Our front steps have been an embarrassment for quite some time. Not much to look at originally, they really went from bad to worse with all the lumber, garbage, appliances and furniture going in and out that door for a year.

Here’s our front steps way back in April 2013…

And then only a month later. Our demolition boots were not kind to these steps…

By the end of May 2013, I had to do something to prove to the neighbors that we really were going to take care of and love this house! So up went the grass and in went the garden…

After a long, hard winter I am pleased to report that almost all of our perennials survived and are starting to thrive!

Only catch is, the better the garden looked, the worse those stairs looked!

We’ve come to the conclusion that wood outdoor stairs in New England is just a bad idea. Between the snow and salt and then a blast of heat in the summer, paint peels and wood splinters. So down the road, we’d really like to do something spectacular with our home’s first impression and replace the entire portico with a larger façade and stone steps.

But needless to say (as I rub my growing belly) it is looooow on the priority list.

So a temporary painted face lift will have to do the trick! Jared researched and purchased a fantastic full coverage deck paint from Behr Premium called Deck Over in pewter. This goes on thick like quick sand and fills in a lot of cracks even on concrete. We tried to purchase the exact same consistency in white but despite the white sample on the display in Home Depot, the helpful paint staff assured us it didn’t come in white and provided us with a Behr Premium white stain. This was definitely not as all-covering as the Deck Over brand but after two coats, we were satisfied enough with the results.

And speaking of results…

It’s not perfect and there are definitely a couple spots to touch up but overall, I think it makes a huge difference to the curb appeal on our home.

I really have to give Jared all the credit on this one. These paints had a strong smell to them and he would not have his pregnant wife helping even if it was outside. So a full weekend was devoted to the front and back steps! Bravo husband!