding. They realize that both sides of a semi-detached building must harmonize for a cohesive approach, but if the neighbour is not willing to adhere to a new colour for the walls, I propose a new light neutral warm grey siding that still complements the neighbours’ white side without polarizing it.To separate the two properties, a few existing shrubs near the foundation would be retrieved to be replaced by a towering but lean Thuja Fastigiata. This evergreen will eventually conceal the vertical gutter pipe descending between the two homes. On the right extremity of the building, a medium-size Thuja Smaragd looks proportioned with the height of the wall on that side. Both cedars will visually frame the facade.Instead of the shorter gutter pipe section on the left side of the porch, a new grey conduit will go down the right side of the building. New siding should extend to the front door border and down to the porch floor. The tiny powder room window will be swapped for a larger one. The base of the new window should align with the bottom of the second pane in the new door. Unlike the panes in the door, the new powder room windowwill not be frosted. A white horizontal blind will provideprivacy.The owners wanted to change the storm door for another style. The glare from the glass in such a door, or the dullness from its screen, would hide the new contemporary door. For a hit of colour, I propose a saturated burgundy insulated portal. It will be contoured with a wide, plain white frame and adorned with sleek silver hardware. The old light fixture under the soffit near the entrance should be changed for a recessed light.The eavestroughs attachments look corroded.Matte rustproof paint can be a temporary fix but adding new eavestroughs would be a wiser option. The fascias and soffits should be refreshed with exterior acrylic paint in a matte white finish.After sending me this first photo, the owners changed the blue garage door for a black one. Because of its large size, a black garage door sometimes looks overpowering, but the two charcoal black roofs counterbalance it beautifully.The cement stairs are in poor shape. In warm medium-grey pavers, the floor should be raised almost to the door seal and its size increased a bit more, especially towards the street. The front door canbe centred in the new porch structure. Around five longer steps will lead to a generous path preceding a few steps near the driveway.Next year, the toddler will surely notice that there are gaps between the large rectangular slabs in the new seating space on the right to create mini beds for Arenaria aureum yellow moss decorated with minuscule snowy blooms and Thymus serpyllum, which releases perfume when stamped on. She will be intrigued by the sharp contrast between yellow, pink and pesto-green foliage in the new streamline raised bed expanding to the right side of the house. Her parents will point out that the spiky Pinus mugo, previously inhabiting the two-tier stone bed on the left of the porch, which has been dismantled, has been transplanted in the new lower planting cradle. The small child will probably try to grab the shiny Buxus shrubs that look like large green balls evenly placed alongside the path. She will love to repeat the name of the Pinky Winky ornamental tree. And, if she manages to stand still long enough, she’ll catch a glimpse of an occasional butterfly feeding on gold compact shrubs near the driveway. (left to right):Thuja Fastigiata (evergreen, left of garage)Spirea White Gold (shrubs, white blooms, yellow foliage, rectangular bed near street)Hydrangea Pinky Winky (ornamental tree, white to pink blooms turn pink-red in fall, fall pruning, rectangular bed)Lamium Aureum (perennial ground cover, pink blooms, yellow foliage, narrow bed, path)Owners’ Buxus (persistent shrubs, add more of the same variety, edge of path, front of patio)Owners’ Pino mugo (evergreen, transplant in new lower bed, left side of stairs)Physocarpus Diabolo (shrubs, burgundy foliage, left of porch)Begonia Dragon Wing (cascading annuals, pink blooms, compost, fertilize, two over-size black planters)Euonymus Emerald Gold (3 persistent shrubs, yellow and green foliage, back of raised bed)Heuchera Berry Smoothie (persistent perennials, pinkish blooms, pink foliage turns burgundy in fall, two rows, raised bed)Hedera helix (cascading ivy, bring indoors for winter and reuse in spring, edge of raised bed)Cimicifuga Brunette (perennials, pinkish blooms, deep burgundy foliage, row, right side of patio)