It wasn’t easy, but we’ve finished the front porch for the Better Homes & Gardens 48-Hour Challenge! The whole project was completed for $500, using materials exclusively from The Home Depot.
Painting the porch rug freehand while very pregnant was a little harder than I expected, but I’m beyond thrilled with the way it turned out! That and the hanging divider that we made really personalize the front porch.
Brandon spray painted the table and chair set that we bought pink. The set was nice enough on its own (it was a dark brown/gray color), but you know I just had to bring some pink in somewhere. And again, it helped to personalize the design a bit more.
Such a cheery spot for lunch…
The extra two chairs from the set are over by the front door. And I love that lilac between them, but I’m planning to put it in the side garden at some point because it’s supposed to grow to 10′ tall.
So there you have it — the finished front porch! At times I wondered how we would get it done, especially as the baby’s due date came and went, but we did it. Soon you’ll be able to vote for your favorite project (and I can only hope that it’s ours!). In the meantime, be sure to check out everyone’s finished projects and read more about our experience working on the front porch at BHG.com.
Comments
146 responses to “Up for the Challenge: Part Four”
Beautiful! Love it completely! Especially the hand painted rug, what a great personal touch. Well done, and kudos for doing it while 9mo pregnant!
THAT IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE IT!!!! I AM IN LOVE WITH THOSE PINK CHAIRS!!!!! AND TABLE!!! AND THE FLOOR!!! AND THE WHOLE THING. :)
No idea how you did this 9 months pregnant, but it looks fantastic!
Talk about making it lovely! This is wonderful
It looks fabulous!
I love the floor! And it’s so great that you have an outdoor living space that reflects your indoor living space.
(Isn’t that a hydrangea by the door?)
i just love everything you did…so far, yours is my absolute favorite of the challenge :)
This turned out fabulous! I can’t believe it’s all stuff from Home Depot. I never thought to paint the furniture.. Such a good & easy idea.
Bravo! This looks amazing!!
I still cannot believe that you did all of this while past your due date. You are my idol. It all came together beautifully! My favorite part is the rug – great job!
Great job, Nicole. The floor is fabulous, of course, and I like how you created smaller, more intimate areas. Your porch is so inviting!
The pink chairs are so cute! I love that you manage to use pink while not making it look too “frilly,” I guess. The little pink plant on the table is adorable too. Nice work!
the divider is genius! would you mind sharing how you made it?
That ‘rug’ is stunning – was that just done on concrete or wood or what? What did you use? I’d love to do something similar – you’ve inspired me!
Gorgeous! The hand-painted floor covering makes it. Love the pink and greens…
Absolutely beautiful! Like the rest of your home. I really like the painted rug idea. Our porch needs revamp, so I just might steal it. ;)
It’s adorable!
The rug is painted directly on the wooden porch floor. The porch looked like this before starting:
Courtney, I wish I took some ‘in progress’ shots of the divider! Um, I kind of had other things on my mind. ;) Maybe I can still put together some sort of how-to… it was pretty easy.
And yes, that’s a hydrangea by the front door.
Awesome! What type of spray paint did he use. Any trick to keeping the spray paint from “spraying and landing” on everything else in sight?
What is the divider made out of? I love the idea and it seems it would work great in my daughters’ bedroom to divide the sleep space from the play area. Plus, I need something that a toddler can’t tear down!!
Jennifer, he sprayed everything in the garage over drop cloths. We used Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch Multi-Purpose Satin Spray Paint in “Sweet Pea” (pink).
Lori, the divider is made out of hardboard. You can find it near the plywood and it’s really inexpensive ($4 for a 2’x4′ board).
I love it! I am planning on buying my first home and love your ideas. Where and when can we vote?
Thanks! Voting actually starts May 1, and you’ll be able to vote once each day for your favorite project (hopefully it’s mine!).
This is awesome! I am a big fan of your designs! I hope your baby comes soon. I love reading your blog!
