Let’s start by setting the scene: It’s Saturday morning, the dishes are clean, the laundry is done, and there’s nothing to do but sit and relax. You pour a steaming cup of coffee (or tea) and curl up in a cozy armchair, fuzzy socks and all, ready to tune into your favorite home improvement channel. In this episode, the homeowner is transforming the front exterior of their house. It’s inviting, and warm, and you can't wait to see the before and after…only this transformation story isn’t on TV. It’s the house across the street from you and it’s gained quasi-celebrity status in your modest, transitional residential neighborhood because of the impact of the transformation.

While the neighbor-as-viewer portion of this story may be made up, the celebrity status of this home amongst its peers is not. This is a wonderful example of the best kind of before-and-after story in which we were proud to play a part. The house is on a heavily trafficked street in an established neighborhood. The existing ranch home had a traditional gabled stoop that offered shelter from the rain, but not much else. We replaced it with a small front porch, the perfect size for a couple of rocking chairs. But, beyond creating a comfortable and attractive place to watch the world go by, this porch transformed the entire look of the home.

The previous portico had the bad habit of simply blending in. The new porch with its hip roof, gable entryway, and craftsman-style square pillars invites all who enter, enhanced by the paver pathway and landscaping.

The owner made a masterful change in the color scheme but flipping it from dark shutters on a light home to white shutters on forest-green brick. The stained door, trimmed in white, creates a beautiful contrast that further invites and ushers guests into the home.

As you step onto the porch you’ll notice a stained wood beadboard ceiling, a wooden foundation and skirting painted to match the rest of the home, and floors of stained cypress tongue and groove planks. While this type of flooring may require occasional oiling to keep their rich color, the wood adds rustic authenticity to the cottage vibe of the home.

The transformation is palpable. The addition of this porch combined with the new color scheme created an entirely new home. In this neighborhood, the owner is famous as the owner of “that greenhouse.” This façade makeover was the talk of the town, and to our pleasure, a few admirers even went so far as to knock on the door to ask who the builder was.

So the saying goes, “don’t judge a book by its cover.” If at first you don’t love the exterior look of your home you can go beyond landscaping to enhance it. If you’re looking for a custom front porch here in the Nashville market, look no further than The Porch Company. For your own home makeover give us a ring for a free consultation at 615-662-2886, email us at hello@porchcompany.com or click this link here.