Evolution of Our Home: Exterior Edition

Writing a progress post about the exterior of our home is a tough one for me, not because we haven't done anything to the outside of our house (we totally have), but because there's some areas outside our house where I'm not at a comfortable resting point yet. And showing you pictures of those 'not even close to done' areas is not really getting me all that excited.

But I'd be full of (insert your word of choice here) if I waited until I was happy with every single area of our home before I was willing to show pictures.  For one thing, I'd only get to post about twice a year.  And for another, that's not how DIY/home improvement/decorating works around here.  We do things as we have time, money, and inspiration.  So that leaves an awful lot of in-between time.  So in the name of keepin' it real, I've got to show you the not-so-fab stages, too.

BECAUSE I'M KEEPING IT REAL!  (Movie quote, anyone?)

So, here we go.  Here's the front of the house a few days after we bought it.  We had already ripped out some of the weeds in the flowerbeds, but other than that its our true 'before' picture.

 

 

And here are a few after we did some trimming, mulching and other landscaping

 

The front porch before...

And during....
This is one of those pictures I'd rather not show you.  Notice the concrete that still clings to the remnants of the glue left behind the carpet in the before shot.  The zebra rug was a failed attempt to cover up the nasty concrete, but has become a haven for dirt, mulch, etc.  So it's sort of a lose/lose situation where I don't know what's better: the rug or the concrete.  I'm dying to try an acid stain on the concrete!

On the bright side,  the door has been dressed up a bit.

Onward to the back patio.  Here's the before...

And in progress.  Basically all we've done here is replace the grill and  patio set with options that better fit the space and add some potted plants.  My husband would love to install an outdoor fan, and I'd kind of like the expand the whole patio area to create a lounging area separate from the dining area.  Maybe with a fireplace? You've gotta dream big, people.

 

And finally, the back of the house before...

And after we trimmed bushes, replaced others, and mulched.  There's not much else to be done back here, other than add some stone pavers to line the flowerbeds. 

So that's pretty much where we're at!  I'm not nearly as inspired when it comes to our outdoor spaces, as compared to our indoor spaces (which I could easily decorate over and over again!).  How do you spruce the exterior of YOUR home?