**GIVEAWAY CLOSED**
This post is sponsored by BEHR® Paint. While I’ve been compensated to participate in their #BEHRThinkOutside challenge, I’ve been using Behr Paint and LOVING it for years, so this is a natural and authentic partnership. 🙂 I’m so excited (and relieved) to be sharing with you all today my front porch makeover! This project has been on my mind for over a year now and with the help of BEHR® Paint, I was able to make my dream a reality! I could not be more happy with how it turned out! I also could not be more tired haha! Mostly because of that tile… 
I started on it last Monday, and here is the list of things we did:
- Power washed the brick and let it dry completely (24 hours)
- Painted the brick using BEHR® Masonry, Stucco & Brick Paint in the color DOVE GRAY (2 coats using 3/4″ nap roller)
- Painted the craftsman style shutters that I built last year and the front door using BEHR MARQUEE® Exterior Paint in the color CREEK BEND (2 coats using 2″ paint brush)
- Install new ‘brick look’ porcelain tiles over concrete slab front porch (we used the MSI Rustico Brick in the color Red Check out my Facebook live video for more details about this but I used
- THIS FLEXIBLE MORTAR and
- THIS FLEXIBLE GROUT with built-in sealer (to account for expansion and contraction)
- Wrap columns in wood, add craftsman style base, and build an additional column (tutorial HERE)
- Clean wood and prep for stain using BEHR PREMIUM® All-In-One Wood Cleaner (this is required prep for the stain)
- Stain columns using BEHR PREMIUM® Semi-Transparent Waterproofing Stain & Sealer in the color CHOCOLATE (2 coats using a 2″ paint brush, brushed on in the direction of the grain)
Here is what our front door looked like a little over a week ago:
In case you remember, I shared my grand plans for our exterior home makeover last summer. I was SO excited when BEHR® wanted to partner with me as part of their #BehrThinkOutside campaign! I love the new BEHR® MARQUEE line. I have been using it for over a year and have been truly impressed with the quality and coverage– with paint, you get what you pay for!
I also have heard great things about the improvements made to their brick paint– I think a common misconception is that painted brick requires constant upkeep. That is simply not true! If you prep (clean/power-wash your brick) and let it dry out completely before you paint, you won’t have any problems with application or duration. The BEHR® Masonry, Stucco & Brick Paint is made to last 20 YEARS, which is about how long most exterior home paints last on wood! Additionally, they have a new exterior brick paint out with a LIFETIME guarantee called BEHR Elastomeric Masonry, Stucco, and Brick Paint that is actually flexible acrylic latex! I chose their regular brick paint because it was carried in store and it has a built-in primer.
This is what it looked like up close after 1 coat.
It also gives you an idea of the slight grayer tone it has in comparison to the white trim. Although it does look darker with only 1 coat because the dark brick underneath is still slightly showing through. Keep in mind, we hadn’t washed our siding yet so it was looking pretty gray too haha!
Still, 1 coat. Pretty good, right?
Here is a little progress video I made, during the process. (don’t forget to push the little square with brackets button in the bottom right corner so the video will fill your screen)
You may have heard me share in this video that I wanted to add another 6×6 post. However, after talking to a couple of contractor friends, I found it wasn’t necessary. I could, instead attach a non-load bearing column that is still strong and sturdy but doesn’t require a jack. If you want to learn how I made the columns, go to the tutorial HERE! 😉
We were hoping to be able to build some planters as well, BUT it was raining and storming Thursday night and most of Friday!! I couldn’t believe it! An exterior makeover project with pouring rain?!? Seems impossible right? Well, we were not about to be so easily dissuaded. We had to prioritize and finish the most important things that we had started: the tile and the columns. So we built a little shelter from the rain using a couple layers of plastic drop-clothes and tape. It worked, so that we could let the mortar dry for 24 hours. But it definitely made things move slower. And humid-er.
Thankfully, the chances of rain had disappeared completely by Saturday, so we grouted all day and stained the columns. Ya’ll… I had no idea how much work tiling can be. I’ve tiled our master bathroom and our backsplash in our kitchen. But it was nothing compared to the job we did on our 21’x6′ front porch. We didn’t exactly pick an easy pattern to do either– herringbone! But it was my dream and I wouldn’t compromise. 
When I created my home exterior makeover plans, I planned on keeping the shutters that pretty shade of aqua-blue (Wythe Blue by BM). However, once it was done, I was wanting more contrast. I knew a pretty, warm gray would be the answer and it didn’t take me long to find Creek Bend as the perfect color. If you watched my Facebook Live video, I demonstrated the application of BEHR MARQUEE® Exterior Paint & Primer on my door. The coverage is amazing after 1 coat, but I always do 2 coats for that extra durability.