OMG, do you not sit still? Not even for a minute? I adore the divider. I really think this is fantastic. You’ll love having a place to sit and relax outside when the baby comes. I could totally see your pink puff out front with your feet on it too with you and the baby on that couch!
ive been watching all the others and yours hands down beats EVERYONE! aaaannddd the fact that you are OVERDUE! lol is even more of a win!
congrats..really wonderful work!
AWESOME!!! love the floor + the divider!
It came out amazing!!! I can’t believe you have the energy still…
Good Job!!
Absolutely gorgeous! You are seriously super woman doing all of that work while SO pregnant!!
this is so great! i love it.
That floor is completely amazing. You did a stellar job.
i love this, the colors are fabulous! :D
i haven’t seen any of the other entries but you have my vote. just that you can even BE this creative while pregnant (and DUE) is amazing in and of itself.
it’s beautiful!
No contest Nicole! Your project is by far the best. I love the pink table and I just bought the same paint to redo an old brass lamp. I know that you will win!
adorable! what a great way to channel that end-of-pregnancy nesting energy!
I’m absolutely in love with the finished product! I can’t believe you were out there painting at 40 weeks pregnant, haha… I was having a little pity party for myself on the couch around that time. You go!
Hardboard and…what did you use to hook each piece together? Every time you don’t post for a while, I think, “well, she had to have had that baby!” But still no! I’m so amazed at the fact that she’s not here yet! I think she’s cooked enough – are they going to induce you or just let you keep cookin’? :-)
Hardboard and s-hooks.
I’m scheduled to be induced if I don’t have the baby by Tuesday morning, since that will officially be 42 weeks and they won’t let me go any longer.
I can’t really say anything that hasn’t already been said. Beautiful.
I checked out the other contestants! You blow them out of the water! Great use of color, space, and materials. Very impressive. All while 9 months pregnant, I don’t know how you do it?
Your porch is fantastic! I particularly love the hanging screen – what a great idea that could be used in so many places.
soooooooo pretty! love the pink and green combo. And I must get some of that beverage for this weekend!
Yours is BY FAR the best of the bunch! The hand-painted rug alone steals the thunder of all other competitors. Nice job!
That’s is so beautiful and Spring-y! You’ll have fun eating and watching your neighbors walk by.
The only thing I would have done differently is put the divider on the other side of the dining area to block out the view from the neighbors window.
You totally lived up to your name. You made that porch so lovely it took our breath away! We were anxiously awaiting your big reveal, and now that we’ve seen your fabulous porch we can go back to anxiously awaiting your other big reveal… that cute little baby who’s taking her sweet time!
xoxo,
Sherry (& John)
Nicole, you are like superhuman! That turned out so beautiful. I love the color scheme. The pink table and chairs are wonderful. And I adore the painted rug. The hanging divider is wonderful as well. How did you make that?
Good luck to you and Brandon. Still looking forward to the post regarding the new angel that is coming soon.
Thanks Sherry (& John)! And yes, she’s totally taking her sweet time. ;)
I’ve admired your site for months now and this project has brought me out of ‘lurkdom’. It is absolutely stunning! You make me want to pinkify my home :) I wish I had your creative genes to even put a planter together! You have my vote! Can’t wait to see baby pics…
You make me want to move back to Chi. I think I also saw your home on Apartment Therapy a while back? {I think I bookmarked it} porch looks beautiful! Have a great weekend!
wow! could not be more gorgeous! i am head over heels for the pink
it looks fantastic! and it’s even more impressive given your current physical thought :) great job!
ooops, current physical *state
This is just stunning! And incredibly creative and resourceful. Such an inspiration!
WOW….I browsed many times but this is my first comment. You guys have CLASS, ELEGANCE, STYLE & TASTE. The painting on the floor & hanging are just awesome. You must patent the hanging style before “Crate & Bar…” and other stores copy it from you :). Good luck with the baby.
B-E-A-UTIFUL! You are amazing. I am at loss for words. I just had a baby and in my last week I couldn’t even imagine getting out of bed…and my baby came early.
