Front Porch Updates: Summer 2012

Yesterday, I teased you with this very subtle makeover.

Today, I’m back as promised with the details and a full front porch reveal.

If you didn’t figure it out, I used my Silhouette and some black vinyl to add a simple monogram to our mailbox. I could have used white vinyl, but I wanted it to camouflage with the mailbox when you look at our house from the street. Mission accomplished.

I designed my monogram in Silhouette Studio and then sent it to cut.

The letters C and M were created using the font Dillenia UPC and the ampersand is Arial.

The frame was created using this shape and the offset tool.

After it was cut, I peeled off the surrounding vinyl and covered it with transfer tape. I usually use other less expensive materials (like Glad Press ‘N Seal) to do this step, but I wanted to make sure the vinyl adhered on the first attempt.

Here’s the mailbox before I added the monogram (I wiped the dust off and dried it).

Our mailbox was actually one of my first experiences customizing decor with spray paint. After we had a new front door installed, we searched everywhere for a reasonably priced mailbox that would suit the style of our door and couldn’t find anything in the right colour. So, we bought one that was brown and then Mr. Mechanic used spray paint in a hammered finish to paint the body black and the top a gunmetal colour. We chose the two-toned look to go with our door hardware.

Sorry, back to the step-by-step.

Using a ruler, I tried my best to center the vinyl on the body of the mailbox. I purposely adhered it closer to the top.

The metallic finish of the mailbox means that the black vinyl blends right in the with rest of my front porch . . . until you’re almost to the door. Then, surprise! Welcome to the home of Claire and Mr. Mechanic (AKA, Matt).

As you’re walking up to the door, here’s what else you will see!

My beautiful planter that is overflowing with purple heart and calibrachoa.

A chippy rocking chair that once lived on my parents’ front porch.

Mr. Mechanic painted it black 4 years ago but winters outside without a protective sealant have left it looking a little weathered.

The chippy goodness is accented by an outdoor cushion from Walmart and my Dollarama chalkboard bucket filled with clearance annuals. I wanted to stretch my potting soil for both porch planters so I used the newspaper trick again.

And here’s the full Summer 2012 view.

Until last summer, we didn’t even know that decorative brickwork existed because it was hidden behind two almost dead bushes. More on the landscaping overhaul another time!

I love our front door, and I love it even more when I’m reminded of how it looked when we moved in.

This is the beaten up original wooden door (our house is about 60 years old) that had been painted many times in its life. It had a mail slot that would flap open on windy days and let in a huge draft during the winter.

When we first moved in, the only way to lock this door was from the outside. Sounds safe, right? We had to install a deadbolt to correct that, but we would never enter the house from the front door. The blur to the right of the door is where our house number hangs.

It took us a while to decide on the type of door to install, and this was one of the few home repairs that Mr. Mechanic did not take on himself. The decorative trim on both sides of the door posed a challenge so he left it to the professionals.

I don’t think I’m being conceited when I say that we have one of the nicest front doors on our street. I wish that I could show you the door that has a giant peacock on it made out of swirled metal . . .

And, for a walk down blog memory lane, here’s what the porch looked like in May when I planted pansies in my rain boots. Remember those? They are probably my most popular blog project so far!

This year is definitely my favourite year in our gardens. The grass may be brown and crunchy but the gardens are lush and in full bloom. I’ll show you the rest, soon!

Have a great day and thanks for reading!

P.S. Did you see our newest garden? It’s a bit too hot to sit out there today!

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