A couple of weeks ago I blogged that we were finally picking out new siding for our home exterior makeover! It was actually a long process of picking out colors that maybe has been going on for a year now. I’m actually so thankful that we had a long time to decide because over time our minds changed & I think we landed on the colors & material that we actually love & that is classic for our home. It’s no secret that we live in an 80’s tri-level. It’s not a bad thing at all & I love our little home, it’s just not our exact style so we are doing things to really make this home our style. I fall into the cozy cottage style & our choices of siding and exterior accents are all really making the home we live in fit in our vibe. I wanted to share today just some updates on the siding. The exterior of our house is far from done & to many it’s not pretty, but to me the mess is beautiful because it’s actually getting done & we can finally love the outside of our home soon!
So here was the before…
After some new windows…
& now with siding in progress…
These faux vinyl shakes are my favorite detail of the new exterior project so far. I just think it really brings that cottage detail & makes our tri-level seem a little less tri-levely. If that’s a word….
Before…
Progress…
& the backyard is looking pretty different these days too. So, we need to build the deck & patio yet, but this is progress people! Get excited!!
Before…
Progress…
So, that’s just a tiny glimpse into our exterior project. I should have another update super soon with some other fun details. We still need to add a porch, new door, shutters, new lighting, a new garage door, & the list goes on. What do you think of our progress so far? Let me know in the comments below, find me on Facebook, & chat with me on Instagram. xx
The list is never ending for a house. I want to add shutters but hubby says no and I’m not to be trusted with power tools…. did they just add the Faux shakes over the old vinyl?
That faux shaker siding is beautiful! Progress looks amazing, Liz! xo
Looks beautiful, Liz!! Good call on the shakes – LOVE that look! 🙂
If I remember correctly, this was Jose’s family’s home, which means you probably got it for nothing. So when you repeatedly knock it for being 80s tri-level, it makes you sound like an grateful brat. I also find it offensive toward his family.
Lindsay,
We are so very grateful for this house, it was my father’s house that we bought from him, when he was sick to help with his expenses at the time. Due to my father’s medical bills from chemo and cancer treatments, there was a mortgage placed back on the house, that we purchased, along with paying off his medical bills after he passed – and maintaining payments on our mortgage on our house in North Carolina, so believe me, we did not get the house for “nothing.” Prior to my dad really getting sick, he asked Liz to redesign and update this house, and they talked about different ideas up until his last week, and with that, this house actually means more to her than it does me. When she wrote,”…& I love our little home…” she meant it, in fact I say more negative things about the house on a daily basis, she has to remind me how grateful I should be for having this house in the area that it is in. If it was up to me, I would have sold this house of memories to fit something more MY style, rather than allow Liz to take my childhood house and turn it into our home -to add to the many memories I already have. Not that I have to explain our situation to anyone, but this attack was very unnecessary and uncalled for, have a nice day.
Jose.
She says, and I quote, “It’s no secret that we live in an 80′s tri-level. It’s not a bad thing at all & I love our little home, it’s just not our exact style so we are doing things to really make this home our style.”
That makes her sound ungrateful?!? Guess I’m just not getting that same vibe.
Oh my goodness Lindsay you are horrible. You obviously love Liz Marie and her tips for decorating or else you would not be following her blog. For the few years I have been following her I have never got this impression. I think your above comment is rude, ugly and arrogant. It brings out your jealousy of the beautiful, talented Liz Marie.
I love the shaker type shingles and your home is as beautiful as you are. Thanks for always sharing these updates. You always keep my wheels turning with your creativity.
Thank you so much Tonya! I’m so glad you like the look.. it’s probably not for everyone, but I love it too! <3 I hope you have a great day!! xx
Thanks for sharing the progress of your house, Liz! It looks great!!! We’re planning on redoing our next summer, so it’s great to get some ideas as I love your style! Thanks for your kind heart. For every person that believes evil of you, there are thousands more that know you have a good heart and are thankful for all the time you take to share your life with us!
Liz,
Haters gonna hate. Keep doing your thing. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know you in person over the past few months and it’s been wonderful. I’ve very much enjoyed our time together.
My only complaint about your blog though is that sometimes I have to use my calculator to figure out the math equation to prove i’m not a spammer. hehe
I get it! The list is so so long! They actually added the faux shakes just like the siding.. it comes in strips. It was really interesting to watch! Hope that helps! xx
Lindsay,
Liz is my best friend and I’ve known her for over 10 years. I can tell you that she and Jose are the furthest away from ungrateful as you can get. They are very loving and appreciate everything that life gives them. You obviously are highly unaware of the struggles that they went through with the home. It’s not like it was just handed to them. Before you speak words of hate, have your story straight and know the history.
Well said, Jose. Such a thoughtless comment did not deserve a considered reply but you took the time to explain a very personal and touching situation. I think Liz is a lovely person and the love she puts into the house your family calls a home is obvious. Besides, every homeowner EVER has a wishlist of upgrades and fixes they would like to tackle…very few actually make them happen!
I am in the same position. i don’t love the exterior of my home, but the inside is perfectly me. I’m watching in wide eyed anticipation on how this turns out. LOVE the look of this new siding!
Don’t ever doubt this Liz, you are doing a service walking everyone through your updates. Most of us know, it’s cheaper to renovate than it is to move. I’m slowly getting hopeful I too can have my cottage… 🙂
p.s. I got the math quiz wrong the first time! haha
Hey Lindsay, Sorry you’re having a bad day. When you make public comments you should remember that there is a real person on the receiving end. Furthermore you have no idea what you’re talking about. Both Liz and Jose are people filled with integrity and love for all those around them. They are very talented and are the first to offer help and advice to others that are interested in their line of work. So next time, before you post nasty comments…..don’t. I hope that you are shown grace today. It’s the right thing to do. Practice it yourself.
