Something about exterior work seems to take double the time of interior. We’re approaching 2.5 years in our home and I feel like the outside is finally beginning to match the inside. I always felt the need before when inviting people over for the first time to say “the inside looks better I promise..” as we’re greeting them on the porch. It’s a nice feeling to have the front yard be as welcoming as our entry or kitchen and also makes for great morning coffee drinking and relaxing.

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Another perk of creating nice outdoor spaces is that it makes your home feel bigger in my opinion. Looking out of my dining windows or living room and seeing the design extended beyond the walls you’re currently stuck in makes a big impact. Not to mention it creates more spaces for company to gather and allows you to use more of your home.

Last summer we redid the front porch, painted the siding and most of the landscaping but we’ve been slowly adding and building to it this season. One of my favorite parts of our porch renovation was adding the side stairs and our gravel pathway.

Plants pictured: Laurels, Fire Chief Thujas, Hosta, Rhododendron

BEFORE

AFTER

This was just after we redid the floors and posts but still no changes to landscaping or stairs.

AFTER

I absolutely LOVE what adding the stairs and pea gravel path did to the charm of the home. Getting rid of the giant, fly infested boxwoods was a massive win as well. There are now clean sight lines to the porch, whereas before it was so hidden and cramped.

Ideally, I would love to eventually add an archway over this gate as well as continue the flower bed on the grassy side with more plants. We were debating small raised garden beds here but I’m not sure if there’s adequate sunlight for it to work in this area.

• Large Planter: Silver King Euonymus

• Floral Planter: Big Blue Liriope

BEFORE

AFTER

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