The Black House

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As our Charlottetown triplex approaches completion as bespoke Luxury Accommodations, we’ve refined the direction we’re going and, in fact, have decided to name our beloved property ‘the Black House’.

Why?

The mystery will present itself soon enough, when we reveal that the new windows we installed on the house are….. drum roll…. black. Plus, when it came time to paint the exterior we decided to paint all the shingles from top to bottom in…. drum roll…. black. And, when it came time to repairing our crumbling sinking asphalt driveway we decided to simply resurface it with a coat of new asphalt that is…. drum roll… black. Pushing the boundaries even further, we elected to carry this theme into the front yard planting bed where, under the guidance and direction of our landscape designer Dan Nuttall, we’ve selected plantings which are …. drum roll… black! Even more kismet, our street was just freshly paved so it’s also a fresh black. We feel like the Charlottetown powers that be are sending us a little thank you for our investment at upgrading this dilapidated house.

Allow me to give you a ‘Before’ photo of the back of the house, and a sneak peak of the rear additions which will showcase the imminent transformation to black:

Having a Black House is a designer’s dream come true! Well, at least for me.

It began a couple of years ago when I wrote: “Many of us have heard Henry Ford’s comment about his Ford Model T in 1909 – “Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black”. I kind of feel that way about houses.”

While most traditional Toronto housing is constructed of brick and stone which, if in good condition, doesn’t warrant painting, I have always had a fascination with the idea of an all-black painted residence. Up until now I’ve only used black to paint the exterior trim and front porch, or in the installation of new windows. I consider it understated and elegant. In fact, I often recommend my clients paint their trim and porch black for resale. It’s always well-received.

On Black

Call it the negation of colour, but black can be seen as both positive and negative. Sure it’s the colour of mourning in western countries, it’s prevalent with orange during Halloween, and in western flicks the good guy wore white and the bad guy wore black. But on the flip side, youth consider wearing black to be hip, a man in a tuxedo or the woman’s little black dress conveys style, sophistication and mystery, and the feng shui colour guide encourages the use of black to add depth, strength and definition.

With black dwellings I think the entire spectrum of meanings are presented, with each viewer interpreting the look using their own intuitive reaction. For some a black property may be perceived as too dark, ominous or formal, while others will see it as daring, dashing, or a bit of a surprise. I love that sort of playful contrast in housing.

I’ve always wanted a Black House, but the inspiration came two years ago when I read Anna Dorfman’s brilliant blog at Door Sixteen. Thanks Anna!

And HERE is a recent post on Apartment Therapy. Thanks Della!

With the Black House being located on an island in the ocean, we’ve embraced a nautical theme and created a beautiful Compass to use as our logo.

Our tag line? It’s ‘This Way To Welcome’!

Corny? Perhaps.

Appropriate? Indeed!

It won’t be long until we share with you our Reveal! Stay tuned or read our journey in The Tales Of Upper Hillsborough!

~ Steven

Tales Of Upper Hillsborough
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