What a woman! Your little girl will be so fortunate to have such a wonderfully talented mother.
Let me be the millionth person to say this looks amazing! Especially the rug. I love it.
That looks awesome! Love it! Best of luck with the baby!
oh- i thought, the reason for your silence during the last days was the birth of your baby-girl. i was sure, you are in hospital… and all you did was your front porch. (just kidding)- this is beautiful! respect for the painted floor. it´s just awesome.
greetings from germany
wow, it’s so cutesy
this looks beautiful! i love it, the pink and the green painted carpet are fantastic.
btw, my 1st was born at 42 weeks with an induced labour, and it was still a lovely, relatively quick and beautiful birth. good luck to you, and however your little one comes in to your arms, enjoy it to the fullest.
ohmigosh! it’s amazing! i looooove it! congratulations on finishing. you guys better win.
I think the graphic treatment on the floor truly ties it all in … from the house color, to the bright punches of color from the accessories. I would love a ‘curb-side view’ from the streets. Quite picturesque!
8•)
Kristina
Just like another reader, I’ve been admiring your site without commenting for many months. This is truly amazing. The details and execution are so well-thought and it comes together beautifully. My jaw seriously dropped and I bounced up and down in my chair at work.
good luck with the little one!
Nicole, this looks AMAZING! And you’re totally amazing too, for doing all this while about to have a baby any minute! Holy cow. I’m in awe.
I LOVE the “rug”!!!!!! You are amazing. ’nuff said.
You have my VOTE hands down! AHHHHMAZING!!!!!!
You deserve many hi-5s! Looks Great!!!!!
the porch looks great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i can’t beleive you don’t have a baby yet!!!
Nicole- I love the painted floors- what a trooper you are! I picturing you practicing some on all fours painting and practicing some labor positions- lol! And that room divider is such a cool idea. It’s giving me ideas for my son’s room…
Good luck with the baby- the doctor had to give my son his eviction notice (induce him) too, which I was nervous about, but it all ended up fine. I know it’s going to be fine for you as well! ;)
What a fantastic transformation! I love the painted porch “rug” idea. You did a wonderful job. And the pink looks great with the green.
Great work! I really love it!
Now… Get. that. baby. OUT!!!
Nicole, I love how you always think things through and take such care with your projects, which ALWAYS turn out lovely. And a big high-five to Brandon … you two make a great team! I’ll be voting for you!
Oh, I just dig it! What does the husband think? This girl’s man has his own design ideas…there’s no way anything pink will ever make it into my house!
i know I’m like the 50th person to say this but I love the divider!
oh my goodness! it looks amazing! love love love it
It’s awesome! I hope you win.
wow!
that is super cute!
you did an amazing job!
i’d love to spend time out there!
Can you tell me what you made the divider out of and how you did it? The porch looks great!!!!
Seriously you should consider designing rugs. I’d buy that one…it’s awesome…
You’ve done it again! You are officially Wonder-Woman! That painting makes it all. Love the cholor scheme. Bravo!
Lovely! It looks great! I really adore the floor! I can’t believe you did that 9 months preggers!
GORGEOUS! I’ll definitly vote for you. Can’t wait to see a picture of you with the little one on lounging on the porch.
You guys are SURE to win!!
Your front porch is so inviting! Don’t be surprised if you find me over there just eating some cookies.
Please remind us when we can vote, i’m afraid i might forget.
WOW! I’m blown away – it’s looks SO amazing Nicole!! You’ve given me so many ideas for our outdoor area. I don’t know what detail I love most, although the ‘rug’ is just gorgeous. Now you can concentrate on ‘other’ things. ;) Congratulations on finishing, it looks perfect!
I second one of the above comments, although instead of rugs I’d LOVE to see you design textiles!!!
This is truly lovely. So creative, the colors are great. I am glad you painted the furniture pink, that is exactly what it needed. Great job!!!
You crazy, overachieving pregnant woman! Very impressive. Love the floor, and having been pregnant myself, I know it must have been tough to see what you were doing!
