House Numbers, etc...

We knew all along the numbers on our house were going to be replaced once we figure out what to replace them with. In traditional Victorians, the house numbers are usually placed on the transom window over the front door. As much as I would love to have the numbers gilded by a professional, the cost is prohibitive, but I didn't want to put some cheap vinyl numbers on the glass either. Luckily, I found a place on line, house number lab, that prints vinyl numbers in 22K gold especially designed for transom windows. I wasn't crazy about the font options they had to offer on the site, but really liked the ornamentals (the little decorative things on each side of the numbers) that came with one of their numbers. So Justin and I went through his font collections and picked one that we both liked and ordered the custom transom numbers with the ornamentals.

House number lab was super quick to respond with a mock up of our order. We went back and forth with different sizing and finally decided on our original size, five inch tall numbers with the decorative motives, then patiently waited for the numbers to arrive.

The numbers arrived with a little squeegee and an erasable marker for easy installation. Nothing is easy when you have a baby. I tried to do it while the little D was taking his nap yesterday, but only got the prep work done before he woke up. I finished the job this morning while Justin kept the D entertained before leaving for work. The installation process was a bit tricky since it was my first time dealing with this kind of thing. I did miss a little air bubble on one of the numbers, but nothing you would notice from afar, I hope.

Not the most attractive house numbers to begin with. 

Before. Looking at the transom window above the door. 

Here's the after shot. You'll notice that I have filled in the gap between the molding and wall on the left. I figured since I was up there on the ladder anyways, might as well fill in that gap which has been taunting me since we moved in last August. I am a major procrastinator...it took me almost a year to fix one little thing. There are still so many little things waiting for me to fix!

I love it! It's a beauty if I do say so myself. Okay, I need to clean up the white paint around the window's edges, it's bothering the perfectionist in me. 

Looking at this photo, I noticed the finish on the door bell is different from the door handle. It bugs me that they don't match. Who's idea was it to do that? Opps, I think it was me...adding it to the to-do list. 

After painting the prison, I mean security bars on the big double hung windows the same color as the trims, them seem less noticeable, but not invisible enough. I am thinking about planting a vine in a container and placing it below bars, hoping that the vines will grow on the bars to camouflage it. What do you think? 

This porch light did not come with the house. There used to be an ugly cheapie big box store fixture on the trim piece on the right side of the door. Justin and I drooled over reproduction vintage lights from School House Electric but couldn't afford the price. I never knew that light fixtures were so pricy. Guess being a renter most of my life precluded me from knowing such things prior to owning a home. I found our school house style light fixture on Amazon.com for half the price. No, the shade is not hand-blown glass made in the USA, it's machine made acrylic from China. Hey, I can't tell the difference once it was installed anyways, can you? Until I hit that lottery jackpot, made in China it is.