My Front Porch Makeover Reveal!

Well we’re at it again…we’ve been busy painting the exterior of our home.  But after 6 years of neglect, it was time for a full refresh, especially in the paint department.  And honestly I’ve been SO excited about these exterior paint projects…our house really needed some TLC.  I love our home and want to take care of it because we plan on being here for a few more years.  Even though life gets so busy, it’s important to me that we’re on top of the upkeep of our home.  Our home is a reflection of us, so I want it to be warm and welcoming.

So we have come up with a list of projects that we intend to get completed over the next few months and it feels good.  Maybe not in the actual moment of slaving away and getting things done, but it’s so satisfying to see a project get completed.  So far we tackled our front door and gave it a paint job that we adore.  Then it was time to turn our attention to the porch floor, the railings and all the fancy trim.

So we got busy on a Saturday with our CIL paint and gave our front porch a makeover, and I couldn’t love it any more.  Everything looks fresh and brand new!  Come take a look…

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Ok, let’s dive in!  Here is the ugly truth…the before.  Our porch floor and stairs were in dire need of a paint job.  They were worn, the old paint from eons ago wore away and everything just really looked really tired.  Not pretty.  Not pretty at all.  But the good thing is that the wood was in good condition so we didn’t need to replace anything, all we needed to do was give everything a few coats of paint.  In preparation for painting, we cleaned all the surfaces and sanded down any peeling paint, but that’s all it really needed.

Here’s what it looked like BEFORE:

And now what it looks like AFTER:

Fresh and clean.  I actually can’t believe how it all just looks so brand new…I am continually amazed at the power paint has to transform a space.  Like look at the floor!  Love.

Here’s another view of the big change.  It’s really quite drastic when you see it side by side isn’t it?

It feels like a brand new porch.  And I’m left wondering why we waited to so long to tackle this project.  But you know life…it gets in the way and before you know it, it’s been 6+ years since your house saw some much needed TLC.

Once we got all the painting done, I couldn’t wait to tackle the final phase of adding flowers and some pretty decor.

I flanked the door with 2 planters full of shade loving plants, and tried to add some foliage that would compliment the yellow door.  Then I stumbled upon this colourful woven rug that just seems to tie everything in so nicely.  I really think the greens and the aquas work perfectly!  The combination of it all is very cheery, especially set against our new yellow door.

I had fun picking out new planters and decorations for the step.  I’m especially loving my new rustic Virginia Johnson pottery planter!  The blue floral matches perfectly with everything!

And I got busy filling pots with my favourite happy flowers, like pansies.

And petunias.  So gorgeous and colourful!

And of course I had to add a wreath…because you know me, I have a thing for wreaths.  Every front door needs a wreath, so I went on the hunt for the perfect one and found this lovely dried lavender wreath.  I love how subtle and pretty it is…and it smells nice too!

And my final touch were the yellow & white hanging flower baskets.  I love how they match our door!  I’m loving how everything looks together, it’s just so fresh and welcoming!  Over time I might add a little sitting area in the far corner, with a rocking chair and some pretty cushions.  But for now, I’m loving how clean and simple it looks!

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Paint Details:

• For the porch railings & accents we used CIL Realife Siding, Doors & Trim in Satin.  Colour:  Swordplay
• For the porch floor & stairs we used CIL Woodcare in Semi-Transparent.  Colour: Traditional Walnut

Practical Painting Tips:

• Make sure the areas that you are painting are cleaned properly.
• Make sure everything is dry before applying your paint.
• Paint brush type:  we used medium sized bristle brushes for this project.
• We applied 2 coats of paint to both the railings and the porch floor.
• Follow the directions on the can for drying times.

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Make sure to stop in soon and check out our next exterior paint project!  This one is a big one!

Have an inspired day!

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Disclosure:  CIL brand paint for PPG provided the paint for my Front Porch Makeover! But as always, the pictures, thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.  Really truly.  I’m loving the transformation of CIL paint in my home!