Dark mullions

Dark mullions are so beautiful. Here, the windows are original and the mullions and frames are painted black on the outside. It's a great look. If I were replacing all the windows in a house I would definitely consider using the colored aluminum-clad outside mullions. They will never need paint and they present a look that is both old-world and contemporary. I have seen them in red, green, and black. They are so much more interesting than white.

Above is another old house with black mullions in Bennington, Vermont.

My boxwood and pansies

This is my planter the day I planted it. It looks much better now. The shrub is full and the pansies cascading. Ah spring!

Pretty pot with pansies

I think this pretty pot with a small boxwood shrub surrounded by pansies is perfect. (There are two of them flanking this front door.) How hard is this? I'm going out to buy the parts tomorrow.

Capes

I was in Hingham, Mass today where the homes are well cared for and picture perfect. This cape is an example. Early capes, such as this one, were built with a large central chimney with multiple fireplaces for heating and cooking. Capes went out of vogue in the late 1800's with the arrival of Vistorian architecture, but they came back in style after World War II. This cape is still beautiful today. I love its simplicity: no shutters, no shrubs, just a purity of style and color.

Pretty shutters

These shutters catch your eye as you drive by. Together with the flower boxes and the shrubs they create a picture. It's early spring - in a few weeks they'll look even better.

Whitewashed brick

I think the whitewashed brick of this house looks better than regular brick. So if you're thinking of buying a brick house and are not quite happy with the look or the quality of the brick, think about whitewashing. The symmetrical landscaping, the walled inner area and the serene color choices all make for a beautiful picture.

Boxwood, boxwood, boxwood

If boxwood were a stock, I'd say buy. It comes in every shape and size, it's hard to kill, you can cut pieces for your centerpiece at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it always looks great. Someone agrees.

This is nice

What's not to like about this entryway? I always admire the star lantern. This one is hung at the perfect drop. Also pretty are the divided sidelights, the flowering shrubs, the brass kickplate, the personalized street number. Above, I love the crazy color of the front door against the sedate gray shingles.

The closeup fence

I've always been a fan of the closeup, short picket fence. It defines a private space in front of the house and leaves the rest of the front yard available as sort of an introduction, highlighting the house and its elements. Here, it is done so perfectly. This cape is a treasure with its twelve over twelve windows, window boxes, turret, center chimney, shutters, pristine landscaping. I want to live here.

Perfect symmetry and scale

This entryway is nearly perfect: from the leaded sidelights to the beautifully done pots to the substantial portico. I just wish that the pretty three-dimensional star-shaped lantern were hung a little lower so that all of it showed. Other than that - perfect!

Keep your eye on the grand ole flag!

The flag is always a great addition to an entryway. There's something simple and old-fashioned about a flag blowing in the breeze over a door.

Light, airy, pretty

This row of holly bushes has a clean, youthful presentation. Yet, it provides a nice border between public and private yard which will give growing privacy to this family.

Victorians

I was driving through my neighboring town today. There are a lot of Victorians here, some of them in wonderful condition and beautifully done, in keeping with their era. This is a classic example of well cared for and carefully thought out Victorian, revamped and restored for today. Love the colors, love the door, love the trellis under the porch, love the mission-style lantern. But what about that crazy pine. These twisted sister shrubs are very much in vogue and I think that this is one of the best uses of this evergreen that I have seen. It's a funky plant and it totally works in this environment. Above is a closeup of the lantern.

Porticoes

These porticoes are being thrown onto the fronts of houses all over town. Some of them are done more successfully than others. They're awfully practical in terms of lighting and protection from rain and snow when guests arrive. But they also go a long way to make the front of a house look more welcoming. I have driven by houses which are entirely transformed by these simple additions. When used in combination with an elegant door, good paint color, nice hardware, plants and plantings they spell welcome. The most important choice is the lantern - more on this later.

An elegant door

This doorway is so elegant that it has to be black. I love the doorknob in the middle - very British - not often seen in this country.

Color matters

The bright colors of these doors makes a big difference in the look of each house. The blue is unexpected, the red enhanced by the ornaments, and the green is a subtle welcome.

A Beautiful Entryway

This entryway is enhanced by the black coach lanterns, the transom window, the footed pots with small fir trees, the brass foot plate and the wonderful door color.

I love this simple front yard!

I sometimes drive by a house where someone is spending thousands upon thousands of dollars to landscape a yard. This sedate Victorian is fronted by the simplest of yards: wrought iron posts with a drooping chain connecting them, an edge of stones, lattice for the lower part of the porch, some boxwoods and pachysandra.