The columns were a breeze to stain using the BEHR PREMIUM® Semi-Transparent Waterproofing Stain & Sealer. I used a brush to apply the stain because I was able to control any potential drips or streaking and keep it going with the grain so it is less visible. You don’t have to wipe excess off like you do with oil, and it only take a couple hours to dry completely (although in hot weather it dries a lot faster than that!). It is completely waterproof and ready for rain in only 4 hours! With soap and water clean-up– this has become my new favorite exterior stain! Isn’t that color perfect?
Now that it’s done, it’s hard to believe we waited this long to paint the brick.
It brightens up the entire space and makes it looks more fresh and modern. Even the light fixture looks more stylish!
Tutorial for shutters HERE.
Tutorial for house number sign HERE.
Tutorial for Craftsman style columns HERE.
Tutorial for Cedar Window Planters HERE.
Exterior Brick Paint – Behr Masonry, Stucco and Brick Paint in Dove Gray
Door and Shutter Paint – Behr Marquee Exterior Satin Enamel Paint in Creek Bend
Stain for Columns and Planters – Behr Semi-Transparant Waterproofing Sealer and Stain in Chocolate
Porch Tile – MSI Brick Porcelain Tile in Red
Number Sign Numbers – Hillman Group Black Elevated House Numbers
Shutter Hardware – Richelieu Black Gate Hardware
Almost everything you see here is from The Home Depot®, from the lumber, to the tile, to the numbers used for the number sign… only the chairs and bistro table are not from Home Depot. Those planter topiary bushes? They were 50% off, so I got both for $50!
From what I tackled, here is what I would recommend as good weekend projects:
Paint front door and shutters (1 day)
Wrap columns in stained wood (1-2 days)
Tile front porch (3 day weekend)
Paint brick exterior (depends on house size, but for a brick ranch like mine, tackle 1 side of the house for each weekend, so in 2-3 consecutive weekends your whole house will be done)
Now I wanna see what YOU can do with the #BEHRThinkOutside challenge! Tackle a project to improve the curb appeal of your home (or give your patio some love) and tag your project with #BEHRThinkOutside on Instagram or Facebook.
To help you out with your weekend project, BEHR® is sponsoring a giveaway $100 gift card to The Home Depot® for my blog readers!!
Must be 18 years or older, and a resident of the U.S. All you have to do is comment on this blog post (but make sure to put your entry into the Rafflecopter giveaway form below)! Giveaway closes on July 14th at 11:59pm PST.
I would love to paint our deck – it desperately needs to be redone!
Our front door needs to be painted!
Definitely the front door. Can’t decide whether to paint or just refinish wood. Love this color though.
Your transformation is amazing! I would love to attach shutters to my front windows and paint my front door a soft color.
I need a new light fixture, screen door and I have a few loose boards on the porch. It needs some help.
Our deck needs to painting….sounds like everyone has that project waiting for them!!? thanks for great blog
Amazing, Rachel! I’d love to wrap the columns in my porch in wood and also make shutters for my front windows. You’re incredible and inspiring!
Absolutely stunning! ???. Great job and thanks for the giveaway. Crushing on the brick….. but need the paint.
Turned out so good! Love the colors you chose. The brick tile really adds charm! I have been thinking about doing something similar to our entry but I wonder if the tile will be slippery when wet. Great job!
I love it! The columns are beautiful! I need to refinish my front door and power wash and re-stain my deck!!
I’ve always used Behr paints as well, and have always been happy with them. My front steps could use a lot of work so my fingers are crossed! Thanks for the opp!
xo
elyse
Beautiful! Wonderful job! We have been discussing painting our brick house too! This gives us the inspiration and “push” we needed! Thank you! (Yes! All the exclamation points!!! 🙂
This looks fabulous! I love the colors. My shutters need to be repainted.
I would paint the wood garage door. It needs a facelift!
I’ve always believed painting masonry was just a big maintenance issue, but 20+ years may change my mind. Your front porch is greatly improved and very welcoming.
I’d definitely paint my front door and I’d like to add a stained pergola over the garage door for a vine to climb!
Our front door and shutters are desperate! They top my list of to-dos.
We’ve been in our home three years and I’m about to tackle my first renovation – painting the kitchen and doing an entryway wall with hooks and a bench. Wish me luck!
This looks gorgeous!! I’ve been wanting to paint our red brick white for years!
Repair Damaged Screens.
