Front Patio Open House

INSIDE : Be inspired by this Adorable Midwest Front Patio Open House!

Today I am starting Part One of a three part series called “Shelley seriously knows what she is doing” and Shelley is sharing her Front Patio Open House with us!

Welcome to the front patio of a dear dear family friend. My mama become besties with this talented lady twenty eight and a half years ago (And yes, they are both 29 years old, so that’s convenient… wink* wink*).

As I’ve grown up, I’ve seen Shelley’s style change and evolve over the years and it’s no surprise that she’s turned her current home into a beauty. She is a mother of three adult children and a Nona to two adorable grand.children.

{Her first born is Abby, from my first Open House, Kitchen Edition. I guess creativity runs in their family. Also note, her stunning faux garage door windows? She was the one who started the craze! See Garage Door Bling for more info.}

Let’s not waste any more time chatting, we’ve got some greatness to check out.

Q: What are your favorite parts of the front patio?

A: The overall welcoming and happy look! We’ve actually spied two different times since our updates, when gals have pulled in our driveway to show their friends, or actually tip toed into the front yard and snap a few pics. Haha! Highest compliment!

Q: Do you use the space for anything other than as an entry to your home?

A: We used to sit out there alot more, but not as much now that we have a nice back patio.

Did I mention, her husband, Mike is a master brick mason? Oh yes, his front patio skills included the sitting wall, the brick terrace over concrete, the step leading to the door and the thin brick veneer on the porch. It was originally a painted concrete slab without enough space/depth to allow for a full sized brick veneer, so he used a thin brick veneer. I really wasn’t joking around with the master brick mason title.

Okay, let’s take a step closer and really see the space.

I know you are all dying to know the color of her front door (I sure was). She used Valspar’s Earth Element Collection, EE2112B Grass Lake.

A quick peak at the front patio progression over the years…

1. Burgandy Door

2. Orange Door

3. Blue Door

Did I mention, Shelley also is an amazing seamstress? Look at this stunning awning she made.

AWNING HOW.TO NARRATIVE:

I sewed a basic, typical curtain valance. Then, measured the front porch width and how high + low it needed to hang, so as to not brush the top of any tall people as they passed under it. It ended up being a 9″ drop. I searched the house for a round item that I could use to trace the scallop onto the fabric. I settled on a 9″ wooden embroidery hoop and traced the scalloped design I wanted. {If you’ve ever sewn a curved edge, you know you have to make little snips along the seam allowance of the curves to get them to lay flat once you turn it right side out. This was the worst part about making it double sided. Snipping 105 inches of curve took forever.} I had an unused Ikea curtain rod that was long enough to hang it from and enough curtain clips in the junk drawer.

Voila! A use-what-I-already-had project that I think really made a cute difference to my front entrance.

A few beautiful elements.

Wow. I love it all. From the small details to the colors that are so perfect and inviting. It makes me want to go check out her BACK PATIO…. but, you’ll just have to wait for Part Two of “Shelley seriously knows what she is doing” series.

Thanks for joining today!

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