Pep Talk For a Porch Fix Up

It won't be so bad. The prep work is minimal - no prime coat needed, just a good soak. And, it will breath fresh life into your backyard while giving crisp, clean lines to the house profile, just like the new roof did. A two-tone paint job will keep it interesting, and the cool hues will keep it understated. Imagine how much pleasure it will bring you when, during the reign of mosquitos, you and your friends spend summer evenings out there, protected by the window-screens you built.

That's me talking myself into painting and screening the back porch over the next week, starting tomorrow after work. Doing a project of that scale after a work day takes willpower, especially when other tempting activities lurk about, like dinner. It helps to break the scope of the work into stages that can be achieved in a few hours, without compromising your entire evening.

Before and after photos of the living room project help me get psyched up for the porch project. Let me share them with you. We even painted the fireplace, after some inspiration from Young House Love.

Before

After

Can you find the hiding kitty?