First Impressions

If our house was on Tinder I feel pretty confident that it would get a swipe right.  The entry was cute enough when we bought it, but we've done some things to help it along.
The photo below is a good representation of our starting point.

First off, see this post for detail on how the front patio went from zero to hero.

Let's talk about what needed improvement: stairs were tired concrete, house numbers were so boring and awkwardly placed, exterior light fixture looked like a clearance big-box store find, doorbell was gross, we didn't have a historic preservation plaque like so many homes in the neighborhood do, and our poor weathered front door needed some protection .  

We started with the storm door {see this post for more detail on that} and went from there.  The photo above is just after the storm door was put on last fall, you can see the trim still needed to be repainted and this gives you a really good idea of how distressed the steps looked.

Spring forward and we're looking better!  The light fixture is from Shades of Light, house numbers are from a local store- Plenty Mercantile {but I've also seen them online at Anthrpologie}, and the house plaque was ordered through our neighborhood association.  

The egg garland is from Target, this photo was taken around Easter.  

Above is a before shortly after moving in...below is an after.

I wanted everything arranged vertically to make the entry appear as tall as possible.  

The steps were coated with Behr concrete paint in Slate Gray.  

Much better for now, but I entertain the idea of eventually doing brick steps.

The Natural light the storm door allows to fill the interior entry is so lustrous

{more on the entryway here}. 

Here is a gratuitous photo of Birdie wearing her Easter dress.

This spring/summer I'd like to get outdoor furniture and have the front exterior windows repainted along with the gable area and fascia running.  

Everything will remain the same color, just very much in need of a fresh coat.  

Oh and I'd like a new front door mat, the drab one we have now was left by the previous owners.  

Turns out I'm picky about front door mats and am acting like it's an enormous investment that can never ever be changed again.  

Maybe I'll just stop thinking about it and get one that says "Wipe Your Paws."  

I am a dog person after all.