Since arriving back in Tennessee yesterday, my husband and I took the day off to get readjusted to real life. The boys stayed home, and together we tackled the remainder of the garage door project. I am still in awe of the way it turned out; I cannot believe this beauty was hiding underneath layers of paint.
We added the hardware, and I re-painted the trim paint. After years of sun exposure, it started becoming discolored, and the fresh coat of paint really made the door pop against the brick. My husband hand-painted the bolts holding the wood planks to the frame, and it completes the entire look. This was a true labor of love, with my husband doing the majority of stripping, sanding, and then staining the door. But the result is worth every frustration, every splinter, and every moment spent bringing this door back to its original glory.
It always turns out that while you’re tackling one project, another project makes its way to the surface. This time, it happened to be the front storm door. Our storm door was not in desperate need of repair, but again years of sitting in the sun had turned it from black to a faded grey. While we were at one of the big box stores, we happened to find another storm door on sale, and it also happened to have a retractable screen on the upper half. We were sold.
I just love how the thick black frame really makes a statement against the brick. It makes for a more substantial entryway. I like to call this Phase I of adding curb appeal to the front of our home. The garage and front door have made a huge improvement; what I would like to see next is shutters on our bare windows. The final step (and fantasy phase) would be to add a front porch, but for now I am going to enjoy the newest improvements. It feels like us. It feels like Home.
Fall is just around the corner, and I cannot wait to have the front door open with the screen door letting the fall breeze into our home.
a life well loved 