Progress on the Porch

Still away with the kids.  While they still work away on the porch.  And I'm loving the progress in all the pictures being sent to me!!

Before

When I Left

After

Come on!!!  Can you believe it?  Could I be more in love?  Actually, I could. 

But first let me tell you why I'm in love in the first place.  We live in the city.  The city gives us big garbage bins to use (which we must, or they don't collect).  But they are so big on lots that are so small.  They turn into eyesores against the beautiful curb appeal of the neighborhood. 

Unless you have a contractor who likes to think inside a box. 

Side - Before

Side - After

Or a bench.

Genius

You can sit on it - it's normal bench height.  Or you can open it and throw your trash away without your feet hitting the pavement.  It's dreamy.  And it will be amazing in winter.  Yes, I'm excited to throw my trash away in the middle of winter. 

This porch would do that to you, too.

Notice the slats at the back, above the bench.  They echo the fence.  It's the details.

Side & Front

And although they don't match, they work together.  Form and function in both.

Close Up

I'm loving the details.  It helps to have a carpenter who is so good at what he does.

And by good, I mean great.

Our Side

Actually, fabulous. 

Every project has it's story.  And this one is the divider.  We used to have a wobbly, jerry-rigged, 100-coats-of-paint divider.  It was hideous.  Probably slapped up 4 decades ago, and only meant to last until the next neighbor moved in. 

When we started the project, the most discussion was had over the divider.   Wood, glass, slopes, triangles, planters, shorter, taller, wider, you name it.  Then, when the porch was ripped down and the new base was up, our neighbor preferred a divider-less look.  Which was just too hard for a family with three young kids who have a cluttered porch fulls of bikes and boys who wouldn't understand that the neighbor's porch isn't our porch, too.  So, after one last long discussion, we landed on slats.  To compliment the back, above the bench.  But privacy?  Height?  Depth? 

Our carpenter asked if we trust him.  We said yes.  We were both also out of town.

His Side

The open slats are opposite on each side.  It is the same height as it was before.  There is no jerry-rigged support from above anymore.  He dug down to install support from below.  And he jogged the depth back, so the divider starts just a few inches behind the first step. 

Open, yet private, and oh so pretty.  It's true love. 

Who would have thought we could go from this...

to this.

And we're not even done.  The shingles were just applied and the eaves just installed.  Soon it's paint and finishing up the electrical.

But for now, the husband enjoys a pretty view from the garbage bins. 

Which will probably look even better in the middle of winter.