This is beautiful! Love the divider! Congrats on your baby girl — your life will never be the same! And that is a VERY good thing. :)
Nice work! I love the color combination and that painted rug is amazing!
super cute! I love the floor and the polka-dot plant!
Wow!… This is really cute work.
it is ridiculously charming. i wish i could come over for lemonade or a mojito!
So gorgeous! I {love} the touch of pink!
Nicole, I absolutely love the porch..it’s perfect!! Just wondering what type of paint you used to paint the rug and if you had to do any prep work before starting.
Love everything you do; best wishes to you and your new bundle of joy!
I love the combination of green and pink. It looks great!
You did a fantastic job! I love looking at your site – it’s so inspiring.
Just curious, though, what is the name of your patio set? I’m looking for something very similar!
Thanks so much :)
WOW! It looks sooo awesome!!! I couldn’t believe it when I saw you on the floor freehand painting like that – I’m 8 months prego and just sitting on the floor to fold my laundry is annoying. You are amazing! This project turned out top-notch!!
Very fresh and fun. I love the color combination. You guys did a great job.
it’s wonderfully charming – wish i lived closer and could come over for lemonade while the babies played…
Oh Gosh Nicole!! what an amazing transformation! I love the green + pink combination… I have to admit I would not have thought of that myself, the divider is soooo creative and the outcome simply beautiful. You’re gonna win!!! (I am sooo looking forward to that post with the happy news!!!)
Love the painted rug and splashes of pink with the chairs and table. The divider is so original and totally you. Can’t wait to see a picture of your baby girl on that pretty porch!
wow, girl!! you definitely have my vote! i love sherry & john’s makeover too, but yours is definitely more my style :) wish i could pay you to do this to my patio at my apartment in atlanta…but you’ll have more important things to look after in just a couple of days (or sooner!) i showed my boyfriend and he likes it too! i only comment every once in awhile, but i really love your site and i follow your blog religiously. keep up the good work!
<3 robin
p.s.-when can we see a full “after” of the nursery? i’m dying to see how wonderful it turned out! (forgive me if i’m totally obtuse, i hope i didn’t miss it…)
Gorgeous!
It’s in the bag!!! You have my vote.
You really go the extra mile to personalize your design!
Tracy
Of course, your work turned out beautifully!
Seriously, this is breathtaking! And to think you did all of this while VERY pregnant…you guys have an amazing sense of style. I’m seriously ready to go out and buy a plain outdoor rug and try to hand paint it because of you. I like Sherry & John’s makeover, but I think yours has a bit more personality. Definitely getting my vote :)
Nicole! Well done to both you and Brendon! This looks amazing. I’m so inspired to work a little more on my front balcony.
Congratulations. The pink and green accents look so sweet together.
Viv xxxx
PS: I blogged about your lovely makeover! :)
Oh my gosh…..absolutely adorable, you get my vote.
You’ve completely inspired me to paint my outdoor setting! This is really beautiful, I adore the combination of pink and green, so pretty and fresh.
Thinking of you for the next few days!
DAY-UM Girl! You and Brandon are gangsta because this is incredibly cool. Hurry up with the instructions for that divider because I am totally stealing that idea and pretending it was mine!
I wonder after all that – if you went into labor?
Well your porch is full of grace!
pve
This is so beautiful! Love the painted rug. What a transformation.
ah! this is just too cool. the pink makes it all the better!
G O R G E O U S! I love the painted rug, the divider, the colors…everything!
You are so talented- i will vote for you big time!
You’re my hero!
It’s amazing how PG you are and you got this beautiful porch done. You inspire me to get off my butt!
I wish you and your family the best!
Wow, you work wonders! It is absolutely stunning and I am SO voting for you. :) Can’t wait to see pictures of what kind of beautiful CHILD you two create. ;)
This looks so, so fantastic. I also love your styling, right down to the tablescape! I was going to ask the same question as a commenter above about the spray paint. (I’m about to spray paint the base of a side table that’s similar in material to your patio furniture.) I am wondering, though, did you also use “primer” spray paint first? I’ve seen that around but not sure how necessary it is. Thanks!
