DRAB to FAB - Creating Community Connection!

The outdoor space that I'm excited to transform is my front porch area and the entire curb appeal of the front of the house. It's my goal to keep this makeover within a reasonable budget- and be able to do so in a way that will inspire others to do the same...and that changing the front porch area from DRAB to FAB to create a community connection can be done on a budget, timely, and by anyone.

The current condition of the front of the house is faded! Overgrown! and, well, ugly (in my opinion). It's not very inviting and it's actually somewhat of a challenge to even get to the front door. 

The size is approximately 30 x 15 feet, I'm going to focus on the front of the house (including the siding and cleaning the roof), dressing up the windows, dealing with overgrown shrubs and trees, and adding some functional seating and hangout space.

I plan to refresh the siding with Rust-Oleum's Wipe New Recolor to bring back the faded siding to it's former glory. After that, I'll assess if I should keep the shutters their current color (white) or paint a different color so they "pop" more (I'm thinking Rust-Oleum's Charcol Grey spray paint). 

I'd like to wrap and trim the posts and I need a handrail added to the steps for safety.

Next I'll remove overgrown shrubs (hopefully that'll take care of spiders!), trim the big tree away from the roof! And remove a stump. 

There is a little bit of brick layed between the house and the sidewalk and I'd love to extend it to have a large enough patio for a seating and to give it a "finished" look. (Or build a front porch! whichever option ends up being within budget.)

Of course, seating! After all this work, I'll need a place to rest and relax and admire the transformation.

Decorations will be mostly flowers, I'd like to add window baskets and/or potted plants.

My family loves entertaining, being active outdoors, and being involved in our neighborhood. We have a basketball hoop out front for all the neighborhood kids to come play with. It's our hopes that our home will always be the fun, safe and healthy hangout place for the kids so they can have good community in our neighborhood. 

I think having an inviting home is very important for community outreach, not just for the teenagers in the neighborhood but for the entire family. 

To name a few...

Zinsser JOMAX House Wash for washing the house before ReColor

ReColor (reviving the siding)

Protective Enamel Spray (Shutters and front door in Charcol Grey)

Wood stain (window flower baskets, house number sign, and welcome sign)

Spray paint (for bright and fun outdoor seating and other decor)

Krud-Kutter to remove moss from roof

Never Wet (for fabric patio furniture cushion treatment)

RockSolid Concrete Coating (for the sidewalk and steps that look a little worn and dirty)

Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer (for painting columns and handrail, if painted white)

White paint (for painting columns and handrail, if painted white)

Wood Stain (for staining columns and handrail, if built/wrapped with wood and stained)

Flowers, plants, and other ornamental plants, bricks (which we've salvaged from other projects), wood for flower baskets and welcome sign, large flower pots, wood to wrap the columns and build a handrail, wood for rustic looking house number sign, house numbers, outdoor rug, decorative chairs and throw pillows, a welcome mat, light fixture, decorations and accessories (including a new basketball hoop).  I haven't yet found everything that I'm looking for, but I can't wait to share with you when I do find them! I'd like them to be fun, inviting, functional, and have a bit of a modern rustic farmhouse feel.

I look forward to coming home to this transformation every day. I'm excited for the kids to have a nice space to play, and I'm excited to have our home continue to be the neighborhood hangout where not just kids want to come shoot hoops but their families want to come and hang out- and really be a fun and close-knit community.