While waiting for the LA rain to pass, we had plenty of time to think up exactly what we wanted to get done with the exterior, backyard, driveway, and garage of our home. So, the second those clouds parted and our loyal California sun came back around, we hit the dirt running on getting all of these renovation projects started.
Since this episode spans a couple of months in progress, it's told via vlog footage, so you can see every step of the new paint, the garage door replacement, new flooring, and gym installation, and all of the goodies in the backyard like a new set of steps on the deck and some awesome hardscaping! It's like exterior design Christmas in June!
Watch the episode above and check out some pictures and details of our renovation below!
We tested paint colors on our beige house to find the perfect white for the main house and black for the trim. Now that we've made our selections, the house painting is underway!
Meanwhile, the inside of our house is a bit of a paper cover prison, which is confusing Winston!
Kissing the old garage doors goodbye ...
... and saying hello to the new ones! We picked these up at the same store we purchased our front door from, and they also came unfinished, so we can paint or stain them to look exactly how we want.
The outside of the garage is looking pretty grand with white paint to match the house, and the stained doors!
Now it's the inside's turn! As you recall, our garage had previously been naturally dark wood inside.
We installed insulation and drywall on the walls of the garage and painted everything white, including the bottom of the original shingles, which created an amazing, unique raw ceiling effect. We also shortened the attic space, reinforced it, and installed pony walls to create a cozy loft with a pull-down ladder. Major upgrade!
We also installed bamboo flooring, and are well on our way to converting this space into a home gym!
While we're on the topic of making the features of our home more inhabitant-friendly, it's time to finally do something about that porch!
When we purchased the house, the back deck extended from the master bedroom and then dropped off severely, with only one set of stairs leading down into the yard.
We are remodeling the deck to now include two sets of stairs, one directly off of the master bedroom, and one that leads more to the garage.
Cleaned off, stained ... looking pretty good!
Our mud pit driveway has dried into a dirt pit, but it's not staying that way for long. With a little spray paint planning, we are laying down some stones for a curved path back to the garage.
The pergola is getting the same stone treatment as the driveway! We're brushing over the stones with sand, which fills in the tiny spaces between stones and also gives an organically aged finish to the hardscaping.