Wow, you did a great job…everyone else did a good job, but man, yours stands out! You are so talented! Want to come design my patio??? :)
So cute. I’d love to step on someone’s front porch and catch this vision. Well done. I have such a big front porch, I wish you were my neighbor so I could get ideas from you!!
Really beautiful space! I LOVE the rug :)
Erin, yes we used spray primer first. The Rust-Oleum paint indicated that primer should be used for bare metal.
I wanted to let you know that I am going to “borrow” your ideas to help me with my little screened in porch. Thank you so much. “Pink is the way to think.”
This is absolutely gorgeous! Congratulations on a beautiful project!
[…] little blog maintenance on Saturday. I was clearing up my blog roll when I ran across this great post from Nicole over at Making It […]
Wow–I love your porch!! The handpainted rug is amazing! I am new to your blog and just love it! It is LOVELY!! Good luck tomorrow with the new baby! How exciting!
I had no idea you could paint a rug!? I’d love to try that sometime!
Hi Nicole, great job….! They also asked me to participate in one of the contests..but I know nothing about gardening etc.
Good luck..your so AWESOME…I am doing my patio as we speak,thanks for the inspiration.
Jen Ramos
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This turned out just beautiful and I’m so impressed you took on this project so late in your pregnancy. It probably helped to keep your mind off of the pending birth, though. Those are my absolute favorite colors – it’s SO creative.
wow! the painted rug came out perfect! Love everything!
This is beautiful! I love the pink and green combination. It looks so springy and relaxing, and the hanging divider is wonderfully creative. I love that it separates and defines the space without blocking the seating areas from one another.
The pink chairs and table are absolute heaven! I want to sit out there for an al fresco breakfast, move on to the loveseat for reading, and never, never leave!
Love it, especially the rug!
Wow – I am so inspired to do something to our deck. It always felt like it would take so much money and so much work. But if you could do it with $500 and 48-hours (and 9 months pregnant no less!), I have no excuse! You = inspiration!
My first time here and I loved how you’ve tranformed this place!
You’re so creative, I hope you pass it on to your baby.
o m g. This is amazing. I’m going to vote right now. And this may sound goofy, but those hanging shades of green have inspired all kinds of ideas for my next scrapbook page~! :)
~Mollie Neff
[…] I know there aren’t too many porches out here in the UK. However, I came across this one on Making it Lovely blog and it madfe me want a porch of my own! The Vibrant pink and greeen make a great eye catching […]
This looks amazing! Fabulous design and execution. One of your competitors is in my little town of Spring Hill, TN. But really, all of you have already won, getting the cash to do the project with to begin with!
Congrats on your sweet little girl! Happy Mother’s Day!
[…] & Garden with purchasing only up to $500 from The Home Depot. Here is her completed post about her porch. Making it […]
[…] BHG.com/Home Depot 48 Hour Makeover Contest Better Homes & Gardens, or BHG.com and Home Depot teamed up for a 48 hour home makeover contest. […]
[…] of Making It Lovely and spray paint or powdercoat the set in a lively color (her patio set is painted pink), this could make your porch or patio a space where you actually want to spend some […]
I have the little pink plant on your table! I got it about 4 months ago and it’s grown like a weed–it’s shot up to about 6 inches tall! yeesh!
[…] of Making It Lovely and spray paint or powdercoat the set in a lively color (her patio set is painted pink), this could make your porch or patio a space where you actually want to spend some […]
[…] going to give my mom the furniture from our front porch, which means we are now looking for some […]
[…] year, I worked on our front porch for a Better Homes & Gardens 48-Hour Challenge. It was a lot of fun and we even won, which was awesome and all thanks to you. I spend a lot of time […]
[…] little blog maintenance on Saturday. I was clearing up my blog roll when I ran across this great post from Nicole over at Making It […]