Our Front Porch Needed a Little Help
As we finalize the plans for our renovation we decided to update the front porch and make it a bit more stylish. Though I would love to say we did it just to make it prettier, we also wanted to get ready for winter. The old porch paint had begun to chip and we saw a small amount of water leaking between the porch and brick exterior, right by the window. You never want wood exposed to the elements, especially water. If you have wood exposed to snow or moisture, then it will eventually rot and need to be completely replaced.
Our old front porch was structurally sound, but lacked style, limiting the curb appeal. The all over brown base made it dark, bland and the base just blended in with the stairs. Though there was bead board on the ceiling, it was falling down and was a low quality bead board. In the picture below, you can barely see it, but there is a small lantern hanging from the ceiling. Combining all of these attributes creates a dull exterior.
We wanted to make the porch more inviting so we worked with our contractor to give it a little pizzazz while ensuring it was ready for another Chicago winter. First thing first, we started with the flashing on top of the porch roof. Many would think that the flashing is boring but as a new owner of a house, water terrifies me. I was so excited for them to update the flashing as we had seen a little water coming in-between the brick and porch ceiling. Once that was completed and we knew the updates we were making would be protected we started to focus on the style.
We really love a more rustic traditional style. So we had the wood stairs and landing sanded and stained a dark natural wood. This allowed the natural wood shine more. To give some dimension, we had the treads stained and the risers painted white. We gave the railings and base a fresh coat of white paint to make the porch pop. We also updated the green to be a bit darker which compliments the wood floor tone. The pine ceiling and new lantern add the finishing touches to up the style game.
Though we still need to stain the door, I think the porch looks so much better and inviting. Most importantly, its ready for the winter we know is coming as the nights begin to get a bit chilly.