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Young House Love » Our Third House » How To Paint Your Garage Door & Utility Box

| By John Petersik | May 22, 2014 | 313 Comments

How To Paint Your Garage Door & Utility Box

Do you guys ever get those irrational worries about how your house looks right before hosting a party? Leading up to Clara’s birthday on Saturday I was thinking random stuff like “I really should touch up some of the caulk in the sunroom before everyone comes over” like anyone would notice. And Sherry said “the patio table could use a fresh coat of paint” was running through her head when we were using a tablecloth anyway. But one thing that never crossed our minds was: “The back door is in pretty rough shape. Maybe we should do something about it before IT BECOMES THE PLACE WHERE KIDS PLAY WITH BUBBLES FOR HOURS.” Oh well.

Girls Playing With Bubbles At Kids Birthday Party In Front Of Brick Wall And Unpainted Garage Door

The good news is that this door (it leads to the garage by the way) could have looked worse. Here’s what we were dealing with last summer before we ditched the broken screen door & replaced the old rusted light (which we’ve since swapped out again, but more on that in moment).  Ignore the green tint on those bricks – they need some attention.

Side By Side Of Garage Access Door With Screen Door Removed

The screen door removal accentuated the fact that the cream-colored door didn’t match the white trim on the rest of the house while revealing more creaminess (and dirtiness) from where it had been attached. That along with the cracking and flaking paint, ugly meter box, and our inability to keep the hose tamed made for a pretty unkempt look for Saturday’s guests. At least we had gotten around to mulching and adding some fresh stones pre-party (we don’t have gutters, so the rocks keep dirt and mulch from splattering everywhere during storms).

Before Photo Of Unpainted Door With Spiderwebs And Dirt

Luckily no one left the party complaining about how our door ruined the event (I think we successfully distracted everyone with bubbles, bubbles, and more bubbles), but twenty photos of kids smiling in front of THAT DOOR were enough to finally spur us into action. First I prepped it by wood filling the holes, scraping off any peeling paint, sanding the rough spots, and giving the door and the windows a good cleaning. Then I applied two coats of Sherwin Williams’ Snowbound (leftover from the rest of the house’s trim). I rolled all of the flat parts and used an angled brush to do the window mullions, which then got scraped clean with a straight razor after everything dried.

Preparing And Painting Door For Painting With Scraper And Rag And Primer

While I tackled the door, Sherry painted the meter box a color that’s closer to the bricks. It’s a quick update that we broke out in our first house that only calls for a test pot of outdoor paint (she used Behr Premium Plus Interior/Exterior paint in Burnt Russet) and around twenty minutes for two quick coats.

Painting Outdoor Electrical Box To Match Red Brick Wall

We also picked up a hose pot from Lowe’s in an attempt to keep that hose in order. We’ve never used one before, but hope we have better luck with it than those winding hose storage boxes that we’ve attempted before.

Garden Hose Coiled In Oil Rubbed Bronze Hose Pot From Lowe's Outdoor Organization

Oh and the light. We made this swap over the winter but it was so sad and brown outside that we never got around to taking after photos. We liked but didn’t love the lights we installed last November, and some of you wisely pointed out that their design wasted a lot of light that was cast upwards. We soon stumbled upon a matching pair of these lights at our favorite local lighting shop (the Decorating Outlet here in RVA). It and its bigger cousin, which we installed above the garage, each had a cracked pane of glass on the side so they were marked down by 50%. To fix them we replaced the broken pane on the side of each one with the mint-condition pane from the back of each one. Since it sits so close to the house you can’t see that it’s missing back there anyway.

Traditional Lantern Outdoor Sconce By Garage Door

When everything was said and done, the space was definitely looking fresher, although it’s not exactly heart-stoppingly-exciting. We’ll eventually plant some stuff in the mulched bed which should help – and we might grab a bright doormat for a little more color. In the meantime we tossed down a spare black-bordered one that we had in the garage.

