I think it would look nice. If the X were red, with the yellow center, it would pop more, like the corners :)

Lav is right but I kinda like the unobtrusive way that it looks now...you can always ADD paint but is is harder to take away...I am seeing you on 2 forums...and it has NOT lessened how fantastic a job I think you are doing....c

lavender lass, you don't think it would look wrong to have the applied rosette thingy yellow when all the other applied pieces are rust? That is probably what is keeping me from trying it.

Caroline, I wanted to update everyone here on our progress too. So many nice people here...including you! And an old house lover as well! :-) I have to admit that I can't count the hours I spent trying to figure out colors and then what color should go where! Turning out better than I thought it might. I was concerned that there would basically be no green on that porch. But so far I am thinking it is ok? We did pick are very dark green floor paint for the porch floors. So that will bring in some green. I also painted the ceiling the lighter green color. I know, should be haint(sp?) blue, but just couldn't picture that.

nice house. How old is it?

ianna, thank you. Our house was built in 1868 and was originally a school house. It was sold and converted to a residence about 1878-1880. We believe from newspaper accounts that we have found discussing the renovation, that is when the porches and bay window were added.

When DH was helping me paint last weekend, he mentioned that the spindles must be original. They are toenailed in with square nails.

I think it looks fabulous just the way it is. Don't drive yourself crazy changing it. It's a really beautiful house.

Oh my gosh. You are one lucky woman. Who needs a garden with a house like that?
Renee

Hello there fellow "schoolhouse dweller"!(has to be a more romantic name for us) I've always loved your house, the paint colors you've chosen go so well with the brick. I think the "X" looks fine yellow with the rust rosette.

First of all, it looks lovely! I can imagine that would be quite tedious work.

I think the X painted dark would look like "NO. DO NOT ENTER." Know what I mean??? Because it's an X???

I like it yellow. :-)

Hi Mary lu, Your porch looks terrific. I am glad you chose not to go with the three colors on the porch railings, and posts. The bay window is exceptional the way it is, but I agree that three colors on the two smaller porches might be extra busy, excluding the floor and the porch ceiling.

If there would be any thing I might change it would be the lower band of wood under the spindles. I would probably paint it all the rust color like at the top of the spindles, and have no yellow at all, except for the yellow and rust corner pieces. I like the X the way it is painted since it ties in with the corner pieces. Just a thought. I hate to give an opinion because I know nothing about how older houses were painted. It is lovely as is, but if there is something that might be a bit off when you look at it today, tomorrow it probably will not be noticed. Today I moved a wooden trellis that had been bothering my DH, and when he came back from his bike ride he never noticed that I had removed it.

Don't wear yourself out, and enjoy your lovely house.
Jane

Wow, it is looking outstanding, MaryLu. You have an amazing amount of patience (and skill!) to do that kind of painting. And hey, those flowers can always be regrown.

Good work!

ThinMan

Mary Lu you all have done a wonderful job! I like it just as it is. I think the X in a different color would draw too much attention to it.....this way you see all the beautiful gingerbread woodwork at once.

It is a gorgeous house.

It looks wonderful! I agree that the "X" is better the way you now have it painted.

Here in TX porch ceilings are painted pale blue to keep wasps from building nests. When we built a house in 1996 I had that done. The whole time we lived there, a nest was never built.

Kathy

I like the idea of the dark X. How about taping a dark colored matching paper over it to see how it looks? Although once you have finished painting the lower top edging the light colored X will not blend in as much and will look very nice.