Front Porch and Stair Makeover…and a Challenge!
Submitted by It All Started With Paint
I can’t believe I’m going to air my dirty laundry here …
… out in public for all you Remodelaholic readers to see …
But I can’t possibly boast about the “after” of this porch project without sharing the “before” …
So I hold my head in shame as I show you what I started with …
… I know, it was pretty embarrassing.
A well-traveled path to the front door had splintered the wood …
… even Ernie the beagle looks embarrassed …
In my own defense, I planned to rebuild. That was three years and two estimates ago. Life — and some big ticket expenses that go along with life — kept getting in the way. All the while the porch fell into even greater disrepair.
With limited resources (read: cash) I used caulk and wood filler and paint to try and extend the life of my failing (and ugly) porch. You can read more about the sordid “what I did” details here.
Once … after lots of blood, sweat, and tears … I had the porch looking like this…
… it was time to dress her up.
I toyed with numbering the stairs in my newly redecorated entry (here) … but was worried it would look too busy.
H o w e v e r . . . the freshly painted front porch was another story …
The best part: this five dollar project took all of fifteen minutes …
The finishing touch … and perhaps my favorite … is the rug I painted directly onto the front porch landing (see the full ‘how to’ tutorial here) …
It makes me me happy every time I walk up the steps.
You can’t really see it from the sidewalk, so it’s like a secret surprise waiting for my guests …
When all was said and done …
… I’m pretty sure I heard my neighbors breathe a collective sigh of relief.
In hindsight, I think I put off this project because I thought it was impossible for me to do anything … that it was either all or nothing … that I needed a carpenter and power tools …
It wasn’t until I was able to “Imagine the Impossibilities” that I realized I could do this on my own. All that was needed was a little hard work … a few easy to get and inexpensive materials … and a lot of sweat equity
Now I’d like to invite all of you amazing Remodelaholics readers to imagine your own “impossibilities” … (click here or on the button for more information) …
It’s the “Imagine the Impossibilities” challenge that culminates in a January 31 multi-blog link party! I’ll be taking on the dreaded vaulted ceiling in my master bedroom …
I’ve been avoiding that particular “impossibility” for 4 years …
Wow, what a transformation! If you’d like to see more exterior makeovers, take a look at these:
Beautiful Water Wise Backyard
Adding a Porch
Garden Display Box
Thank you Cassity for featuring my porch and the “Imagine the Impossibilities” challenge!
Linda
Wow – what a transformation!! Ernie the beagle must be one happy puppy with that new porch rug!
Kelly
Its beautiful!!!
How very cute! I would love a porch makeover. I think it would make a big difference on the curb appeal.
So cute!
This porch make-over is wonderful! I love the painted rug…..and the numbers…..don’t get me started! Remodelaholic always has the best features!
blessings,
karianne
This is soooo great! What an awesome transformation Linda made! And I am in LOVE with Ernie! I too love that the patio painted rug is a fun surprise. So awesome!!
Terrific transformation! Love the numbered steps and that painted rug is awesome! Thanks for sharing.
This is such a great transformation and I just love her blog! Thanks so much for sharing it with us here! 🙂
Vanessa
Wow girl…hold your head high! FABULOUS job. And your little surprise at the top of the steps is delicious~~
A simply FABULOUS POST!!!!!! Linda is simply and utterly AMAZING!!!!! The porch may be sensational…but ERNIE steals the show!!!!!!!!!!! Incredible job Linda…KUDOS!!!!
Your porch is beautiful! How clever you are to paint the rug. It is perfect.
Incredible! The rug is my favorite part!! Linda did an amazing job on all of it and it just looks fabulous!
Nearly two years ago–after a lifetime as a renter–I purchased my first home. And for nearly two years, I’ve been looking at my front porch–in similar condition to this one–and have been just shaking my head, not sure where to even begin.
This post has give me hope and started my creative juices flowing! I’ve now decided what color to do the porch, and have figured out what steps I need to do to take my front porch from a head shaker to a thumbs up! Thank you!!!