Close Up Of Updated Outdoor Area With Painted Door New Light And Disguised Electrical Box

There’s so much else going on nearby with the deck that we might be over-thinking the whole “more color” thing. The reason we opted to paint the door white was so that it didn’t call too much attention to itself and just kinda blended in with the rest of the house’s white trim (and matched the white french door in the sunroom).

View Of Brick House Backyard With Refreshed Garage Door Area

We don’t have any more parties planned for a while, but we hope to host some low-key family BBQs over the summer like we did last year when things were looking more like this…

Before Photo of Backyard Area With Messy Unorganized Items After Move In

Something tells me this year’s gatherings will be a little easier on the eyes.

After Photo Of Backyard Area With Cleaner Landscaping And Grass

Oh and while we were on the outdoor updates train, we grabbed this three-tiered plant hanger from Home Depot. It’s by Pennington if that helps you hunt it down – and we hung it next to the kitchen window on the deck. Since we were drilling into brick, we needed to break out the hammer drill with a masonry bit, but it just took two screws and anchors (meant for brick) to secure it.

Herb Pots Hanging From Hook On Brick Wall Off House

With all the deer that roam our yard we’d be hard-pressed to have any luck with raised beds in the grass, so we thought this solution was an easy way to add some herbs to a place that we hope won’t be infiltrated (we went with basil, parsley, and lemon balm). We’ve never seen them up on our deck (our theory is that they smell Burger and don’t want any part of that) so we’ll have to see how it goes.

Detail Of Herb Pots Hanging From Chain

We’d eventually like to build and stain a big wooden planter (most likely one that moves so we can find the best spot on the deck to put it) for larger edibles like tomatoes and peppers – so we’ll have to see if we can get that done before planting season is over.

Is anyone else planting stuff like herbs or tomatoes? Or do you get those weird last minute worries about fixing something totally random (like caulk) before a party? In the end does it feel like nobody notices anyway? Although that baby pool/mower/dead grass/slate collection/table combo that we had going on in the backyard last summer might have been hard to miss.

P.S. We took Teddy’s five week picture yesterday, and he looks twice as big as he did in the first one (this morning he weighed in at 11 pounds!).

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Comments

  1. Janelle @ Two Cups of Happy says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:08 am

    The hanging planter is so nice! I’m now scheming to get one for our new house — which will have a back yard. Yay! Also loving Teddy’s pics. Baby bellies are the cutest.

    Reply
  2. Caitlyn says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:08 am

    I always feel like snakes will want to live in those hose baskets. Possible irrational fear speaking.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:09 am

      It would be pretty smart of them – they’d blend right in…

      xo
      s

    • Rene @thedomesticlady says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:15 am

      lol. I check our hose box every time I work with the hose because I am so freaked out that snakes live in it. #yayforirrationalfears

    • Beth Ann says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:51 am

      This is my biggest fear!!! I have a crazy irrational fear of snakes…. like I have nightmares. I have looked at the hose baskets because I like how they look, but for some reason I always then think “snakes would like it to”. Not sure why?

    • Beth Ann says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:54 am

      …maybe because of the image of snake charmers that I have in my head?

    • kg says

      May 22, 2014 at 1:33 pm

      Me too! *shudder* I loved the *idea* of the hose basket, looks so cool – tried it, could not stand it! LOL I like the kind that mounts on the house – or even just stick in the ground – and you just roll it up on there. No hiding places!

    • Jennifer says

      May 22, 2014 at 5:22 pm

      Not irrational at all! Snakes love those things! They get nice and warm and the water drips etc create a nice place for bugs to congregate, creating a food source!

    • Aimee says

      May 26, 2014 at 11:00 pm

      Not that irrational – I thought of it, too! That, and slimey patches of mildew growing on the hose because it’s likely going to go in there wet.

