The Porch ReVamp (In Progress)

As I mentioned last week Ryan and I took on a project to improve the curb appeal of our humble abode. 

Our front porch tends to be where everyone ends up when we have people over during the Spring and Summer months. So we felt like it was past due to give the porch a much needed RE-VAMP!

I started with a trip to my local Sherwin Williams. After explaining the porch project I left with the paint and stain samples I would need. 

I wanted the porch ceiling to be light blue. Our house is really old. Like for real. Old. The porch ceiling at some point had been painted a really dark red color (ugh) but where it was chipping you could see that prior to the red it had been blue. 

I loved idea of taking the ceiling back to the blue that it once was. (I mean, come on, it's my fav color). 

Back in the day in the Deep South people would paint porch ceilings blue to ward of spirits that haven't moved on from this world. It's an old wives tale.   

So blue it was! Bathe Blue to be exact. 

As far as the actual porch, it needed to be stained. We went with a solid stain in Grey Birch. 

Here's the porch as we began our journey to creating more enticing curb appeal:

It needed help. 

BEFORE. Humble Sanford Abode.

Look at that nasty red. It's dark, uninviting and dirty looking. No good for me. And I doubt it's keeping the spirits away. It was scary enough that spirits were probably telling each other about this great scary porch where they should hang out. 


Let's not even get started on the fact that the lighting is simply a light bulb. 

We have done a lot to the inside of the house... painted every room (three rooms twice), painted all the ceilings and trim, and made it our home.  BUT THE OUTSIDE HASN'T FELT THE LOVE-- UNTIL NOW! 

I hope to buy our own home in the next couple of years, but while our home is here I want it to be loved.

 STEP ONE: Pressure wash the porch. Ryan was the man for this job!

GO RYAN!

STEP TWO: While the porch was drying (the stain stipulated that after washing the porch it would need to dry for 24 hours) we began sanding the chipping paint from the ceiling. Oh look, Ryan was the man for that job too! 

Oh yeah! Notice the blue paint starting to show. 

After one of four coats of blue. It was tough covering the scary red.

Ryan adding coat number two. I will have you know I pulled my weight on the project. I was in charge of cutting in and trim work. It was 50/50, although Ryan has tried to say it was more like 70/30. Don't be fooled. I am a team player/boss!

STEP THREE: On Day Two we painted all the trim work and poles white and we stained the porch grey. 

Deidra likes the new porch!

 Here's a closer look at the BEFORE and AFTER: 

In a perfect world I would have had plants in my planters and the wreath on the door. It's a DIY Project in the works. So I'm getting there.


I still have to do the following: 

• Touch up the paint on the swing
• Plant flowers
• Get a cute side table to replace the one we have
• Paint the lattice work in the front (next to steps)
• Remove house numbers and replace with something more stylish 
• Trim shrubs

Maggie thinks it is a great REVAMP. 

Oh look, I got an outdoor ceiling fan to replace our more "rustic" approach to lighting we had prior. You can't see the ceiling fan until you're on the porch. This little added touch (which in Design Blog world ceiling fans are uncool, which lets be honest... they are cool) has made sitting on the porch so nice. 

Feel free to stop by for a glass of wine with me on my newly improved porch! We'll sit on the swing and talk about life.