I’ve been wanting to do a porch refresh for quite sometime and I FINALLY did it – yay! I feel like life gets so busy with three kids, two businesses and my husbands growing career its easy to brush things to the side or hide them at the end of a to do list that will probably take years to accomplish. I’m kind of being dramatic there. It wont take years but some days it sure feels like it. I’ve decided to pump the breaks on life and slow down to enjoy the things that bring me the most joy. To adjust the sails a little and trust that God is in control and is leading the way. Sometimes we have to reprioritize the things that are most important to us. I will be sharing more on that later. Back to my Porch makeover. I was actually skeptical to whip out the paint brush but I’ve really been dying to refresh this space and to try the stenciled concrete to give it a totally new look. Here is the before:
We had already painted the door, siding and foundation and added the window box but see what I mean about needed a little something extra. Paint really can be a miracle worker and is such an inexpensive way to update any space. Ok, so the first thing I did was power wash this entire area. IT. WAS. NASTY. I’m kind of a neat freak and this concrete was so dirty it made me wonder why I never thought to power wash it before. After everything was dry I got to work. I used this paint here . I choose this paint because of the high reviews and it can be tinted to any color unlike the others. I really wanted the white to match our siding and foundation so it would all blend in together. The color we choose for our house, foundation and porch is BM White Dove. 90% of my inside is this color as well and its my fav go to white. For anyone wondering the Black door is BM Wrought Iron which is also a fav and we have on inside doors as well.
I applied two pretty thick layers to get everything covered well. This porch wasn’t smooth concrete but had a lot of stones mixed in so you may not need to apply an additional coat if you porch is just smooth concrete. I cannot even believe the dramatic difference with the porch painted white – wow!
I waited and let everything dry ( very impatiently ) for a few hours before I got to work on the stenciling. I used the same brand of paint but in their premixed color of light gray here . I purchased the quart and had plenty left over for another project. The stencil I used is here . I started in the corner and worked my towards the door and then started the next row right under my last stencil so it didn’t look like I planned for the rows to line up evenly. I felt like it looked more natural that way. To apply the paint to the stencil I used a sponge like the one here . I did end up getting it all over my hands so if that bothers you, wear gloves. I must say that I always get paint all over me no matter what so maybe it’s a personal issue haha.
Seriously, I loved it and was hooked and finished the whole stencil process within a few hours. I have debated on sealing it. I went to several hardware stores and have researched online and from what I have been told and read it should be fine as it is. Fingers crossed.
What do you think? The transformation is amazing, right? Here is a side by side before and after.
The power of paint and a little elbow grease can do magic. I love our little porch now and I have sat here so many times drinking my morning coffee, listening to the bird sing and watchin my garden grow – so peaceful!
I hope this inspires you in your own home to love the space you are in. Thanks so much for stopping by today. I would love to hear what you think of this porch refresh in the comments below. XO Ali
SOURCES
This Bistro set was purchased at HomeGoods
Similar chairs – here
Seriously, so amazing Ali. It’s amazing what a little paint can do to create a night and day difference.
Thank you so much. That is so true Katie. A little paint can make all the difference! Thanks for reading.
I love it 😍 it’s amazing how a little bit of paint will change the looks of something. You did a great job, you go girl 🙌🙌
You are so kind. Thank you for you sweet words. It is so true, paint can really make all the difference in a space. It really was such a fun project to do, thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts.
It’s beautiful! I’m anxious to see how having a white base holds up under outdoorsy foot traffic and weather. Keep us updated! Do you know if it can be power washed?
Thank you so much Cindy! It’s the main entry we use to come inside. It can be power washed on a low setting. I have already scrubbed it with a scrub mop and it looks good as new but I will keep the post updated as it wears.
Cute! Did you stencil the sides too?
Hey Kristin! Thank you! I just painted the sides white but didn’t use the stencil on them.
Where did you get the stencil and do you know the design name? I’m going to do my porch this weekend. I really love it!
Hey Leann,
This stencil was purchased from the Martha Stewart Collection at Michaels. It was in a package of 3. I will try and find the packaging. Thank you!