      I saw a new neighbor’s hose getting corralled by cementing in one of those thick, squared, newel-type pressed wood posts that go between fence sections – even used some plastic bed edgers to create a perfect square of cement around it – and screwed plant holders to the front. Not only did that keep it off the ground so it could drip-dry, she said it was easier to do the wrap thing because you didn’t need to bend over like the previous thing attached to the house, plus the post was set in at the edge of the driveway, so she didn’t need to traipse through the previous owner’s pear crisps (really cute ruffly green plants)to put the hose away anymore.

      Bonus: there were longer, scrolly-looking plant holders on the sides near the top with pretty hanging baskets of flowers, some kind that didn’t need direct sunlight all of the time so that the shadow of the house wouldn’t interfere with growth. The whole setup kind of camoflauged the exterior HVAC as well, as it drew the eye up instead of down to the bed.

    • Josh says

      May 28, 2014 at 7:26 pm

      Ha, I understand the fear. What Do live in the hose baskets where we live are huge spiders and that’s worse for me.
      Anyhow great change on the backyard and door. Paint is hands down the cheapest tool that makes the biggest difference.

  3. karen says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:14 am

    i would paint that door a dark shade…like the windows or the same color as the siding on top of the sunroom. it would hide dirt better and i think would look sharp.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:17 am

      Thanks Karen! The french door on the other side of the back of the house is white (leading into the living room from the sunroom) so that’s why we went white over here for some balance – but we’re planning to do black garage doors I think (to tie into our black shutters in the front, which we hope to add around back someday too).

      xo
      s

  4. Ashlea says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:15 am

    Thinking the same thing about snakes and the hose pot! I had that same Fisher Price rocker/bassinet thing. I loved it!

    Reply
  5. Olivia says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:16 am

    You might consider using Earthboxes (www.earthbox.com) inside those eventual moveable planters… they are essentially maintenance free, and veggies seem to grow so well in them!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:17 am

      Thanks for the tip Olivia!

      xo
      s

    • Elle says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:30 am

      You can also DIY one, just google “self watering containers”. I have a few that are made from two five gallon buckets, some pvc, and a yogurt cup. Just add dirt and plants. I think I made five in about a half hour? (It’s just as easy to make five as one.)

    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:34 am

      Sounds cool!

      xo
      s

    • Elle says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:32 am

      Oh also I forgot to say you can put these on your porch where the deer won’t go (I assume – the deer might prove me wrong! I don’t live in an area with a deer problem.)

    • Heidi S says

      May 22, 2014 at 11:32 am

      I made my own self watering planter (a diy earthbox) out of rubbermaid totes. I have a brick house with a patio, so I just put a little brick wall around the planters on my patio -noone notices the ugly rubbermaid containers and the bricks were leftover from remodeling the house. plus this way I have bigger water reservoirs than the earthbox, so i almost never water, even in the Maryland heat :) its a lazy + cheap win!!

    • Kate says

      May 23, 2014 at 10:43 am

      Yes! When they said “moveable garden” I immediately thought of this Tower Garden thing I just saw in BHG: http://missearthhawaii.com/news-events/projects/ I can’t find a link to that article, but now I’m considering one too! Good luck.

  6. CarrieE says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:18 am

    We had a mad dash to party prep for our one-year-old on Saturday. It made me realize (hosting a gathering always does) how much I want to stay on top of projects – more of a slow and steady wins the race mentality. You guys are a true inspiration when it comes to thinking like that. You are good at breaking projects down in to manageable parts. I’ve always been a marathoner for projects and events, saying I worked best under pressure. Well, that approach isn’t working for us anymore. Times are changing. That sweet little boy of yours is really growing and changing. Looks like Clara’s party was a hit, too!

    Reply
  7. Barbara says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:18 am

    That three-tiered plant hanger! That is EXACTLY the sort of thing I’m looking for for my tiny L-shaped kitchen that gets great light in a narrow vertical strip. Once again, you have saved the day. I also used your paint colors for cabinets and walls, after a state of analysis paralysis.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:22 am

      So glad!

      xo
      s

  8. Laura @ Rather Square says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:18 am

    Great door update! We’ve got a super old front door that fits the house (size-wise) so we probably will be keeping it but just repainting it. One of these days!

