A Look at Our “Black Box”: My Inspiration, The Progress + Next Steps!
This week I’ve been highlighting some of the progress happening on the exterior of our addition which, for obvious reasons, we’ve named “The Black Box.” With so much happening inside the house, seeing exterior progress feels super exciting and means we’re THAT much closer to moving in!
The Before:
The existing extension was deemed “completely falling apart” by our inspector so we knew from the get-go that it would have to be completely rebuilt. Back extensions like ours are super common in older homes where people expand their spaces to meet modern-living needs — such as carving out space for a mudroom like we did! In the process of rebuilding the extension, we also ripped off the rotted dormer window on the roof, removed the deck, and replaced the office sliding doors. Check out the full “before tour” of our house here.
The Progress:
When deciding what I wanted our extension to look like, I kept referring back to images of dark exteriors that felt fresh and moody yet still classic and complimentary to the traditional vibe of our house. This exterior shot by @ChrislovesJulia definitely helped make the decision to go to the dark side.
To achieve the look I wanted, we used James Hardie siding panels and trim. Using Hardie products was really a no brainer given their affordability and resistance against unpredictable Midwest weather. Even better, their panel and trim options gave me the flexibility to create whatever trim pattern I wanted!
Ready to see where we’re at today?!
The Current View + Next Steps:
All the James Hardie trim pieces are installed on the exterior and the framers have gone back through and started to add a beaded detail on the inside of each panel to give it that classic, traditional feel. I feel like the whole extension is giving off some major Cruella DeVil vibes with the whole black and white thing going on right now— seems pretty fitting for the season!
Once that’s all done, we plan on painting the entire box a rich black color (stay tuned for the exact paint color we choose) and hanging these gorgeous lanterns to create ambience and give off much-needed light!
As for the rest of the yard….
Cold temperatures are quickly approaching so the concrete steps and pressed gravel you see will remain until the ground thaws in the Spring and we can put in the bluestone patio of my dreams. If you’re interested in seeing my patio inspiration, checkout this Pinterest board.
