The curse of vision and the ability to see potential is that you find yourself embarking on projects that others wouldn’t touch with a barge pool (as the British expression goes). And so it is that I have, at various points in my life, found myself camping in an 1898 Victorian cottage while it was propped up on stilts because it had no foundation; done the dishes in a bath tub for six months while a kitchen was built, and most recently, taken on a nondescript 1950’s ranch house on 2.5 acres that featured a living room with no windows. Go figure.
The aforementioned ranch house came with a swimming pool – something that I have never aspired to own because I don’t really like swimming! – and it was about as ugly as could be. Surrounded by a 9ft tall fence that was painted mustard yellow with dark green accents, I really had to use my imagination to find the beauty here.
But by cutting the fence in half height-wise; using a heritage white Benjamin Moore paint, and adding a touch of modernity with updated outdoor furniture, the transformation was incredible. Although the fence is about 3-4 feet lower, it still affords a ton of privacy while also allowing us to see the cool palm tree in the background, which couples with the 70’s vibe of the pool to bring a touch of art deco to the kidney-shaped pool. Blue outdoor rugs cue the blue from the sky and the pool to draw the eye away from the grey concrete.
All in all, on a very limited budget, I was able to uncover the diamond that was hidden in the rough. If you have an outdoor space that needs a makeover, reach out to [email protected] and I’m sure we can find the beauty within.
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