    In terms of planting, we just finished a round of late-spring landscaping on our ornamental backyard garden. It’s a beautiful space that the previous owner put together, so we are trying to keep it up while changing out a few things to better suit what we like:
    http://www.rathersquare.com/2014/05/landscaping-late-spring/

    I love your hanging herb garden!

    Reply
  9. Meredith says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:18 am

    Looks great, guys! Just a tip in case you ever want a garden. We are using Liquid Fence this year and it’s keeping the deer away from our tomatoes! Also, it’s not harmful to the environment.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:22 am

      Thanks for the tip!

      xo
      s

    • Mary | Lemon Grove Blog says

      May 22, 2014 at 11:04 am

      So glad to hear someone has had good luck with this, Meredith! I spotted it at the hardware store last week and I was curious if it worked or not, so it’s good to hear a positive testimony! :)

  10. Quilter says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:20 am

    Nice outdoor updates!!! I saw that hanging planter at Home Depot the other day and was really tempted. It’s really a nice decoration and functional. As for growing vegetables, please please please look into buying an “Earth Box.” I cannot recommend them enough. They are basically self-irrigating, no guesswork containers. I grew cherry tomatoes and peppers last year with much success! I highly recommend them and they are reusable so the initial investment is totally worth it.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:22 am

      Second tip on that! Will have to look into them!

      xo
      s

  11. Tori H says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:20 am

    My veggie garden is in full swing, but being in south Texas, our planting season starts in.. February..haha! As for deer solutions, you could try a raised bed with fencing around it, sort of like this: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=raised+bed+with+deer+fence&FORM=HDRSC2#view=detail&id=142A0E46873D96CE122C2C1E228A2D2F6F02148B&selectedIndex=12. It doesn’t seem to difficult to make for handy folks such as yourselves. ;-)

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:23 am

      Thanks for the link Tori! That’s so nice looking – like an upscale chicken coop!

      xo
      s

    • Vicky says

      May 22, 2014 at 2:19 pm

      That raised bed/fence combo is awesome!

    • Aimee says

      May 26, 2014 at 11:16 pm

      My mother ended up doing something similar years ago. She had 2 large raised beds made of old RR ties my dad got somewhere, growing corn in one, and tomatoes, lettuce, cukes, and cabbage in the other. Woods backed up to our yard and man, did those deer aggravate her with their nibbling! She improvised on the small veg bed by getting really big tomato cages that she covered up and topped off with chicken wire. On the corn she made Eiffel Towers out of several cages attached to each other so the corn could grow tall. It worked.

  12. Margee Krebs says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:21 am

    THANKS for reassuring me that I probably shouldn’t stress about the state of my house just before hosting a party! My son’s graduation party is this weekend, and I am trying to limit the “house projects” (along with all the cooking, cleaning and decorating) that I irrationally think need to be done before I have people over. Your house is looking great, and I think you’re amazing to be doing anything as parents of a four-year-old and a five-week-old!

    Reply
    • Aimee says

      May 26, 2014 at 11:20 pm

      That pic of Teddy looks like he eyeballed something and is guesstimating width with his hands – quick, throw that kid a yardstick and get him started early! :-D

    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 27, 2014 at 8:40 am

      Haha!

      xo
      s

  13. Elizabeth says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:21 am

    We hosted a Kentucky Derby party earlier this month and I was frantically re-caulking the backsplash behind the kitchen sink an hour before guests started arriving. My husband would have done it, except I had sent him out in search of a flower arrangement for the dining room table because I wasn’t happy with what I had.

    I can tell you that no one noticed the sink, and I ended up using the arrangement I already had, and it was perfect and the table looked great. My husband thinks I’m nuts.

    Reply
  14. Melanie says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:23 am

    Oh man, I don’t think I could live without our screen doors! Love having the main doors open and the breeze coming thru.

