The Lake Life Blog

Tiny Home Makeover - The Front Porch

7/12/2018

A Front Porch Re-do For A Tiny Home

By: Mary Lee Caldwell

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original front porch (deck)

Who says you can’t judge a book by its cover? Sure, it is what is on the inside that truly matters, but what we see on the outside can set the tone for what is to come. Publishers spend a lot of time figuring out how to best present a book to the world, so that readers can know what to expect. We can learn a lot about what is on the inside by what is presented on the outside, and our homes are no exception. That is why this tiny home transformation started with dressing up the front porch entrance.

This newly designed front porch tells a story of what you will find on the inside of this tiny lake home. When walking up to this home, the front porch immediately catches your eye. You see pops of color, natural beauty, and vintage farmhouse sense of style, and this is just a taste of what you will find when you open the front door. Here are a few tips for your own front porch transformation: Pick a porch focal point: As you can see from the before and after photos, the centerpiece of this transformation is adding a new front door from Jeld-Wen Windows & Doors available locally at Millworks Specialties in Heflin. Changing out the bland existing door for a new upgrade with a pop of color provides a focal point for the porch that is welcoming and full of cheer.

front porch re-do and new door with a pop of color

Add natural beauty: Plants are a great way to create a warm and inviting entrance your home. We had lots of help from Susan Reynolds, a master gardener living in Wedowee, in adding natural beauty to the porch from plants. Here we added lots of green and pops of color in planters around the porch. We used a basic color pallet of red and white in our flowers to set our summer scene. Pairing this pallet with the blue door gives our porch a strong patriotic vibe as we head into Independence Day and the last half of summer. We also added sunflowers to mix that add to Americana vibe of the porch.

Bring in Personal Touches: One of my favorite things about this new front porch is that it helps you understand a little about the owners. From the vintage chair and throw pillow, to the incredible artwork from Reclaimed Grace Art by Jessica Bailey, to the charming turtle at the top of the steps, you can tell that the people who live here have wrapped this home in love
and care. By bringing some of your favorite things in your home outside, you give you visitors and passers-by a sneak peek into what makes you and your home special. Be careful with this though, and remember to add these touches in moderation so that you don’t overwhelm your guests before they get on the other side of the front door. Stay tuned for more tips from our tiny home renovation!

Tiny Home Makeover

7/11/2018

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Big Style in Small Spaces with a Tiny Home Makeover

by Leisel Caldwell

Lake homes come in all sizes and price ranges, large custom-built homes, cabins, tiny homes, park model homes, RVs and campers. Our lake home is a park model home, we have owned for 13 years. We fell in love with our tiny home before tiny homes were cool! It has 1 bedroom, 1 bath, full kitchen, small living area and a large screened in porch.

After 13 years it was time for a tiny home makeover. The plan was to create a tranquil space, and multi-functional areas for entertaining and sleeping. This was a DIY project with my husband taking on the first step of converting the porch to a sunroom. The work included new windows being installed as well as beadboard and sheetrock walls, wood ceiling, and adding a heating and air unit. It was my turn next in picking out colors and painting. I picked out a neutral color pallet of burlap, tan and off whites and used painting techniques to create a unique look.

The focus then changed to furniture, space planning and sleeping areas. We needed to be frugal and use much of what we already owned. In our stash was an old futon frame and mattress.

porch prior to makeover

new look for our tiny lake home

We also designed and had built a daybed to fit a twin-size mattress. The daybed is built by Lavoy Caldwell of Papa Built Creations. Papa builds daybeds, swing beds, farmhouse tables, benches and more.

The challenge now was to make the multi-functioning furniture pieces used for seating and sleeping attractive. I started searching for upholsters and online slipcover shops. This is when I found The Slipcover Shop, an online retailer for slipcovers and futon covers. They had 100’s of fabric options, I ordered sample swatches online (at no cost). They suggested using wedge pillows on the back of the daybed to create a softer look and couch like feel. I was instructed on how to measure the twin mattress, wedge foam cushions and futon mattress so they could provide me with a custom fit. I selected my colors, provided measurements, ordered online and received my order in 7 days. The quality of the fabric and workmanship was excellent.

futon with new cover gives additional seating and sleeping

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daybed with covered mattress

daybed with wedge cushions

weathered & distressed walls

The finishing touches to this part of our makeover are the art pieces for our newly renovated space. Jessica Bailey of Reclaimed Grace Art is a local artist with a lot of talent. She has a great flair for farmhouse chic, which is the look I was after for our tiny lake home. I called Jessica and ask her to look at our space. After our meeting, I commissioned her to do 4 pieces. She had them ready in approximately 4 weeks. Let me just say, she hit it out of the park matching my color pallet of drop cloth, burlap, brown and the beautiful blues. I could not be more pleased.

We have a way to go before we are finished with our tiny lake home makeover; the kitchen, the bathroom and bedroom. Stay tuned, same place, same magazine but not sure what issue!

Sponsors of this content include:

The Slip Cover Shop: http://www.SlipCoverShop.com
Reclaimed Grace Art https://www.facebook.com/ReclaimedGraceArt
Papa Built Creations

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