This update covers a lot of changes to the exterior of our house since we painted the brick white with breathable masonry paint last year. It remains my favorite makeover so far, but the exterior has continued to evolve — new path, an awning, porch lights that were lowered when the awning was installed, and several landscaping tweaks. Here’s what’s happened over the past twelve months and what we’re still working on.
First, a quick look back at the “before” shot always amazes me. My dad actually texted in all caps last fall asking if we moved because he didn’t recognize the house after it was painted white. I loved that reaction — it made the whole transformation feel even more dramatic.
These photos were taken just a few days ago, so this is how the house looks currently. Comparing a recent shot with one from last fall makes the updates more obvious. We felt the area around the door looked a bit flat from certain angles, so we wanted to add a modest awning — something smaller and more refined than the large portico we removed when we painted the house.
We ordered a sloped steel awning from a company in the U.K. after searching locally and finding that similar ready-made options were prohibitively expensive. Local quotes for a similar awning were two to three times higher than the price from the U.K., so we decided to pay the extra shipping. It’s 8′ wide to fit our sidelights and arrived in a heavy wooden crate we joked about for months before installing.
One reason I felt comfortable ordering from that company is they manufacture and install this particular design regularly, so there was confidence in the product’s durability and function. The awning includes a hidden drip edge with a slight slope so water discharges out the sides instead of pouring straight down on anyone using the doorway — a thoughtful detail that’s already proving useful.
Looking back at the original entrance I love that we kept some elements from the old portico, like the railings, which we repurposed at another property. Removing the large overhang made the facade feel more classic and proportionate to us. We haven’t missed the big portico — packages typically get left by the garage and we use the garage entrance most of the time — but be sure to consider your daily habits if you’re thinking about removing a large overhang from your own front door.
Another visible change is the new tree we planted on the left side of the yard to balance the dogwood on the right. We lost another dogwood a few years ago, so this fall we planted a river birch, which many neighbors have and which thrives here. It will look especially beautiful in spring once both trees leaf out.
We also refreshed the front beds. Much of the original planting has filled in, but I trimmed the formal shrubs to soften them and added three peonies. I found the peonies at a local store and planted them in a smaller bed on the right — if they bloom in spring I’ll be sharing plenty of photos.
We planted a pair of white hydrangeas beside the steps, though they were nibbled by deer this summer. I still love the look of hydrangeas paired with boxwoods, even if our local deer see them as a salad bar. I’ve tried multiple deterrents, but the deer in our area are persistent.
One of the biggest projects was the front path and bluestone landing. Bluestone remains my favorite for outdoor stone and it turned out to be more affordable than other natural stone options like slate. Typical installed costs for bluestone are roughly $10–$13 per square foot, including labor and materials, so getting several estimates helped us plan the budget and pick the right contractor.
Before laying the bluestone we had the steps widened so they’re now the same width as the landing and the approach looks balanced and welcoming. That extra step cost about $450 and was worth it to achieve the look I pictured.
You may notice the new lanterns flanking the door. We installed larger lanterns last winter and relocated them to a more traditional height that aligns with the horizontal cross rail of the door. Patching the brick where the old portico attached and positioning the lights at a conventional height made a big difference in the overall look.
We also addressed some discoloration on the brick risers of the steps. A contractor had previously used latex paint instead of breathable masonry paint, which led to yellowish stains. After priming and repainting with the correct breathable product, the risers now match the house much better and the staining is gone.
Looking ahead, we’ve decided to add shutters again. They won’t be black; we’re going for a more tonal look that complements the white brick. The louvered shutters are on order and we’ll install and paint them when temperatures allow. We plan to add operable hardware as we did at the duplex, and I expect they’ll finish the look nicely.
Other small projects will continue — tweaking plantings, refining the beds, and slowly evolving the front yard over the next few seasons. I’d still love a perfect row of white hydrangeas someday, but for now I’m content watching the yard grow into the vision we’ve been shaping one project at a time.
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