    Love the hanging planters though!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:25 am

      That’s just the door to our garage, so we never used the screen and it was broken (instead of closing slowly it slammed super loudly), but I know what you mean about loving a screen for the breeze :)

      xo
      s

  15. Olianna says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:23 am

    My hubby is going to think I’ve lost my mind when I start painting our meter boxes this weekend!

    Reply
  16. robin says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:23 am

    I have totally calked before a party! Lol, crazy but true!

    Reply
  17. Emily @ DavenportDIY says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:25 am

    That hanging planter is awesome!! Just an FYI about herbs- 95% of the time deer will not mess with them because they are too aromatic for them. The strong scent actually repels them- so if you want to keep them from eating your other plants, plant some herbs very close by (rosemary is a great one that is a perennial) and they should leave them alone! Although a hanging planter is a great idea for herbs because some of them can get out of control :)

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:29 am

      Love that tip! I would have thought they’d love a little gourmet meal of basil. Ha!

      xo
      s

    • Nichole K says

      May 23, 2014 at 12:57 pm

      Deer don’t like lavender either and it’s also a perennial! We have lavender near our hydrangeas, along with some liquid fence. So far, so good this year.

    • Aimee says

      May 26, 2014 at 11:26 pm

      Lavender, yarrow, and sage generally have a strong odor, too. There’s also a creeping thyme, also quite fragrant, that you could train to grow up a trellis or sticks around plants the deer like to eat. Get a sampling of the above and see which ones repel the best.

  18. Charlotte says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:25 am

    I spent yesterday evening putting potatoes in the ground and planting tomatoes in the greenhouse. We have problems with deer as well, so a hanging planter for herbs might be a good solution! I love yours, it looks great.

    Reply
  19. Christine says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:25 am

    I actually had no idea that some houses don’t need gutters. When you mentioned that, I was like, “Wait. WHAT?” Maybe it’s because you don’t have basements, so you don’t have to worry about the water pooling around your foundation walls and making the basement damp?
    Anyway, those little updates make a big difference! I have one of those storm doors that’s pretty large (it only has the screen/window up top) and I recently gave it a fresh coat of white paint and it made a way bigger difference than I ever anticipated. The problem is, our shutters are white and it really highlighted all the peeling paint on them, so I think we’re going to replace them with new black shutters, so it’s not so monochromatic. Glad to see you guys enjoying the outdoors already!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:30 am

      I actually wouldn’t recommend the whole no-gutter thing. We have learned that our crawl space is a little more damp than we’d like, and gutters would solve that issue. The odd thing is that in our neighborhood only about 50% of the houses have gutters (and they’re all old houses so we figured “if they’re fine without them you must not need them”) but it turns out they make things a lot easier. We might add some eventually.

      xo
      s

  20. lilly says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:25 am

    too many deers in my area, gave up planting flowers and get very mad when the first buds show up and the deer can smell it from miles away = gone! no thank you very much! but will love to have some raise beds for planting veggies and such…ahhh, some day, and will need to have chicken wire all around because of deer and rabbits!!! love the tier hanging herbs, will need to try soon :)

    Reply
  21. Sara S says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:26 am

    Here’s some good news: deer will not touch any of the herbs you just planted. So if you would like to go with something more colorful in the protected pots next year, the herbs can go right in deer territory. Trust me, I have 8-12 deer browsing my yard daily, and, while no “deer proof” flower has been spared, they do avoid the herbs. Enjoy!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:28 am

      Really?! That’s amazing! I expected them to munch things like basil with reckless abandon.

      xo
      s

  22. Richelle says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:27 am

    Ha! So with you! We’re having people over this weekend, and all I can think about is how the caulk in the downstairs bathroom is not finished. Never mind the hole in the wall over the sink where we ripped out the fluorescent light fixture… :-/

    Reply
  23. Cat @ MaryMarthaMama says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:27 am

    So this is totally my naivete but I thought all homes had gutters? How does the water get away from your house? Does this only work on homes without basements?