I love the shingles, super charming!! Keep on smiling!
Hi Liz!
My name is Syd and I learned about your awesome blog from your mom and dad!! I met them last night in Zik’s Bar and Grill in Copper Harbor, MI! I was working and they didn’t stay long enough!!! Really delightful getting acquainted with them. They are so excited for you to be back in Michigan!! Welcome Home!
I love your blog! Looking forward to going back through your archives and seeing all your new posts. If you ever get to Copper Harbor, stop by Zik’s!
Syd
I LOVE the faux shakes! What a great idea. We also are needing to replace our exterior and I was wondering if you have any tips on how to pick an exterior color that will go well with the existing roof color? (I would love a dark gray roof, but it is currently a red-brown and probably not in our budget to have it replaced…although I live in Oklahoma, so every time it storms I am somewhat crossing my fingers for hail damage! Haha). I’ve always loved the look of a navy house with crisp white trim, but am worried it will look out of place next to our roof 🙁
HAHA your comment made me laugh so hard because Mr. LMB was hoping for the same thing for our roof too 😉 lol We both weren’t to fond of the color, but it’s a newer roof so we didn’t want to waste money replacing it. We actually drove around in a lot of neighborhoods looking for homes with the same color roof as ours & saw what siding colors we liked best with it. We ultimately chose white because we thought it looked best with the style we wanted & it complimented our roof color. It’s also a color that when we change our roof someday to the color we want it will match it the roof then as well. That’s what we did so maybe it will work for you? I had the same fears and it’s all working out so well! I would also talk to your siding place you go with and they should have a huge book filled with past projects & they have to have dealt with your roof color before. Good luck!!
What a big difference!!!
I love the way the house looks now.
liz @ sundays with sophie
This update is so exciting! I think it looks great so far. I grew up on the east coast, home to lots of wood/cedar shake and shingle homes. As we have talked about redoing the siding of our house, I would love to have that look, but didn’t realize you could achieve it with vinyl siding! That makes me so happy!!! Thank you for sharing this project 🙂
wow! the faux vinyl shakes make all the difference! i love the white color you chose for your exterior. I agree the vinyl shakes make it look more cottagey but the white makes it look a little bit farmhouse and a little bit like im in nantucket! i can’t wait to see the rest of the transformation. I’ve been at my house for 3 years and there is still a long list of things i want to do with it (like putting in a dutch door :D)
love your blog, i read it with my morning coffee everyday 🙂
xo,Emily
Liz, first time commenter but I just wanted to send you a quick note and tell you how much I enjoy your blog. I lover hearing about the personal stuff as well. I guess we always want to hear other women’s stories and learn something new. I have a big house and there is only 3 of us left….when my son will graduate HS we will sell it….You have now moved alot and my question is do you get emotionally attached to your homes or is it just like another adventure/project? Thanks for amazing blog advice as well….take care Bryn
I can hardly wait to see what is next. I hope you will share exact colors and brands with us. Are you doing all new siding or painting the siding you aren’t replacing? I would also be curious as to cost. I have been considering doing some shake as an accent on the front of our house. I currently have faded beige aluminum siding and would like to go white or gray. Probably white. Do you think gray will date the house in a few years? Love your blog.
Hi Vicki! We are replacing all of ours because it was necessary. The siding was damaged & the trim was falling apart. I did talk to our siding guy today and he said that if ours had been in better shape we could have painted.. so I would for sure talk to a professional painter or siding guy and ask them. To be honest we were going to do gray and two reasons made me not.. one was that a lot of people in our area have gray and we wanted to do something different & two we would have had to get a new roof color for it to work. So we went with white. I can not say for sure if gray will look dated, but it is a trend right now. I hope I was a little help!xx
It looks great! I love the faux shingles ! Compliments the house and so fits your style! Love seeing the transformation of the tri level into your cottage-thats so impressive. Your talents are amazing and very inspirational. Your genuine love for your home and your family always shows and anyone who follows you knows your adoration and passion for both is real.Some people are just too mean to recognize and appreciate your authentic and beautiful soul.
It looks so great already! I love the look shingle/shake look. I can’t wait to see when it’s done.
Liz, you guys are doing so awesome with the update! It really motivates me to start thinking about updating the exterior of the home.. I already know my husbands response.. “one thing at a time Alma” HAHAHA! Thanks for sharing!!
Hi Syd!!!
Aren’t my parents awesome? haha they are way too fun. So glad you got to meet them! My mom talked about you guys and how much fun they had there. Thanks for being so hospitable & kind to some outsiders 😉 haha We will for sure stop in when we are in the area. We just moved back to Michigan 6 months ago so we are excited to be able to explore the mitten. Hope you have a great weekend! xx
I often find that no matter how many compliments received, that it’s the negative, unkind words of a stranger that tend to stay with us. I am not family, not a close friend, and I can say with objectivity and confidence without bias, that you, Liz, have never come across as ungrateful or a brat. Not only am I a Liz fan, I’m now a Jose fan, as well. It’s wonderful that you are breathing new life into this home. The siding is charming and I think the white is a perfect choice. Looking forward to seeing your progress. I spent the first 20 years of my life in Michigan and feel a bit of nostalgia when I see your posts. Wishing your family the very best.