• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Partner with Taryn

Taryn Whiteaker

Taryn Whiteaker - Lifestyle and Design Blog

  • My Home Tour
  • Home Styling
    • Room Reveals
      • Our Current Home
      • Our First Home
    • Seasonal Home Tours
  • DIY Projects
    • DIY Home Decor
    • Crafts & Sewing
    • Before and Afters
    • Before and Afters
    • Furniture Builds and Makeovers
  • Seasonal Decor
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fall
    • Fourth of July
    • Halloween
    • Spring
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Printables
  • Entertaining
    • Parties
    • Tablescapes
  • Fashion
  • Travel
  • Recipes

May 9, 2012

The Power of Paint

Sharing is caring!

  • Share
  • Tweet

Have you experienced the power of paint? One coat of paint (sometimes it takes two) can completely transform something old into something new or make an outdated accessory super trendy. It’s no secret that I am always trying to decorate my home on a budget while  maintaining my sense of style. So, as soon as I start a makeover the first thing I think of is, “What in this space can I paint?” Paint is not only a great way to freshen up a space, but it is SO inexpensive compared to buying new accessories or furniture.

Today, I’m giving you a more detailed look at my porch makeover and showing you how powerful paint can be. And I must take a minute right here and tell you all THANK YOU for your super sweet comments about my porch, I was seriously blown away by how much attention my porch has received. So thank you, thank you, and thank you! It really does mean the world to me and its what keeps me blogging :)

Power of Paint

For those of you who missed my porch reveal, here is how the porch looked before:

Such a sad little porch with no identity. I live here and I wouldn’t want to walk up and ring the door bell.

And here is how the porch looks today:

Front Porch Makeover

About 80% of this makeover is attributed to a few cans of paint. Can you believe it?

Here is what I used:

– 1 quart of exterior gray paint (will update the color when I can find it!)

– 1 can of Valspar Dove White exterior paint (for the trim)

– 1 can of spray primer

– 1 can white spray paint

– 1 can of metallic silver spray paint

Let’s start out with the most obvious transformation, the door:

I used the XXX on the front door. We have a metal door so its a little tricky. I decided to paint directly onto the existing door and that was a bad decision. If you have a metal door make sure you prime it first and then paint over it with your new color choice or else the paint will peel right off. I purchased one quart of paint for the door and I had plenty left over to use on other projects.

There is another portion of the door that also got a facelift, the hardware:

Painted Front Door Hardware

Since I do occasionally make a few mistakes, I always learn from them. A few years ago I decided to spray paint the door knobs inside and within few months all of the spray paint was chipping off. So this time, I used one coat of spray primer and then gave it a coat of the metallic silver. It seems to be holding up pretty well! Crossing my fingers!

I mentioned in my reveal post that I used dollar store planters for my porch, well I wasn’t lying! Here is my proof. This is what the pots looked like when I brought them home.

I gave them 2 coats of white spray paint and wrapped sisal around the edge for a little embellishment.

DIY Painted Planters

I spent $10 on pots, $5 on sisal  and $3 on spray paint to achieve this look.

My little white chair was once an old $5 chair that was tucked away in our garage. It’s amazing what a coat of white paint can do! So crop and clean :)

My last painting project for the porch was this welcome sign.

I started with a scrap piece of plywood and created a custom welcome sign with left over paint from the trim and the door.

Now start looking around your room…. what is going to be the next victim to paint? :)

If you want tutorials on any of these projects just ask!

About Taryn Whiteaker

Taryn Whiteaker is the voice of style behind TarynWhiteaker.com (formerly Design, Dining and Diapers) ! Taryn is a previous PR/Marketing professional who got back to her creative roots after becoming a mom and now shares her passion for home decor and design for the world to see. Taryn lives in the greater Seattle area with her husband and three kids and loves coffee, the outdoors, and exploring with her family.

You May Also Like:

  • Paint Splatter Spring Printable
    Paint Splatter Spring Printable
  • Our Neutral Paint Colors
    Our Neutral Paint Colors
  • Laundry Room Update: We Have Paint!
    Laundry Room Update: We Have Paint!