    Oh, and good going Teddy on all the growing! But I have to laugh a little because my oldest was 10 lbs 13 oz at birth. So we hit 11 lbs pretty early on :)

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:43 am

      I actually wouldn’t recommend the whole no-gutter thing. We’ve learned that our crawl space is a little more damp than we’d like, and gutters would solve that issue. The odd thing is that in our neighborhood only about 50% of the houses have gutters (and they’re all old houses so we figured “if they’re fine without them you must not need them”) but it turns out they make things a lot easier. We might add some eventually.

      xo
      s

    • Amanda says

      May 22, 2014 at 4:48 pm

      Some houses (normally older) do not have gutters. I think it all depends on the soil drainage around the home. Our house does not have gutters and we have a fully finished basement that has never had a problem with water; definitely not a damp basement. However, the area we live in has really sandy soil, so their is great drainage naturally.

  24. Tracie says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:29 am

    Can you please tell me where those fox pants from Teddy’s 4 week picture are from? They are adorable (of course the model is too!)!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:34 am

      They’re from a friend but she got them on Etsy. There’s no tag on them, but maybe go to etsy.com and search for fox pants?

      xo
      s

  25. Beks says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:30 am

    I’ve got a bunch of herbs that I need to actually plant. I have planters for them, but I’m wary of planting certain things together, since things like Rosemary and Mint will take over the entire planter.

    Reply
  26. Jessica says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:31 am

    My sister is getting married June 1, and as maid of honor, I am hosting a bridal brunch at my house the day before. I have been going mad for weeks with nonsense! We moved into our first home last September, so there is so much left to do. Apparently I think it ALL needs to be done by that day. I have painted my entire dining room set, a ceiling fan, night stands, front door, sofa table, flower pots… It all needed to be done, but I apparently am taking the opportunity to do all of it at once which is stressing me out big time, and there is no end in sight for my neurotic party hosting perfectionism!I also took an entire day to weed our front beds, and now I am making my husband power wash everything. He is so sweet to go along with my crazy!

    Reply
  27. Jennah says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:31 am

    I am 97% sure that is parsley, lemon balm, and basil. Not oregano…based on the pics. Do those planters have holes in the bottom? Be careful that they don’t get waterlogged during big rains if not. And they are small, so you’re prob gonna need to water them a LOT when it gets hotter out. Super cute, tho!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:33 am

      Thanks Jennah! You’re right, it’s parsley!

      xo
      s

    • Aimee says

      May 26, 2014 at 11:52 pm

      Uh-oh. I think deer will eat parsley! Well, maybe the lemon balm will repel them.

  28. jeannette says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:33 am

    here at the rancho atomico, the front door is under a car port. so no living plants were possible. my plastic barrel cactus in a tire urn — moved in front of the rubbed glass sidelight — makes me happy every day. would you consider really expensive tall faux topiaries on either side of your back door?

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/purejuice/6098096561/

    Reply
    • jeannette says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:34 am

      ribbed glass, sorry

    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:41 am

      I think that would look awesome Jeannette!

      xo
      s

  29. Manda Wolf says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:33 am

    I need to do that too. Our side door is all yucky and yellowed with age. I kept meaning to replace it, but I should really paint it first. I need to install a new storm door, I’m thinking a full glass one, I may even paint my electric boxes. We have left over paint we paint matched when we did the garage so it wouldn’t be much to fix that, I never thought about that being ugly. Maybe even a solar light since there isn’t anything there… Thanks for inspiring me to deal with our ugly side door area!

    Reply
  30. Olivia says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:34 am

    Looks great! I especially like the painted meter box and hose basket. Quick typo note: “test post of outdoor paint” instead of test pot.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:40 am

      Thanks Olivia! All fixed!

      xo
      s

  31. Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:34 am

    We’re throwing a party in July and there are so many things I want to do before we have people coming over, but I’m trying to remind myself that it doesn’t really matter what our patio looks like when we will mostly be inside anyway.

