Home Series: Front Porch
Our porch is finally DONE! I’m so excited to share this project with you all – although this wasn’t a massive makeover like some of our previous renovations, the updates have made a HUGE difference. The main elements of our porch have stayed (mostly) the same, but so much has been re-done and massively improved in the process. What the project entailed:
• new porch floor
• new front steps
• fresh paint on columns
• new storm door
• hardwired landscape lighting
• front landscaping
• updated rugs and decor
Our house is turning 100 this year, so we were excited to give the front porch and steps a facelift in time for her birthday. After 100 years, I think she deserves it! So without further ado – let’s get into it!
The front steps were pretty crooked when we bought the house (see gallery of “before” photos at the bottom of this post) – they were stable, but the brick work had been sinking in and thus, the sandstone steps had cracked in a few places. When I put our pumpkins out in the fall, the ones on the bottom steps were always leaning to one side…it was a little tetris challenge to get everything to look like it wasn’t about to fall over! You can see what I mean in the before photo, they were pretty busted ;)
We had the steps and wing walls completed ripped out so the foundation could be re-leveled and replaced. Although we try to DIY most work, we had a mason handle this part of the job. The brick and mortar colors were matched to the existing brick foundation, and luckily we were able to get pretty darn close! The previous treads were sandstone, so we decided to keep that the same as well – and the new sandstone is soooo beautiful, I’m still in awe of it!
The walkway leading up to the house is still the original sandstone slabs, which we power washed after the project – so the streaking shown above is just worn from years of wear. It looks awesome after a good clean, though!
Over the years, too, we started noticing the decline of our porch floor – some of the wood boards had started to rot out, and the paint was peeling everywhere as a result of the moisture. We knew a full tear-out would be necessary to improve it for the future. Jim and his Dad are the dream duo when it comes to carpentry, so they handled the build-out of the floor. We considered using a synthetic material for the floor boards, for better durability, but ultimately decided that wood was the best choice for maintaining the Lakewood feel of the porch. We also opted to paint it as opposed to staining, which tends to require more upkeep. Our back deck and steps are stained, and we have to recoat them every other year – not super fun! The paint color that we chose is Sherwin Williams Wool Skein, and we love that it provides contrast to the house color, while picking up the natural color of the sandstone steps. It makes the entrance to the house feel more limitless when you’re walking up, and we love it!
While the porch floor was ripped out, we took the opportunity to run some electical lines underneath and into the front beds, and installed some landscape lighting – which we were SO excited about! It makes such a beautiful difference at night, and give such nice curb appeal. They’re hardwired into a transformer in our basement, which steps down the voltage, and has them controlled on a timer. I’m so glad we decided to add this in, and that Jim and his Dad had the patience to mess around with installing them! We replaced a few plants in the front beds as well, which really finish it off.
Another wishlist item that we finally completed was a new storm door with full glass panel – the previous door was split in the middle, and had definitely seen better days. We can swap the glass out for a screen, too, which will be great for getting a fall breeze in the house! I love that the full panel puts the focus on the door, and our anchor doorknocker that I picked up in Marblehead, Massachusetts!
Our furniture stayed the same from previous years, so we refreshed the space with some much-needed new rugs and new pillows. We opted for large rugs on both sides, for comfort and also to keep the floor (and our hard work!) protected from the elements.
This is truly my FAVORITE hangout spot at our house, so being back out here and enjoying its fresh new look is just beyond exciting. It’s Cooper’s favorite too, he’s such an outdoor dog – the second he hears me open the door he comes running, and jumps right up onto the swing! We honestly chill here for hours. So happy to be back! Hope you guys enjoyed reading about our project; I’ve tagged the sources below and linked them where possible!
Huge thank you to Tiffany Joy Photography for capturing these gorgeous photos for us!
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SOURCES:
Floor color: Sherwin Williams Wool Skein / Door Color: Sherwin Williams Waterfall / House Color: Sherwin Williams Dovetail / Landscape Lighting: Kichler / Bed Swing: Custom / Lanterns: Restoration Hardware / Loveseat Lounge Set + Coffee Table: World Market / Pillows: Pottery Barn, Home Goods / Striped Rug: Pottery Barn / Tribal Rug: Lulu and Georgia / Door Mat: West Elm / Olive Wreath: Williams-Sonoma / Tabletop Vase and Shell Planter: Arhaus / Coasters: Anthropologie
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