Filed Under: ALL POSTS, Before and Afters, DIY Home Decor, DIY Projects, Our First Home, Our Home Projects, Room Reveals, Seasonal Decor & Crafts, Summer Tagged With: DIY, paint, Spray Paint

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michelle says

    May 10, 2012 at 3:13 am

    It looks great, and I couldn’t agree more! I just painted an Oil Drip Pan, made it a bulletin board and hung it in our kitchen, rearranged a few shelves, and a new kitchen wall was born. Still a work in progress, though. Great tips. I’ll be back when I decorate my back deck!

    Reply
  2. Noelle (@singerinkitchen) says

    May 10, 2012 at 9:13 am

    Very inspirational! Thanks for the lovely post. I cannot wait to have my own home someday in order to decorate it the way I would to. Glad to have discovered your website!

    Reply
  3. Emerson Grey Designs says

    May 10, 2012 at 12:36 pm

    Paint is my best friend…and you just made me spot at least three door handles that need to be spray painted. =)

    Reply
  4. Bethany says

    May 10, 2012 at 7:19 pm

    WOW! I love it all! Paint truly is powerful! And it helps that you’re a pretty rockin’ decorator too! ;)

    Reply
  5. Holly Lefevre says

    May 10, 2012 at 10:55 pm

    I love how much difference paint can make. I am fixing up my house to get it ready to sell and I am painting like a crazy person and lovin’ it! The front door color is great!

    Reply
  6. Ella says

    May 11, 2012 at 1:37 am

    I am fixing up my house to get it ready to sell and I am painting like a crazy person and lovin’ it! Thanks for letting me visit your site.

    Reply
  7. Natalie says

    May 11, 2012 at 2:07 am

    Taryn – just stunning – I’m in love! I love the pots so much – I may have to copy you when Summer rolls around to this side of the world. xxx Nat

    Reply
  8. Shannon Fox says

    May 11, 2012 at 11:19 am

    Super makeover. Love all the attention to detail. The door hardware looks great in silver =)

    I am pinning those pots! Fab transformation =)

    Reply
  9. Sandy says

    May 11, 2012 at 11:19 am

    Thank you for the tip. I, too, painted all of my door knobs a few years ago and they have all chipped. I will try priming them and painting them again. I am your new Linky follower.

    Reply
  10. Megan says

    May 11, 2012 at 11:51 am

    The details of your porch are amazing. I love how you just used paint on the pots. They look fantastic. I love spray painted door hardware…such an inexpensive fix. Everything looks wonderful. Megan

    Reply
  11. Julie says

    May 11, 2012 at 7:27 pm

    So darn cute!! Don’t you just love what paint can do!? I am your newest follower…hope you can visit me :) (I painted all of my cabinets, doors, moldings, even the toilet paper holder :) lol!!

    ~Julie
    redheadcandecorate.com

    Reply
  12. Kim (TheMoney-Pit) says

    May 11, 2012 at 9:50 pm

    It looks great! And you and I have the same exact door handle and we did the EXACT same thing to it! I hate that brass that has infiltrated my house, and I sprayed all the hardware.. it was killing me! Anyhow, your complete makeover looks awesome! Nice job

    Reply
  13. Elyse Ellis says

    May 14, 2012 at 2:08 pm

    That looks great! We would love for you to come share this at our weekly link party and enter to win a $50 gift card to Mikarose Clothing!

    Love,
    The Sisters

    Reply
  14. Heather says

    May 15, 2012 at 12:06 pm

    This redo is fabulous! Would love for you to share with my readers @ my linky party!

    hope you are having a great week!
    -heather

    Reply
  15. RobinM says

    June 15, 2012 at 1:47 pm

    It is sooo stinkin cute! I love the transformation. I don’t like my front porch and we’ve been saying for almost 3 years now that we are going to paint the front door…you have inspired me to get moving. Thank you. :)

    Reply
  16. Kiersten says

    April 9, 2014 at 7:37 am

    Hi!
    LOVE the makeover! We have been talking about redoing ours and this is too cute. Quick question, where did you get your pallet boxes from? Or did you have them already laying around? I can’t seem to find any for sale on google. I tried wooden pallet boxes and no luck! Any ideas?

