ROCKY STEP // MINIS // EXTERIOR
Beyond the Walls
A few big changes, a lot of little details, and a whole new feeling from the outside.
NOT ONLY A DIFFERENT FIRST IMPRESSION
Room to play.
The exterior of Rocky Step wasn't really reflective of our family's style, and we needed the outdoor spaces to work better for us and our kids. The house had plenty of character, but the back of the house in particular felt a little disconnected from the way we actually lived.
We reworked the back porch to create a space where we could sit, gather and enjoy the view, and updated the exterior colors to give the house a lighter, more updated feel. For the kids, we added a basketball court and a little beach area for swimming in the pond. For me? Allllll the window boxes, overflowing with flowers.
IT WAS A MIX OF THE BIGGER CHANGES AND THE LITTLE DETAILS THAT CHANGED THE WAY THE OUTSIDE OF ROCKY STEP FELT.
Rollover the image to see where we started.
Rocky Step Reimagined
BACK PORCH AFTER
First things first—a basketball court.
WE ARE FROM INDIANA AFTER ALL.
BEFORE + DURING + AFTER
Our very first outdoor addition gave the kids a place to play and brought some much-needed privacy to our outdoor kitchen space.
Sometimes paint changes everything.
A fresh take.
Between the mismatched brick, siding and all the different colors, the exterior felt a little busy. We wanted to simplify things and give the house a more modern feel, so we painted the entire exterior. It changed the way the house looked and helped all of the different pieces finally feel like they belonged together.
After: a cohesive look
Then came my favorite part.
The finishing touches.
Not necessarily a big design change, but definitely one of my favorites—the flowers. We added window boxes to nearly every window on our house and I love watching them grow from spring through late summer. We also swapped the landscaping mulch for rock, which made a surprisingly big difference in pulling everything together.
But the window boxes are still my favorite. They make our place feel like a little Italian villa in the summers.
