So where did we leave off? Oh yeah. The weather. Well, it wouldn’t be a true spring refresh if we didn’t have some true Michigan weather to hold us back. Unfortunately, my other job kept the schedule very limited to weekends, so if the weather didn’t cooperate—which it didn’t—it put a pause on things. Luckily, Lowe’s was SO flexible, and Mary was ridiculously patient with us!
As I said before. Mary’s house appealed to me because it basically served as a blank slate. It was something we could tackle, and it would make a difference every time she pulled in the driveway. So…the before.
And the after…
Crazy, right?
Mary’s landscaping was pretty much nonexistent. There were a couple of over-grown shrubs, but there was nothing soft about the front of the house. I went through with a paint can and laid out some nice curves. I’m not kidding—within an hour, we were at this stage. The Lowe’s employees worked so hard! Call me impressed.
And of course, the painting! I waited until I got to Mary’s in person to choose the color because the brick actually has a bit of a pink tone to it. A slate, smokey blue worked best. Again, we both loved it!
She had such a cute porch, but it definitely needed some life. I chose earth-tone planters that had lots of texture. The plants are low maintenance, and the door mat is a teak wood to match the rest of the landscape decor. Who’s the creepy, hot guy in the reflection?
My personal favorite is this little nook. I could sit there for hours watching cars go by, and I’m hoping Mary enjoys it for the same reason. A little table just big enough for a little book and some coffee, and she’s all set!
I also had them install an updated and chunkier mailbox. That, combined with some colorful impatiens (that should be in a full mound by now!), really rounded out the curb space.
I feel like I have a million and one tutorials to show you, but those will have to be spaced out. For now, I end it with showing you the hard-working, friendly, and eager Lowe’s employees. They listened to direction—even when it sounded crazy at the time—and followed through with perfection!
And as you can see, the weather still didn’t completely cooperate with us! They’re troopers, for sure!
And finally….Mary! So thankful to her and her family for being so hospitable, friendly, and generous. Not only did Mary let me run full reign on this project, but she worked so hard with us to get it done! She deserved a three-day nap afterwards, for sure.
I’ll be back later to show some individual tutorials. Thank you to Lowe’s for coming up with this whole idea and for helping me see it to fruition. What a great idea, eh? Don’t forget that you can check out the other makeovers that took place by these talented bloggers.
City Farmhouse, The Golden Sycamore, Beneath My Heart, Liz Marie Blog, DIY Playbook, Just a Girl, Home Stories A to Z, All Things G&D, Pretty Handy, Brooklyn Limestone