    Reply
  32. liz says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:35 am

    Question about the rock/pebble edging along your house… did you post about that? Is that an aesthetic thing? Or a functional thing? Just curious.

    And to answer your first question – Yes! I totally think of little (sometimes ridiculous) house updates that HAVE to get done before parties… :)

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:37 am

      John mentioned the whole pebble thing in the post briefly (it’s kind of a long story, but we don’t have gutters so the rocks are there for drainage and to keep the mulch/dirt from splashing everywhere). We’d like to add gutters someday though – it’s not the most ideal thing to be without them!

      xo
      s

    • liz says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:38 am

      ack – I just re-read your post… those are to prevent mulch splatter… cool. ok. Sorry for the question. :)

    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:44 am

      No worries!

      xo
      s

  33. Jeana says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:35 am

    I just love your blog! I love the door updates and Clara’s party looked awesome. I love (and used for three of my daughters) that baby cradle. I love it. However be careful and make sure that you rotate his head (two of my daughters had a flat head and I feel like that bed contributed to it). With my last baby I was more aware of how she slept in it (I mainly used it around the house during the day) and it was great. Congratulations on everything!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:39 am

      Thanks Jeana! We used it for Clara too, so we hope we have the same luck with Teddy (we wear him a lot and he sleeps in a crib for the night, so it’s just a quick cat nap or a little awake time that he’ll spend in there for the most part). Will keep an eye on his head though! :)

      xo
      s

  34. Tatiana says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:38 am

    I think that the step in front of the door would benefit from being extended both lengthwise and width wise. Sometimes when a door is so level with the ground, the small steps go unnoticed and lead to tripping. But maybe I’m just clumsy :P

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:42 am

      That would be nice!

      xo
      s

  35. Angel says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:38 am

    Love the new lights. Teddy is so cute! And big already! Did you do a 4yr shot of Clara for her photo project?

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:43 am

      So behind on that! Trying to do it this week!

      xo
      s

  36. Nina D says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:38 am

    “our theory is that they smell Burger and don’t want any part of that”

    That gave me the funniest image of a group of strapping deer walking onto your deck, sniffing, and yelling: “Chihuahua! RUN!!!!”

    I never had any luck with those bowl-type organizer thingies. I (and my even less patient husband) find it too much of a hassle winding the hose up into the relatively small bowl. While not as attractive a solution, I always found a hose reel cart a lot easier to deal with. Once its on there, you just turn the crank handle and you’re good to go. But, again, not pretty.

    The update looks great! I love when the little jobs produce so much reward.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:42 am

      Ha, I love your mental image! We have tried those hose reel things and they always seem to get snagged/tangled so I guess we’re hoping the bowl is easier? We shall see…

      xo
      s

  37. Karen L. says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:39 am

    We started a “salad” garden for the first time this year in pots on our high deck because of the deer. We planted crunch-butter lettuce, cherry tomatoes and parsley. They’re doing great and it’s fun to “harvest” the lettuce, starting with the large, outside edges first–fun! You’d probably enjoy that and Clara could help, too. :)

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:41 am

      Love that!

      xo
      s

  38. Tiphani says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:40 am

    My backyard is my summer project and this post gave me a couple more ideas! I love the hanging plants and the hose bucket – those are definitely going on my project list!

    Reply
  39. Jane says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:41 am

    Will you update Clara’s photo page with a 4 year old shot?

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:44 am

      Still have to take that! Hopefully this week!

      xo
      s

  40. Beth says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:41 am

    Looks fabulous! Love that planter!!

    Reply
  41. Stephanie says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:42 am

    You guys are so lucky you get to work on your house for a living!

