Help with ugly view from living/dining area

9 years ago

This is the view diagonally from our dining room and living room. It's so ugly. We want to knock the garage or convert into a garden room when funds allow. Has anyone any ideas?

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Luke Buckle

9 years ago

How about a plant wall to soften the grey panels of the shed?

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Comments (13)

Kim Dring
9 years ago
If the paved area is good and sound - perhaps a good go-over with a gurney/pressure washer to clean them up? Where the pebbles/gravel are to the left of the paved area - would it be possible to plant something there to green it up and act as a bit of a screen. Or install a partial decorative screen to block the view of the concrete driveway and garage door. Perhaps some pots with plants along the concrete strip to the side of the garage to soften it a bit?
pauladaisy thanked Kim Dring
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Hi Antoinette I too live in Ireland in a Semi Detached. My husband who's the one with green fingers has transformed our garden into an oasis you wouldn't think we lived in a housing estate. You might start with cleaning the slabs. You could change the edging tile with a contrasting one to set it off. Use different sizes and colours of pots. A seating area in one section. Use lots of different colours and plants which are ok to grow in pots. Just seeing all the colours come to life in Spring and Summer will cheer you up. Here are some photos that were taken at the end of summer last year the leaves have started falling from the trees. Oh yeah still have the clothes line up too.
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Thanks. Beautiul space. Can you please take a photo of the wall that is across from the island? -there is no overhang on the counter...so I am not seeing stools there on either the long portion of the island or the shorter portion by the window. -if you mean by the window, there is a door on one side and an oven on the other.....hence it is a traffic way,,,,,,you don't want stools there I am not sure why you feel the need to put something there. You might consider art on the wall across from the island to ground that wall. Need a photo.
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Thanks Decoenthusiaste! Yes that sofa is unavailable here and hard to find anything similar in local stores, but I may have one made up! So yes I’m using the images you post as inspiration and hope to find similar items here, I also love the grey Scandanavian sofa ideas you had earlier, and will use them as inspiration to get a lighter replacement. The blind on my window is screwed in place, but I could easily replace it with something that would let in more light, like the top down blinds (which are new to me!). I’m really glad no one has thought the absence of curtains an issue, as light is scarce here & I prefer the no curtains look. I do agree we should move the car to another part of our drive to get a nicer view out. A radiator cover that could double as a shelf would work well I think, I love the bespoke one, how cool! Also good to find out that you can get ones that allow the heat to rise. Re the music centre, I might replace with an iPod doc with speakers as Glo kindly suggested, In meantime I might cover it (and the dreaded TV!) with a piece of framed art leaning from the floor, aware that’ll be another competing focal point, but hopefully a nicer one! Thanks a lot for the tip re dimensions for a piece of art over the sofa and a coffee table, both of which are on my list to get, I would’ve had no clue re this and it’s fantastic to discover that there are certain rules which, if you apply them, can make your room work visually! Thanks again for the brilliant advice, I really appreciate it.
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Hi Pam, didn’t notice you’re dilemma before, just had a look at it. Milky Way mural sounds interesting. Although I’m a bit confused as to which wall you were thinking of putting it on. Is it the long wall where the fireplace is? The mural itself is most likely to be very dark in colour and like you say quite difficult to tie in with traditional furniture. But it could work with with jewel tone soft furnishings (emerald green, teal, wine red etc. in sumptuous fabrics like velvet and silk). You also say you have a conservatory garden wall mural upstairs on the landing, I imagine this to have a lot of green colours so I think anything downstairs should also have an element of green to link the colours through the house and create a better flow. Personally I wouldn’t put it on the fireplace wall as I think it would be too overbearing but the area where the dining table is would be nice and you could link it on the other side of the partition with paint colour and art. Was definitely thinking you need a rug in front of the sideboard as you come in from the hall. Maybe you could have a space themed rug:) here are some nice ones: https://jan-kath.de/collection/spacecrafted/overview/ https://www.kibek.de/teppiche/moderne-teppiche/81336/sky-and-sea Also here’s a link to some wall murals, I think the nebula ones with a greenish tinge would look superb. https://www.muralswallpaper.co.uk/wall-murals/space-mural-wallpaper/galaxy-and-nebula-wallpaper-wall-murals/ I’ll see if I can do some mock ups in photoshop, in the mean time here’s some inspo:
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mldesign0401
9 years ago
I don't think you can ignore how much of a focus this shed is, so why not try to work with it. I love your idea of a future room, utilizing the structure, untill then, the colours aren't to bad, it just lacks a little dimension and detail.
