September 24, 2023

When the home on the finish of the cul-de-sac hasn’t modified in 28 years, it’s time for some entrance porch rehab.

This space belongs to Jeff and Eliese McAllister. The couple, referred to as Lolli and Pop to their grandchildren, wish to replace the entrance porch on “Camp Lollipop” so their grandchildren can experience their entrance backyard up to their youngsters did whilst rising up.

The porch is blocked off through tall shrubs and is just too slender for the couple to with ease sit down and watch their grandchildren play.

And that’s the place we will be able to assist!


The Initiatives

“Open idea” isn’t only for interiors! We’re opening up this entrance porch.

Opening Up the Entrance Porch

Doing away with the shrubs and handrails blockading Jeff and Eliese’s front-yard view is our first giant task.

We need to pressure-wash the home to create a blank slate to start out our paintings. Jeff and I take away shrubs, with the assistance of the couple’s grandsons, whilst Chelsea and Eliese take on the handrails. 

That is what occurs when your picket isn’t handled sooner than portray or staining it.

Since the picket handrails aren’t handled, they’re rotting away. So, knocking them out with a sledgehammer is one of the best ways to open up the porch — and, perhaps, unlock some rigidity alongside the way in which.

After putting off the handrails, we observe putty and sand the columns so it’s like they have been by no means there, to start with.


Repairing siding isn’t only a beauty repair; it could save you larger issues afterward if the weather input your house.

Repairing the Shutters and Dormers

This curb attraction makeover calls for greater than opening up the entrance porch. We’ve spotted some issues that wanted quick fixes!

First, we restore the bottom ground’s broken shutters. Then, we stand up at the roof to restore siding at the dormers. Of the 12 shutters at the entrance of this space, only one set has slightly picket rot. So, Jeff doesn’t wish to change all of them.

Since none of those items have been same old lumber sizes, we needed to minimize them down at the table noticed. Chelsea used the previous items as a trend to chop new items from the fiber cement subject matter.

A Woodcraft WoodRiver Normal Objective Carbide Tipped Noticed Blade is useful when you wish to have to make customized cuts.

Thankfully, we had a brand new Woodcraft WoodRiver Normal Objective Carbide Tipped Noticed Blade. Matching the angles at the backside piece was once slightly trickier, however after we primed the picket and put the items in position, it labored lovely neatly!


This entrance porch is coming alongside, however it will use extra personality. We can paint the porch so as to add some.

Portray the Entrance Porch

In any case the upkeep have been finished, we put a contemporary coat of paint at the siding, trim and entrance porch ceiling. The fairway shutters clashed with the red-tinted picket door, so we painted them grey to tone it down.

The painted trend provides a pop of colour to this entrance porch.

The concrete at the entrance porch has observed higher days. As an alternative of gutting the concrete, we painted a trend on it the usage of a stencil! It’s an effective way to offer your concrete a contemporary glance with out breaking the financial institution.

Watch “The best way to Stencil a Development on a Concrete Porch” for the step by step information and fabrics record.


Spreading out the brand new flowerbeds provides to the open feeling.

Planting New Flowerbeds

Subsequent, we added some contemporary landscaping. Sooner than, the vegetation have been too concentrated on the entrance of the porch, so we unfold them out to take care of the open area really feel.

In any case, we put down a contemporary layer of pine straw to complete off the flowerbed.

We additionally:

  • Added cope with numbers to the porch column
  • Got rid of the intercom/doorbell
  • Put in a brand new porch gentle
  • Put in soffit vents
  • Changed the rocking chairs

“These days’s House owner” hosts Danny Lipford and Chelsea Lipford Wolf, pictured with Jeff and Eliese McAllister.

Publish-Manufacturing Ideas

This entrance porch rehab in point of fact brings issues complete circle: Jeff and Eliese’s children grew up right here, and now they’re seeing their grandkids develop right here.

At one level, the couple thought of promoting the home. However with this new entrance backyard, they’re glad so as to keep in the house they raised their children, and now, their grandkids as neatly.

And we did it fascinated with simply $1,200 in fabrics.




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