Our front porch was painted by pelrevious ownerd and chipping! We have been looking inot options and love what you did with yours!
Our front porch! Thank you!
I love the changes that you made on your front porch. My front porch could use “some love”. I need to paint my metal bench on my porch and I’d love to remove the metal grillwork and instead use columns. It would be a huge improvement!
Nice work! I would try the stain and sealer on my cedar chairs and pergola. Your post look amazing!
Beautiful job on your makeover!
We just bought a new front door that we’re installing this weekend and painting with Behr paint! I love the coverage and durability (now I’m trying to convince my husband to help me stain our cedar siding to blend with the existing garage).
I live in an apartment, so no home exterior for me! I’d use the gift card for internal projects such as furniture.
Looks beautiful! Great and improved curb appeal.
Oh my goodness that’s such an amazing transformation!! I love the shutters! May have to use your tutorial for them!
Painting our back porch!
So beautiful, what a big difference. I’d love the opportunity to give my outdoors a refresh with Home Depot.
I would paint my shutters and of course my front door.
I would love to put new shutters around my windows. The ones up now have gone through some pretty bad weather over the years.
This is just what we need for our new home!!!
I have an outside patio door that needs to be restained. . Putting it off big time!
Looks good. I’m looking at painting my whole house soon and it seems overwhelming. Thanks for the tips!
It came out really nice – you did a nice job! I have been wanting to have a wooden door, I dream about it! I love this one! Pacific Entries Rustic Arched 2-Panel V-Groove Stained Knotty Alder Wood Prehung Front Door with 6 in. Wall Series
I would like to stain our deck. Your project turned out great!
I love painted brick. It looks great on your porch. What a great make-over you did.
We just moved and have columns that are falling a part and would love to paint our brick too! This was so helpful in knowing what to even start with! Thanks for posting!
I would do my door and shutters. They get do much sun, they need some lovin!
I would tackle our deck.
We really want to repaint our exterior doors with the appearance of wood!
I would love to do our whole exterior!
Love the transformation! I have some brick trim I’m going to tackle and also enlarge some posts. Thanks for the opportunity!
i want to try the diy stone on the exterior of the house!
We just bought a home and the curb appeal needs a LOT of work!!! Pick me!
I wasn’t able to comment through the raffle copter link but I think your re-facing the columns with the new, popular craftsman style wood accents is ingenious. And I’m with you. If I’m going to lay tile, I don’t want the same boring pattern everyone else has. I’ve been wanting to paint my front door AND try out the Behr Marquee exterior paint that everyone’s raving about.
Your house looks great! Love the new posts you built, the new flooring on the porch, Wow! Great job
I would love to be brace enough to paint our brick! I have a 1980 split level in desperate need of an update. What an inspiration and gorgeous makeover.
I would redo our garage, it’s to plain now.
We need to build a lattice fence around our a/c units. They’re such an eye-sore.
I would paint front door and porch.
Saw this before and after on your Instagram and it stopped me in my tracks! it looks beautiful!
I need to paint our ugly brick!
Love the brick tiles!
I need to stain our deck and build planter boxes for the back patio.
Looks great! My deck needs to be painted!
I would ABSOLUTELY paint our brick ranch!!!
We’d love to add a small deck to our backyard!
I desperately need to paint our shutters, after seeing how great yours turned out I’m thinking about tackling the brick too! Great job!
Definitely my wrap around porch floor. I would love to try the Behr deck over paint. Thanks for the opportunity to win a Home Depot gift card!
I have had my eye on the garage door kits that make the garage doors more like carriage doors at the Home Depot. Love your exterior, kudos! Thanks for the opportunity!
Love your house outside makeover. I would paint my deck.
Our front porch!
Looks great! I have wanted to paint my brick forever!!!
I also was not able to leave a comment on rafflecopter.
You have done a wonderful job !!!! It looks FABULOUS!!!!! I also just bought the new BHG magazine where your home was featured. You’ve done a spectacular job. I’m sure you’re very proud of how hard you’ve worked. I will sign up to follow your projects!!!!
From down in Cherokee Nation in NE Oklahoma, Kathleen
Love love the herringbone brick!
I would rip out some bushes and plant new landscaping!
I need to paint the laundry room badly!
We want to replace our front door.
I need to finish painting my 100 yr old barn. Anonymous grey by Behr matched the original color perfectly.
Most of the interior of my 14 year old house still has the original tan canvas paint. It is old and ugly!
We want to replace our front door, storm door, lights, house numbers & shutters. Oh and our garden beds too.
I love the brick pavers! Makes such a difference.
I would plant new pretty plants.
