Bekob

Kitchens, baths, furniture, and the yard.

Front Porch and Stair Makeover…and a Challenge!

Workshop

Front Porch and Stair Makeover…and a Challenge!

Materials and the sequence of the job sit together on this page.

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 Bekob 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 …

Columns were missing end caps and the bottom post bases were riddled with rot …

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.

First came the numbered steps. You see, I’m addicted to numbering things in – and outside of – our home …

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 …

You can read the thrilling tale here, but … … spoiler alert … … in the end I picked up a $5.00 package of vinyl numbers at Menards that are designed for boats … … figuring these water tight babies could definitely withstand Chicago’s harsh winters.

The best part: this five dollar project took all of fifteen minutes …



The finishing touch … and perhaps my go-to … is the rug I painted directly onto the front porch landing (see the full ‘how to’ walkthrough 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 straightforward to get and inexpensive materials … and a lot of sweat equity
Now I’d like to invite all of you memorable Bekob 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:

striking Water Wise Backyard

Adding a Porch

Garden Display Box