Last week, I toured a Reston family’s home to see their lovely Christmas decorations. You might remember their beautifully inviting outdoor living area near the front door. That space is a new renovation that they recently finished after several weeks of landscape remodeling. You are going to love their transformation.
Here is how the front entrance of their house used to look:
BEFORE: Front steps and flower garden
The steps leading to the front door were broken and mismatched, with half the steps constructed from stone and brick, and the other half from concrete. To the right of the steps lay a small garden filled with mulch and a few bushes.
BEFORE: Front steps and flower garden
Raquel and Dave reimagined this space as a clean-lined, contemporary outdoor living room. They decided to recreate the steps and sidewalk, and replace the garden area with something more useful for their family.
After careful planning, design approval by the DRB, and weeks of renovation, this area is transformed. Here’s how it looks now:
AFTER: Front steps and patio
What huge change! The garden has been replaced by a patio with an outdoor living room. It’s hard to believe that such a spacious living area fits in the same location as the original garden. The space looks so much larger now.
AFTER: Front steps and patio
The steps have been recreated wider, and now they wrap around the side of the front entrance, offering easy access to the new patio. The front path has also been repaved with new stone pavers.
Raquel hired designer Tasha Agruso of Designer Trapped in a Lawyer’s Body to select the paver color and style. Tasha also designed the living area of the patio, and put together a mood board with product suggestions for furniture and accessories.
The contemporary wicker patio furniture set is from Amazon. The outdoor pillows are from Pottery Barn. The blue geometric rug, pre-lit Christmas tree, and blankets are from Target.
The potted greenery is from Home Depot, and the outdoor pots are from a garden store in Mantaloking, New Jersey.
What a great idea it was to create a new front patio and outdoor living room. Now they have the perfect spot to sit and watch the neighborhood kids play in the cul de sac while they relax in this lingering mild weather.
Now’s the time for the rest of us to start planning any spring renovation projects. (And if you live in Reston, don’t forget that you need to start early enough to get DRB approval for outdoor renovations.) Many thanks to Raquel and her family for showing their newest addition and inspiring us to reenvision how we could use our own spaces.
Do you have a great before/after renovation story? We’d love to see what you’ve been working on! Please send photos to [email protected], and maybe we’ll be able to feature you in a future article.
Related stories:
Holiday Home Tour: Raquel’s Cozy Family Christmas Decor
Before and After: A Cramped Split-Level Transforms with Spacious, Mid-Century Style
Before and After: A Dingy 1970s Bathroom Becomes Bright and Modern