That porch is ??!
I am totally inspired by your work! I would love to paint our front door and front brick!!
Wow! Interesting how much larger the porch looks with the wall bricks painted! That’s a great transformation, your hard work sure paid off . Looks stunning!
Our front porch! We need to paint our door and stain a new wood column we just put in.
Finishing our front shade garden.
demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com
I was wondering if you had a tutorial on wrapping your columns? Everything looks awesome!!
We just took down our old wood railing and just want to box in
our outdated curved porch post and stain them…no more old rails either
The house looks great. Love all your improvements.
Painting my front door would be my project.
I want to takel our outside lights and house numbers.
I want to use the brick on my cement slab front patio too! GORGEOUS.
I would love to built a deck in our backyard.
Looks amazing!! We are currently updating the exterior of our house. Just repainted it, and now are working on building shutters – I’m going to use your tutorial!
We just bought a house and it needs new shutters and beefed up columns! Thanks for the chance to win. Love your herringbone brick!
Beautiful makeover! Want to paint our front door, but can’t decided as log home is stained that reddish color. Oh me oh my.
I would love to replace the light fixtures on our deck.
We really need to replace our back deck. I love the columns that you wrapped. Are you going to do a tutorial on how you accomplished those? That would be awesome.
We just removed all the overgrown bushes in front of our house and are getting ready to plant more size appropriate ones. We also purchased window boxes and new concrete urns. I am so excited to see the finished results!
This is amazing! I love all that you did but that tile is amazing!!! Looks like something Joanna Gaines would love. What a great team you and your husband make!
We need a new garage door.
Thank you so much for posting this. I want to paint our orangey brick colored house so bad and have been looking for information just like this! This is beautiful and exactly the look I love! Thanks!
Your house looks fabulous Rachel !!! You must feel so great and impowered after doing so much. I spent the first five months this year, painting all the rooms in my house, including all the ceilings and massive amounts of trim. As you can imagine my painting budget has gone bust. My next project will be repairing wood and painting the outside of the house and the matching shed. It may never happen if I don’t get lucky and win your giveaway. HA!! BTW – the only paint I used was BEHR. I’m not kidding and I swear by it.
We have a “Halfway done” huge screen porch. The floor has GOT to have some paint. I know there is a new deck and floor “refinishing” type paint by Baer that I am going to check out!!
Rachel!! I just posted a comment already for the Behr giveaway, although auto correct misspelled “behr”!! Ugh.
But I have to say…i just found your blog, and you are my hero….and my mini ME! Only about 25 years younger! Your home and blog are REAL. You are a normal, on a budget, work with what you have mom who has a talent for making your home absolutely beautiful and absolutely YOU. We are in our 4th home….a downsize since all our kids are out. I now have 6 grandkids!! Just retired (I’m 58) and between babysitting 2 days a week, I have a list a mile long to make our small ranch beautiful. I have added similar plank shutters outside, (hubby made out of cedar fence wood pieces, and we stained them like your columns) to our dark brown board and batten cottage. The contrast and interest made such a difference!! I LOVE the colors on your house, the painted brick and taupe grey shutters. But….just for the fun of it, snap a pic of your front, and then insert somehow a different color on your front door. Don’t mis understand me…your talent and eye far exceeds mine, but we have the same front door I think, and ours was light brown, the house dark brown, the cedar shutters, etc. I painted it a rusty orange red, and it looks SO much better. I think I am going try a navy blue soon? Anyway….that third “color” on the exterior was an amazing accent and helped our house so much. You could pull a color from the gorgeous brick….. Ignore me as I am so outspoken!!! But I LOVE to talk houses….and bounce ideas. Keep up the great work, and keep doing things that we normal “got a major budget” people can implement.
YOUR NEW biggest fan.
We’ve been putting off painting our front deck and door. Love the photos in the post!!
Rachel, I LOVE everything you did. The painted brick looks amazing, I love the warm gray shutters and doors and those columns are gorgeous. I also love the brick tiles. I thought they were the real thing! You’ve really transformed the exterior of your home. I love it!
Looks great! I want to screen in our front porch.
I definitely want to work on our deck
Love this! We are moving into a 1914 farmhouse that I’m dying to paint white and add shutters to! Thanks for some inspiration and tips!
The faschia of most homes can always use a fresh coat of paint.
This would definitely help with our new house, will pray ❤️
Love to redo the paint color on the front door & love to tackle the wood columns!
I would definitely paint the front door and change out the light. Thanks for the giveaway.
Looks awesome! I can’t wait to build that house number planter!
