Painted Pattern Window Boxes

Last spring/summer when we remodeled (er, rebuilt) & screened in our back porch, my dad also rebuilt the old window boxes.  Last summer they remained unpainted or stained mainly because I just couldn't decide what I wanted to do with them.  Color, no color...just stain them...paint a pattern?  I could NOT commit to anything.

They were pretty sad...

Anywho...we're having a birthday party in a couple of weeks for Grady (4 years - how is that possible?!), & I really wanted the porch to be "completely" done by then.  That meant I had to figure out what the hay to do with those darn window boxes.

First, I decided that I wanted a fun pattern in white paint & walnut stain.  Happy, but not brightly colored which I felt would compete with any flowers I would plant in them.  I needed a super simple pattern since the wood on the planters is super rough.  On a whim I chose a scallop or fish scale pattern.

I started by removing the metal box from the wood planter, cleaned it up a little bit, & stained the four sides and top edges.  then I took a styrofoam cup, cut the round bottom in half, & used that as a template for the scallops/scales.  Pretty high-tech - haha!  A little bit of white paint & some spray spar finish & we were in business!

With a little assistance from my favorite helper between rain storms, we got the boxes planted & hung this weekend.  Gosh I love the spring after things start to grow again!

I finally got a couple of minutes where it was "dry" enough outside to take a couple of shots this morning.  I think they turned out pretty durn cute!  I can't wait until the flowers fill in a bit & the surrounding landscaping starts to green up some more.

Has anyone else been planting?  How about working on any fun outdoor projects?  We're scrambling like crazy to get our yard in order for the party - I feel like we're really far behind due to our LATE spring here in Minnesota!

Stain, sun, & sparklers...

Somewhere amidst the pool, beach, cruises in the Jeep, fireworks, sparklers, & all of the good food in the last couple of days I was able to squeeze in a little bit of time to finish the bar top on the porch & eat our first official meal out there.  What's the 4th of July without a backyard BBQ?!?  I'm pretty sure it'll become a nightly thing...holiday or not!

Here's what I started with - dad built the table out of a bunch of scrap (ripped) 2x4's that we had left over from framing up the porch. He screwed a couple of supports to the bottom & it's attached to the porch railing with three shelf brackets.

I used the same dark walnut stain that we did my dining room table in last spring.  (I couldn't resist setting the table...just to see what it looked like!)

Last but not least...a few shots of our 4th of July festivities.  We were pretty low-key this year compared to years past, but it was way too hot to do much of anything but be in the lake anyway!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday & got to spend some time with great friends & family!

The home stretch...

We're almost to the finish line on this porch project!

Things left to do...

• Paint swing framework.
• Paint or stain bar top.
• Prime & paint window boxes.
• Mulch garden around porch. 

Then of course I still need to accessorize!

We're Swinging!

The porch swing has been up for a week & we're LOVING it!  Grady & I have read &/or played out there probably every night since we got it up.

I can't wait to finish everything else.  Tonight mom & I will work on priming the floor, window boxes, & the frame for the swing, then hopefully tomorrow after work we can get the floor painted aqua!

Here's a quick run-down of what's left to do - we're almost there!!!

• Build built-in bar.
• Prime & paint swing framework.
• Prime & paint porch floor.
• Prime & paint new steps up to porch.
• Prime & paint window boxes.
• Mulch garden around porch.

Porch Progress & a Very Special Birthday

The last month has been a total blur.  Most of it was spent focused on my surgery & rehabbing my knee = not fun.  We did manage to squeeze in both some work & play though!  There are still a few things on the porch list: filling some holes, painting the floor, painting the window boxes, building the "bar", & hanging up the porch swing to name a few...but it's getting close!

We celebrated Grady's birthday out there & it was perfect!  Below are a few pictures of what the porch looks like right now as well as some shots of the birthday boy.  The green chairs will be moved over to the bar & the porch swing will take their place.

The barn light was a plain Jane gray that I spray-painted a fun sun yellow.  I LOVE it.

New window boxes - soon to be painted.  Color TBD.

Dad getting ready to hang the boxes up.

 

 

I can't believe he's three years old already...

