Easy DIY Front Porch Spring Refresh
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Spring is here! The weather hasn’t quite decided to cooperate but the longer days and brighter evenings are a good omen for things to come. In the spirit of renewal and refresh, I’ve decided to take my tired front porch and give it new life! Here’s photo proof. It was sad and uninviting. The last several months of my life have been incredibly trying and presentation was the very least of my concerns. As I do my best to get into a better emotional and mental space, I’m saying goodbye to sad and dingy and hello to cheerful and happy.
In our home Spring means Easter, so I added a little festive touch to my spring decor. Once the Holiday passes, these pieces can easily be removed to continue the Spring theme. You’ll notice our resident bear. His name is “Hemery Honey Bear” and he dresses up for each season.
Our home is built into a hill and as such, you walk up stairs to get to our front porch/ main living level of our home. The front porch is a bit rustic with large river rock and black grout. The stark contrast has always bothered my but not enough to do anything about it, until now. Our front door hadn’t been touched in 33 years, since the house was first built and the signs of weathering were evident. Needless to say, the porch needed a refresh. Sadly my dreams of saying a joyful goodbye to the black grout are not yet upon us. But my budget did allow for the door to get some much needed TLC.
The weather in San Diego this year has not been ideal for our usual outdoorsy life. Projects definitely took a backseat to cozy afternoons by the fireplace. Not saying that’s a bad alternative, but when the sun finally shone, I jumped on the opportunity! With my time limited, I only painted the front of the door. The inside is in much better condition and while I want to update that someday, it’s definitely livable for now.
In anticipation of my porch project, I went the day before to the Home Depot and grabbed some supplies. A quick trip to the paint aisle to grab a small3 Inch long ⅜” nap roller, angled brush, tray, and a plastic tarp. I went to the paint counter and asked for a basic black for an outdoor project and left my trust in the gal mixing the paint. She did not disappoint! While I was there, I grabbed a can of spray paint for another project and few plants for the porches finished product.
While I would have liked to take my time on this project, the gap with good weather was small and the rush was on. After coaching my daughters softball game, we came home and got started. After some intense sanding to remove the remaining 30 year old finish, I had a blank canvas begging for a change! An important step before painting is to blow off the door and wipe it down to remove any dust or dirt remnants. You want a clean canvas.
Now the fun could begin! After taping off the glass insert and hardware, and carefully covering my exposed interior floors and front porch, it was paint time. I started with the roller to get as many larger sections as I could. My door has a lot of detail work and so a lot was left to be done with the brush. Once the first coat was on, I waited as long as possible but definitely not as long as I should have before applying the second coat. Like I said, I was rushing against the daylight and impending change in weather. Thankfully it seemed to have worked just fine. With the second coat applied the vision was becoming reality! The black door seemed to tone down the overwhelming black grout and made it seem more intentional. Yay!
The same day as my trip to Home Depot, I ran to the neighboring Home Goods to try and find some pots to cheer up my porch. I decided to grab yellow pots, a color I’d never put in my home before and I am thrilled with how it all turned out. The recent string of rainy weather also made me realize how convenient an outdoor bench would be for taking off muddy boots and shoes. I found a cute bench for $99! What a steal! Probably not the greatest quality but it will serve its purpose for now. Finished the decor off with some Easter Nomes, because why not!
Since the finds at HomeGoods are area specific, I recreated my look with finds on Amazon. Click the links below
This project took me an afternoon. Without having to paint the door, it would’ve taken me about 30 minutes all in. What are some projects you’re looking forward to taking on as the weather improves? Join me on Instagram to share your results!
Sincerely,
Amanda