So gorg! We are buying a new house and this is such an inspiration. So many rooms we could use new paint in, not to mention the exterior doors and deck!
My french doors need repair and repainting!
My screened in porch (like the rest of the house) hadn’t been touched in 40 years. The walls are only plywood and I would love to cover them with a plasticy version of cedar planks (not sure what they are called).
I love those posts! We are building a house and I already have a million projects planned. Posts like that for our back porch is one of those projects! They are beautiful!
I would tackle our worn out deck.
Looks amazing! Our front porch is next on the to do list. Just stumbled upon your insta account from the lettered cottage. I live in Maplewood and work in Chesterfield. Excited to start reading your blog.
I love the color combinations and the herringbone! Makes me want to change up my columns as well!
Those posts really make your front porch stand out, great job. Love the painted brick.
I just came back from vacation and my garden is overgrown with weeds. I’m on a mission to put down a patio to control the weeds taking over.
Love love love how your front porch makeover turned out. I especially love the tile floor!!
The painted brick looks much better but that tile! It looks incredible and so much better than the concrete
I would love to paint my deck and fence. I would love a painted front door but ours just won’t work! Maybe a new door is next.
My exterior project would be adding wood strips to our front porch ceiling and painting it haint blue! We also have plans to add ceiling fans!
My exterior project would be adding wood strips to our front porch ceiling and painting it haint blue! We also have plans to add ceiling fans!
Although my door needs to be painted desperately, I would probably tackle the backyard instead. It needs a lot of prep work done for my cut flower garden.
Our porch awning could definitely use some fixin uppin!
They are becoming too weathered looking.
I would love to paint some of our deck furniture and accessories. It would make such a difference! Thank you for this opportunity.
Your home looks amazing! Beautiful job! We are also going to paint our brick- thank you for step by step tutorial!
We’re working on creating a new fence!
I would tackle our front porch!
Love this!
I’d love to update all my planters. They’re looking sad these days.
All the outside doors!!
looks great!
I think we’re more worried about fixing up the inside then the outside right now. I mainly have to pull weeds and dig up plants outside.
We plan to paint our exterior this summer too! Such an undertaking.
I would paint our little storage shed a cute aqua green. We just put a sliding glass door in, and it’s looking like one of those tiny homes lol. Make me want to turn it into one.. eventually.
Thanks for the chance!
I would paint the backyard fence
Need powerwash and stain the deck.
I have a ranch style also..Love the front..would tackle my front porch.
I would paint the front door a different color
My entire house needs done !
I would tackle the painting of the widow shutters around the house: they are faded, pealing, need help 🙂
We need new exterior lights
I would like to paint an older stone wall we have in the backyard.
The front of your house looks amazing. Good job!
My front door needs to be painted — paint is fading and peeling.
I’d like to paint my front door.
I would love to repaint my shutters, they’re currently robins egg blue and I love the BM creek bend you changed yours to!
Would love to paint our front doors! Thanks for the inspiration 🙂
I really want to replace the deck and the French doors on the side of our house. Your project came out really pretty.
Our shutters need repainted, and we nesperately need to redo our landscape
I would love to finish our deck
I really want to fix my deck
So many things to paint. But most needed is exterior trim and doors!
We just bought some Behr paint to paint the outside of our house and your finished results have gotten me really excited to start now! Beautiful job!
Have you considered removing the vinyl siding on the front and replacing with Hardie board?
I’m not sure that would be the most cost efficient route– I don’t mind the vinyl siding actually!
Hey, super article! So inspiring. I really enjoy DIY, woodworking (and|&) reno stuff. Thanks for sharing!
I know I’m late to the party… 😬
I just voted for your Behr entry I saw on IG.
This is phenominal. Love the painted brick.
Personally I would have left off the extra column, but to each their own 😊.
Hi! Read on one of your posts that you took 2-3 weekends to paint your house. I have two small children so I’ll had 2-3 more weekends ;). Just curious since you’re so detailed, do you remember what your painting schedule was like? Also we have boxes that have dirt right up to the house on one side – about 1.5-2 feet – would you dig that up?
Yeah I bit, I would… just so you are thorough. I painted one side of the house at a time. So I would prep the front of the house on a weekend, then the following weekend paint, starting on like a friday and second coat on saturday. Then the next side of the house, prep one weekend, the paint the following. Unless you want to work all three days, prep friday, paint first coat on saturday and 2nd on sunday. Personally, I hired a college student to help me paint at the time so I could work on prep while he was painting the side I had already prepped. Then the next day I did the second coat while he did the first coat on the next side. Hopefully that makes sense.