Garage Makeover Reveal

This summer we set out to give our exterior some much needed attention. There were a couple aluminum awnings, some plastic shutters, and faded vinyl that weren’t doing much for first impressions. I was so ready to accomplish this project and excited to get started! And then..the doubt kicked in.

“Do I know how to use a paint sprayer?” “Will I pick the right paint colors?” “What if I do a bad job, then everyone on the street will see?” This was the dialogue that started to run though my mind. It is much less pressure trying something new, inside the privacy of your home. If your idea flops, you can easily change course before anyone sees. Outside on the front of your home, it feels like a stage!

In order to test out our skills and selections we decided that our detached garage would be a great place to start. This is where I could teach myself the best method to clean and paint vinyl and Nick could learn to build a pergola..a couple of the things that we are planning to do to our home. We could also see if we liked the way things were coming together. Now, a week later we finished this flip and love it! I am confident in our ability to take on our home and breathe a new life into it! Here is a before and after of what we did:

One of the things that is important to keep in mind when changing your exterior is the style of your home. Our house is a little ranch in a neighborhood with identical houses. When deciding our design direction we didn’t want to venture into styles that wouldn’t lend themselves to our neighborhood, for example: craftsman, or ultra modern. Instead we wanted to embrace the cute and “cottagy” feel of these little houses and lean into it.

The first thing we did was wash the vinyl with a brush and vinyl cleaner. It was important to use a cleaner with a mildew/mold killer in order for the paint to adhere properly to the vinyl. On the right side of this photo you can see where we had scrubbed…this was satisfying!

After the scrubbing was complete we were ready to paint. I love the timelessness of a white house. It acts as the perfect backdrop for interesting light fixtures, front door colors and plants. We decided to use a sprayer from Lowes to make the job easier and it was such a time saver! We even started with one sprayer and exchanged it for another. Spending the extra $20 for a better model was so worth it!

Nick is so good at projects! He installed this new light fixture for us and even built a pergola over our garage door. When looking at pergola kits the prices averaged at around $1,500, we were able to build ours for $75. I purchased a climbing arbor rose and I am so excited to watch it grow around this.

Close up of the plants we chose. I love the way these bright roses pop against the white.

I love the new view I have out of our kitchen window when finishing up the dishes at night and getting ready for bed.

There it is! A full garage makeover that we did ourselves!

Thank you for reading! Are there any projects at your home that you want to try but might be intimidated by? I have to say, this made me feel brave enough to attempt mine!