* LOWE’S HOME IMPROVEMENT IS A SPONSOR OF THIS BLOG POST. THEY PROVIDED SOME ITEMS I CHOSE AND I WAS COMPENSATED FOR MY TIME CONCEPTUALIZING, SOURCING, DECORATING, PHOTOGRAPHING, EDITING, WRITING AND PROMOTING THIS BLOG POST. IF YOU CLICK A LINK, I RECEIVE NO COMPENSATION. THANK YOU TO LOWE’S FOR SPONSORING THIS GREAT BLOG POST AND PROJECT!

You guys – tears. And more tears.

To say this improvement project was a labor of love, years in the making (a full week in the actual making) and sincerely delivered an impact I can’t yet wrap my mind around…it’s all an understatement. I’ve dreamed of the day I’d finally see this little 1960’s home with a new exterior paint color. Although it took 6 years and an impending home sale, I can say it happened…and while I was living here to make the choices / see it through.

And I can’t be more excited OR in love with the outcome.

Truly. In love.

Seriously.

How stunning is this house??

Quick refresh of the before…scroll quickly because you’ll want to leave that sad worn down brown situation a blur in the past.

Ok, now that the before is out of the way, let’s focus on the NOW, how we got there over the weekend and the paint colors / paint I chose…

This view. Killing me. Big time.

I left off last week sharing the wrap up of the house being prepped and primed. The prep / prime phase took a long, draining and full 4 days. The amount of work filling holes, cracks, sanding, sealing and more was literally that full amount of time. The previous owner put in the 2-story addition and it appears he just slapped on 1 coat of paint without sealing or sanding or doing much of anything in terms of prep. So the guys had their work cut out and I am forever grateful to my painter for putting in some serious labor and overtime. The attention given to each and every crack and corner – he is incredible!

With all the prep behind us, bright and early Saturday morning we started with coat 1 of paint…

This part of the process moved quickly since the doors and windows were all sealed – it was a matter of spraying on the paint.

EXTERIOR PAINT COLOR & PAINT CHOICE

After a ton of research, the paint color I chose is White Dove. I found this color online along with several other whites I fell in love with – shared them in this post. But the final decision was made alongside someone very special. I shared the colors with him, he loved them all but we were both leaning into White Dove because it seemed to have a warmer tone – not so stark of a bright white. I mean, all the whites were going to stand out and look super bright on the house, but there are definite differences in white paint colors. I for sure did not want to go with something more yellow.

Together we made a quick call to an awesome friend who’s a home builder – he and his wife live in a little white farmhouse as well and have painted a number of white homes through their business. Without letting him know the top 4 choices, we asked what his favorite white house colors are. White Dove was on his list. Done deal.

I tried not to labor too much over the decision because I could – I’m just that type of obsessive thinker. Surprised? Ha! So once he said White Dove, I was done and placed the paint order that day to keep me from thinking about it any longer.

Now to the paint itself.

You guys, this paint is incredible! I mean it. Once dry, it looks like velvet. I seriously want to cover the house and shoo away any birds from coming near it or flying over it.

I had the main house color mixed in Valspar Duramax Flat Exterior Paint…

Same as with the paint color, I spent a lot of time researching exterior paints. Valspar Duramax received high marks and reviews for softening the look of an exterior while hiding surface blemishes. It’s ideal for siding, the finish protects against cracking and peeling, it’s anti-fade and backed with a lifetime warranty.

It has all the key elements you’re in search of for exterior paint, but it truly is beautiful on the house. Looked amazing when wet – this was after coat 1…

But when the 2nd coat dried = so soft and velvety!…

Can’t get enough of these views.

For the main house walls I chose a flat finish, but for the trim I had White Dove mixed in Valspar Duramax Satin Exterior Paint…

After the power washing, the trim was in need of a lot of love and Valspar could not have been a better choice…

Look at this trim after…

You can also see it here on the front porch pillars. Beautiful…

I wanted the trim to be a slight contrast but not super high gloss. The satin sheen is a slight-gloss finish and could not have been a better choice. Really happy with the result.

You may have noticed the front door. I am OBSESSED!…

I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with the front door – so many options and shared a few in this post. My dream was to replace the door completely, but that was out of budget. The most cost-effective option that would still deliver an impact was a pretty paint color. I chose Greyhound and had it mixed in Valspar SeasonFlex Semi-Gloss Paint…

The easiest method for painting doors is by removing them completely and spraying. The weather could not have been more perfect on Sunday to knock out this fun and easy project…

The 5-gallon Valspar paint containers were just what I needed to prop up the door too!…

I removed the door hardware and door from the frame…

I love this paint color and paint!