A 'poor man's' pergola & some porch art

Another weekend of rain - of course!  Doesn't mother nature know we're on a strict schedule with this project?!?  We had high hopes of getting the roof off and rebuilt on Saturday, but it didn't stop raining all day.  We got a few dry hours yesterday & were able to take off all of the old tin roof & a lot of the old siding, but we're not nearly as far along as we'd planned.  It sort of resembles a very primitive pergola now.  Haha.  Dad was able to take the afternoon off work today to work on it a little bit, so we'll see how far he gets by the time I'm off work.  Hopefully we can play catch-up tonight & get this project back on track!

Old cedar siding off...getting prepped to re-wire & eventually put up new siding!

Dad working on re-hanging the gutter after we took off the old tin roof.  It's so much brighter without it.

Some art I sketched out the other day to hang in the porch - I can't wait to 'decorate' it.

The list looks pretty similar to where is was last week...with a couple of unexpected additions like re-hanging the whole gutter since it was apparently just resting on the old tin roof:

• Jack up porch.
• Order roofing material.
• Demo lattice & chicken wire & clean off porch.
• Dig post holes.
• Pour cement footers.
• Level out the porch & get the posts put up.
• Tear off all of the old siding.
• Tear off the old roof.
• Re-hang the gutter since it was resting on the old roof.
• Frame everything out.
• Build built-in bar.
• Re-route cable to other side of porch.
• Wire for the new light & outlet.
• Hang new siding.
• Prime & paint all framework.
• Install new roof.
• Paint siding.
• Install new light & outlet.
• Hang up screen.
• Retrofit screen door for existing space.
• Paint screen door.
• Prime & paint porch floor.
• Trim out patio door, window, and all screen panels.
• Purchase & hang porch swing & pallet planter.
• Build, prime, paint new steps up to porch.
• Fill nail holes & touch up all trim work.
• Hunt down three cool chairs & paint them.
• Sew a few throw pillows for the porch swing.
• Plant window boxes.
• Mulch garden around porch.
• Perhaps finish off bottom of porch with lattice?

26 days & counting!

the {not so pretty} porch

There's a long and narrow (think 6x14') porch off the back of our house that started out as a hodge podge of things when we moved in, and hasn't been touched much since then.  There are two different tin roofs that have several holes and dents in them, there was one wire "trellis" that I ripped out last summer, and one lattice wall.  There also used to be a speckled gray and black outdoor carpet on it, but that went away last summer too.  Oh, and the front of it sags slightly.  It's a real beauty (see image below).

Disclaimer: This is also before the new roof that we put on in the fall of 2009...this is what the front of the house looked like at the time this picture was taken...yikes!  And on an even scarier note, it used to have pink exterior doors!

 This is what it looks like now, after removing the awnings, shingling, and getting a new front door...

 And this is a Photoshop rendering of what I'm hoping it will look like by the end of the summer: new gray paint color, yellow doors, and new window boxes.  Better, no?!

Anywhoo...back to the back of the house.

This is what I'm toying around with for a layout.  (This sketch is not to scale...just a quick doodle.)  We're planning on creating a screened porch that we can use for eating, entertaining, and relaxation free from mosquitos!)  There's an ugly A/C unit and all of our utilities meters to the south of the porch that I'm planning on hiding with a vertical planter made from an old pallet.  The plan is to build a small bar directly across from the patio doors that will be able to sit all three of us comfortably, and also be used as a buffet when we have guests over.

To the north will be a small sitting/reading/coffee (beer) sipping area with a cute striped rug and a couple of gleaming yellow Adirondacks that I'm hoping to con my dad into building me for my birthday!  I also hope to reuse the "window" boxes that are currently on the porch.

We'll have to tear off the mismatched roof and replace it with a brand new seamless metal roof, replace the siding with some vertical panels, put a new light in, and paint, paint, paint.  I'm thinking that I'll paint the floor a teal-ish color similar to what's on the house now as a little tribute to what will soon be covered in a warm gray.  Here's the mood board I created as inspiration...

1. Pallet Planter Plans from here.
2. Adirondack chairs (hopefully) built by my handy dad.
3. Floor color (inspired by my house and this lovely porch).
4. Bar inspired by a picture on this site. Although I can't find the direct link anymore.
5. Metal roof that I'll get at Menards - probably in "burnished slate".
6. White frame and trim with black door, inspired by this porch. Originally from BH&G.
7. Dash & Albert striped rug, sold here.
8. Totally awesome and inexpensive barn light ($25!) but not sold online, from Menards.
9. Primed siding panels from Menards - painted gray.

The goal is to get the entire project done in time for Grady's third birthday the first weekend in June...and stick within a budget of $500...wish us luck!