    Reply
  42. Allison says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:44 am

    My inlaws live on 13 acres near the river. They combat the deer with fishing wire on post around there raised beds like a fence. It has worked well for them where other things have not worked in the past.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:45 am

      Never heard of that!

      xo
      s

  43. Cindy says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:45 am

    Sherry and John: I never think of the little projects until it is too late! The new door light is nice. Have you heard of or used Wet & Forget(removes mildew and more)? I only recently heard of it and am thinking of using it on the back side of our home. This post has prompted me to get outside and work on some quick projects that have been left undone for too long!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:46 am

      Never heard of it! Anyone tried it? Would love to hear more. Is it bad for the environment/kids/pets?

      xo
      s

  44. Larissa says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:47 am

    You make these little updates look so easy, I might actually have to get on that and paint my exterior doors.

    Questions about mosquitoes: Are they very bad there? Here in North Texas they are vicious and abundant. I would like to find an alternative to dousing my toddlers in deet every time we go outside. They’re so bad that we avoid going outside and that’s no way to spend the spring/summer. What do you guys do to combat those suckers? Thanks!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:57 am

      We do have them but they seem to hate fans, so we try to run those two fans in the sunroom if they’re bad. You can even put out a table fan on oscillate and it can help (ours usually get worse later in the season so they weren’t an issue at the party). John is allergic to Deet, but we have found some more eco alternatives (just heard that Honest Co has some if that helps).

      xo
      s

    • Claire says

      May 22, 2014 at 11:16 am

      You should try the avon Skin-So-Soft bug repellent, it’s made with citronella and it’s deet free. Works great!

  45. Lindsay @ The Newlywed Notebook says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:47 am

    Wow! What a transformation with the door. When you showed the “before” photos, my immediate thought was, “oh, that’s not so bad!” But after seeing the after photos it’s crazy what a difference it made! I love the hanging herbs idea too! Might have to try that one out at our own house :)

    Reply
  46. Katharine says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:50 am

    If you’re tired of tangled-up water hoses, you should get an X-Hose or X-Hose Pro. My husband saw the infomercial about three years ago, geeked out, ordered two, and is still geeking out over them! They really do shrink up to a fraction of the overall length and are SO much easier to deal with! (You can buy them in stores now, too.)

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:58 am

      Sounds awesome!

      xo
      s

  47. Megan says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:51 am

    Never though I’d be envious of a hose basket. Being a home owner does weird things to one’s priorities. Just yesterday, I was bragging about one teeny tiney pod coming in on my snap pea plant. I have three different basil plants in containers (along with lemon thyme, lemon mint, and marigolds) because I read they’re suppose to repel mosquitos which just adore me unfortunately. Going to finally use some of the basil this weekend though in a caprese pasta salad. I have no idea what to do with the lemon thyme but it sure is pretty.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:57 am

      Hahah! I love it!

      xo
      s

    • beth says

      May 22, 2014 at 8:36 pm

      Megan, last year i used my over abundance of herbs to flavour water. i bet some lemon thyme in a jug of water would be delicious.

  48. heather says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:53 am

    First, I like the white door. Second, those planters are adorable. Third, oh GOODNESS am I planting. Excluding every other thing, I currently have 28 tomatoes to get in the ground in the next weekend or two. Twenty-eight. I’m going to be up to my eyeballs in tomatoes come September. I forsee some swearing, and lots of preservation in my future – and delicious delicious homemade tomato sauce in the winter.

    Reply
  49. Alli says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:53 am

    I saw your doormat and immediately thought of the cute diy wooden ones you could whip up pretty quickly. Thinking the middle or bottom ones on this pin http://www.pinterest.com/pin/101823641548044902/

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 22, 2014 at 10:57 am

      So. Cute.

      xo
      s

  50. Christy Niebaum says

    May 22, 2014 at 10:53 am

    Love that 3-tiered hanging pot system!

    For my daughter’s birthday party in February, I was like, “OMG, I have to finish painting the trim in our guest bathroom and touch up the caulk around the stall shower!” and then NOBODY used that bathroom during the party. Figures.

    Reply
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John and Sherry Sitting On Woven ChairHey, we’re John & Sherry. We’ve fixed up 7 homes, written books, designed products, started a podcast, and then downsized & moved to the beach! Here you’ll find over 3,000 DIY projects & home updates. More about us…
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