The semi-gloss has a durable finish and is perfect for areas that require frequent cleaning, such as doors. It was great to have the primer and paint in ONE! Made the project move a little faster so we could get on with enjoying the last bit of our weekend.

Look at this!…

After a few years, this welcome mat has seen better days. Especially with all the workers coming and going over the last few weeks. Can’t wait to get the porch decor cleaned up and back in place. Have a few special items coming soon for this space that look forward to sharing with you guys!

FAVORITE PAINT BRUSHES

My favorite paint brushes made an appearance for the trim and front door…

Purdy is my go-to brand and the only paint brushes I own. So glad Lowe’s carries the entire line of Purdy because I would have had a real issue painting with anything else. I’ve owned these for years and they nail it every time. They also need some tlc after the last week…

Purdy brushes can be used for all paints and stains and their wood handles are comfortable to hold.

EMOTIONS

My emotions have been all of the place, but on Friday night I found myself sobbing in the car for a good hour or more. Not sure what came over me. I mean, I know what came over me – it’s all sitting there below the surface. There’s been a lot on my plate and project managing the improvements has been time-consuming…and I’ve had to stay on top of every little detail. For example, you think contractors will know exactly what to do and that they’ll do the right thing to begin with. But I had to seriously manage the flooring situation – there were so many mess ups and clean ups and still now I’m seeing stuff in the black mulch and it kinda irritates me. I’ve been keeping strong and been quick to let people know to fix something so it doesn’t linger…but it’s hard being the only person to manage it all.

I also feel like I’m going through the motions and because I’m so busy haven’t had a chance to really let the feelings sink in or come out. Have been making choice after choice and rolling with the punches from one project to the next.

But then you pull into the driveway to see a fully primed white house? Even though the paint wasn’t on yet, I could envision how stunning the outcome was going to be.

I was sharing my drive up the driveway Friday evening with the IG community and didn’t know I’d end up crying. You can see everything in the “Home Sale” highlight reel on the IG feed. Definitely check out the feed for updates. I’ve been trying to keep it frequent over there.

Anyway, seeing this makes me so happy and equally so sad at the same time…

The paint turned out better than I could have imagined. And more…

SHOP THE POST

Again, a HUGE thank you to Lowe’s for partnering with me for this big project. My Lowe’s contact, Taylor, has been such a sweetheart to work with. And she’s been SO patient with me as I manage the projects every month along with the organizing business.

But this morning she sent me the kindest email and I had to share a statement she made. She said that she and Lowe’s have been honored to walk through this home sale process with me by contributing to a few projects here at the house. I feel the same way! They have been an invaluable partner and have totally enjoyed working with their team and their AWESOME selection of products. You guys know because I have said it more than 100 times – I am VERY picky about the partnerships for the blog and social. They have the be a natural fit and makes sense and really fall in line with the overall mission of the blog and business…and more importantly, I have to feel good about it for me and you. It can’t feel gross or a stretch / reach. Lowe’s has been the perfect partner for this blog since September and couldn’t be more grateful!

When you’re getting a home ready for sale, painting inside and out is a no-brainer. It makes a big impact for the mls photos and when potential buyers walk through. It’s a fresh start! And I can imagine the showstopper this sight will be when people pull up the driveway to view the house.

If you’re considering listing your home for sale, definitely give thought to a fresh coat of paint. It makes a huge impact!

Lowe’s has all the paint brands that matter and offer a love your paint guarantee!

If you’d like to shop the products I chose for this project, you can see them here:

Valspar Duramax Flat Exterior Paint

Valspar Duramax Satin Exterior Paint

Valspar Seasonflex Semi-Gloss Paint

Purdy Paint Brushes

Thanks for reading all of these home update installments – I have loved reading and responding to your comments / emails. Thank you!

Oh, and no rest of the weary around here. Today my contractor showed up at 8:30am to demo the kitchen counter. This should be fun…and LOUD. Appears I’ll be prepping food on a plywood counter for the next couple weeks until the counters are ready. Ha! Can’t wait to share all of those details. Another project years in the making that I can’t wait to see become a reality.

Back soon guys! Happy Monday!

xx,

Sam