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September, it’s the start of a new school year in England, and for me, a time that always signifies fresh starts and new opportunities. But before I descend too far into cliche, I absolutely am not going to use that well used estate-agent-adage and tell you that this piece is about adding curb appeal to your home. Except, as much as this pains me to admit, I kind of am! And although I completed this little refresh of our front door just before the summer holidays, taking an online break over August, will you allow me to pretend it has just been finished so that in the flush of a new school year I can celebrate its new-ness?!?

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I wanted to share this mini makeover with you as the entrance to our homes are such an important touchstone, setting the scene for both the style and feel within, and I think the small steps I’ve taken have made a huge impact. Like many of us, I don’t have a big budget to throw at it (I would dearly love to tackle the path and fences soon), but a few small changes and a lick of paint later, this space feels entirely different and is a far more inviting entry-point to our home.

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If you’ve been a reader of the blog for a while you may remember, I bought a reclaimed door and painted it in a gorgeous called Light Blue from Farrow & Ball with the reveal post back in 2017. The makeover was a little hastily done as I was trying to quickly turn around the door which had replaced a shattered one following an accident in the wind (you can read the full story of this in my original post). 

Skip forward a few years and my hasty makeover was starting to really bug me. Although I still adored the style of reclamation door I’d chosen, I had always hated the tempered glass that we inherited inside its panes. I decided this summer I would finally enquire at my local glaziers to see if any of the glasses I liked would cost a fortune. Fortunately reeded glass, which was my first choice, is cheap as chips in the glass stakes and actually cost more to install than the material itself(!).

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And as a change of colour is almost as good as a holiday (who am I kidding, I would dearly loved to have gone abroad this year!), I decided that new glass justified and deserved a mini colour refresh. I wanted something warm and neutral, but not at all wishy-washy. As woodwork always comes up lighter than matt emulsion on walls, I trialed colours that were slightly darker and bolder than my comfort-zone-instincts. I chose Charleston Grey by Farrow and Ball, which is a grey with a heavy smattering of brown, making it a warm and inviting shade. Like the pinks with dirty undertones I have in our house, I feel this has a muted sophistication which feels very elegant in the porch. It works surprisingly well with the blues and greens that join it, and most importantly it compliments the brass hardware on my front door.

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By happy coincidence, whilst I was undertaking the front door makeover, a gorgeous new hardware company got in touch to offer me a set of new door numbers. I chose the Art Nouveau style Apex numbers in unlaquered brass handmade by Gipsy Hill Hardware. They are such a lovely addition to the porch wall, a real showstopper and they distract me from the other jobs I need to tackle out front, namely new tiles for the path and a fence that hasn’t seen better days.

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The final part of my mini-makeover on this area was the purchase of a set of vinyl numbers to adorn the fanlight above the door from an Etsy store. They are a similar art nouveau font to the brass numbers and tie together the inside of the porch with the outside really well.

So, that’s it, my mini porch makeover. It took minimal effort past sanding, cost very little to achieve and I’m so pleased with how this space feels, what do you think of the change?

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