I too would suggest a screen that is both attached to the garage wall, and extends beyond where the clothes line is, not entirely across so you still access the drive. However masters has decorative laser cut screens for 90.00 per panel, and they can be painted to suit. I would also consider espalier on the garage wall. To do this screw some simple hooks into the shed in each corner top and bottom, run a wire through them in a cross or diagonal etc, then palnt star jasmine or Boston ivy at th base of the wall. If there's no sil, rectangular planters will suffice ad these plants have shallow roots systems and the leaves continue it's growth above ground. Within a year or two, the shed will have a green feature, best of both above comment.s.
Also, large clusters of pots maybe wine barrels with ornamentals or olive trees look nice on a patio.
Try to relocate that washing line behind the screen, and think about a click lock decking tile just under your table like a rug.
pauladaisy thanked mldesign0401
olldroo
9 years ago
Vertical gardens on the wall will transform it immensely and a great way of growing herbs and small vegetables. You have a great space here, but your whole area is devoid of vegetation, some landscaping and decorative pots of plants around your outdoor setting will not only detract from the garage, it will give life to the whole area.
Longer Time2004
9 years ago
It's a view you can change relatively cheaply but important to plan before doing any permanent. I'd like to see the outside more included by painting the doorframe of the house a much lighter colour so it's not as noticeable.
Then decorating the garage can change as often as you wish - a feature attached to the wall of it, even a painted pattern or a strip for the children to adorn ... all very easily painted over or changed as they grow older...photos will also provide nice memories over time and when you have funds something more permanent can be done. Cheers.
bigredkate
9 years ago
One word: plants! Vertical garden against the garage as shown above, or shrubbery in front of it. My fingers itch to get into all that space and plant things. Even if you don't want to plant lots, a group of trees would do wonders for the view.
Kat
9 years ago
Try and watch any of Jamie Durie's "Outside Room" vids or episodes if you can track them down. I just watched a vid I got from my local library on yards he has done in the US, and am astounded at Jamie's immense skill, abilities and energy. Proud of him, as he grew up in Qld where I am also. He does some amazing things with backyards, I am sure you can get some ideas from them. Vertical gardens or planting, feature quite a bit in those yards. Good luck.
PRO
Shop U
9 years ago
Pots, pots, pots! Just like the beautiful ones I sell in-store xx
Ingeborg Fischer Dvorsky
9 years ago
I would make a gazibo aeria and it could be done easily and cheap
fianou
8 years ago
I would use plants to brighten the space. The hardscapes are all good, they just look a bit naked and grim. It can be hard to make a space pretty but usable for the kids too, but its not impossible. You have a lovely sitting area to enjoy.
Plant some lovely feature bushes in that gravel area. You don't need to completely hide the clothesline, but having something pretty and showy in front will create a boundary and the eye will be drawn to the plants instead of the washing. If you can't plant into the soil there, some large size pots will work. Maybe some medium sized (1-2metre) ornamental trees in pots, like citrus, a weeping ornamental cherry, or bay trees, moptop robinias are nice too. They will be compact. You could cluster some pots of herbs underneath or plant them and let them ramble a little. Herbs like thyme and rosemary and lavender will suit the gravel area and the heat and be hardy with kids playing around, the odd bike falling on them or crushing underfoot would be quite okay. bulbs in pots or planted around the edges of the lawn are great value low maintenance and hardy colour. You can get great seasonal variation in your view then. Online bulb stores like tesselar and garden express sell bulk landscaping bulbs at very reasonable prices. You can get hundreds of bulbs for $30-50. Bulbs are great hardy plants that won't be killed by the odd soccer ball either. The flowers may get knocked over or the leaves, but the bulb is safe under the soil. Cheap and cheerfuls like nasturtiums are good value colour that will self seed every season.
Also, plant some very bright flowering shrubs behind the soccer net and against the far wall. Maybe some hibiscus? You need something to catch and entice the eye, plant some large flowering shrubs with larger or bright flowers or foliage you will be able to appreciate from a distance.
Annette Kern
8 years ago
large pots of tiger grass would do the trick
PRO
User
8 years ago
Completely agree with everyone here who has mentioned the P word! Plants! Greenery has an uplifting effect on spaces which is why so many of us use them indoors more and more. Definitely try a few pots and display them aesthetically to draw the eye away from the shed. You could also try a climber along the side of the shed if you're up for a small challenge? A really versatile space though and love the layout.
PRO
Cascio Associates - Site Planning - Landscape Arch
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
A row of tall stemmy flowering shrubs like crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia). Star Magnolia or Sweetbay, Shadblow (Amelanchier), Lilac (Syringa), or even something evergreen in the gravel area, to separate spaces and contain views.

If you convert the garage, you might want to mark the drive with a giant chessboard - 12" (30cm) squares, and then get the giant chess and checker pieces advertised on the Internet. (or get 32 of 8"(20 cm) plastic plant saucers in two colors for checkers.)

Having the large chess pieces will be worth the money, as the kids will have fun teaching their friends what you have taught them, .....and they will all grow up to become lawyers.

Help with ugly view from living/dining area

Luke Buckle

Comments (13)

Kim Dring

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