Cottage Style Exterior Renovation

In 2012 we embarked on a whole house renovation. We had lived in our 1970s Victorian style house for ten years and so we had plenty of time to decide what we liked and didn't like about the house. Some areas were renovated because they were old and worn out while other areas were changed for purely aesthetic reasons. Today I'm sharing the exterior renovation.
This picture was taken in January by our realtor. During the warmer months I had lots of potted flowers on the front porch.
In 2011 our area was hit by a huge storm system that produced large hail and strong winds from four different tornados. We were very fortunate compared to others. We had some cosmetic damage to the wood, a few broken spindles on the front porch, and window screens torn to shreds. Our roof was only 5 years old but it and the gutters had to be replaced due to the hail damage. By the way, don't judge our garish colors. We found some taste along the way!
The exterior was repaired and painted a pretty blue with bright white trim and ivory shutters. The original windows and doors were wood and had warped over time. You could see daylight coming through them, they were hard to open and close and they allowed a whole heck of lot of cold (or hot) air to come through. We added new energy efficient windows with the top having diamond shaped panes which added a little more character to the front of the house.
A new garage door was installed.
We hadn't planned on doing anything to the front porch but underneath the pretty white paint the railing was rotten. Spindles and fretwork is extremely expensive and since we were also remodeling the inside at the same time, we had to compromise on what we did on the front porch. By the way, we lengthened the step up to the front porch and I think that's one of the best decisions ever. It added curb appeal (hello Halloween pumpkins or flower pots!), but it also made the journey up onto the porch safer--especially when moving large pieces of furniture.
Vintage furniture was sandblasted and powder coated.
And vintage table and chairs were placed on both ends of the long screened in porch. Vintage dressers and consoles were also added to the fun screened in porch atmosphere.
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