    Reply
  17. Angela says

    September 6, 2014 at 6:27 pm

    Love it!!! How did the door handles hold up over time?? Thanks for the great inspiration!!

    Reply
    • Taryn says

      September 7, 2014 at 9:11 pm

      They have held up great! I did our indoor knobs and those did not hold up that well. But On the outdoor ones I used a spray primer first and then did the spray paint and they held up really well.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Looking For Something?

CONNECT

Meet Taryn

Taryn Whiteaker

Hi and welcome! I'm Taryn and the voice of style behind Taryn Whiteaker Designs. I'm a wife, mom of three, and coffee lover, living in the Pacific Northwest! This is where I share my love for design, whether it's decorating our own home, tackling big DIY projects, creating inviting tablescapes, or sharing my personal style. Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list to get all the latest updates! Read more...

Search This Site

Join The Mailing List!

Follow On Instagram!

And this sums up my excitement right now.... our b And this sums up my excitement right now.... our backyard is all coming together!!!!! Gah I’m loving it so much. I’m been sharing tons of projects in stories over the past couple of weeks - I am (almost) finished putting in this turf with @paverturfgrids and I couldn’t wait to share a peek with you! Sharing tons more soon... but for now, I going to enjoy this... 
.
.
.
Ps. I don’t think I’ve tried this jump since high school cheer and let’s not discuss how many takes it took! 
.
.
.
#paverturfgrids #backyard #backyarddesign #backyardfun #diy #diyhomedecor #diyprojects #diydecor #turf #turfgrass #yardwork #doingneutralright #showemyourstyled #smmakelifebeautiful #thedelightofdecor #ispyraddesign #heyhomehey #currenthomeview #ispymoderndiy #myhousebeautiful #crossfit #crossfitmom
IT’S DONE!!! I still have some finishing touches IT’S DONE!!! I still have some finishing touches to do with lights and styling but I couldn’t wait to share a peek! I seriously cannot believe our house is finally the way I envisioned it so long ago. Thank you all for the input on dark exterior colors, I couldn’t not be happier with how it turned out. I will admit I was a little hesitant with the shingle stain at first, but seeing it all together is so good. It’s the more modern PNW vibe I wanted for our home, I can’t wait to share even more. 
.
.
Exterior/Trim in SW tricorn 
Shingles in SW Black Alder Solid Stain 
.
.
.
#exteriordesign #exterior #exteriorpainting #tricornblack #pnwhome #pnwvibes #curbappeal #sherwinwilliams #exteriors #neutralstyle #darkexterior #interiors #interiordesign #doingneutralright #showemyourstyled #smmakelifebeautiful #thedelightofdecor #ispyraddesign #heyhomehey #currenthomeview #ispymoderndiy #myhousebeautiful
So ready for the weekend! We will be hanging out w So ready for the weekend! We will be hanging out working on the backyard all weekend so tune into stories because I’ll be sharing lots of updates! 
.
.
.
 @liketoknow.it #liketkit http://liketk.it/3d9fw @liketoknow.it.home #hallway #hallwaydecor #hallwaydesign #gallerywall #neutralstyle 
#interiors #interiordesign #doingneutralright #showemyourstyled #smmakelifebeautiful #thedelightofdecor #ispyraddesign #heyhomehey #currenthomeview #ispymoderndiy #myhousebeautiful #cljsquad
Have you thought about adding more smart home tech Have you thought about adding more smart home technology into your own home? #ad It's been something we have talked about a lot over the past year, and I am loving the new products we've recently added from @amazon and @ring to refresh our home! Check out this video to see how I use them in my everyday life and head to the blog to read more about each product and @alexa99 #askalexa #amazonhome #smarthome
Guess what?! Both our leather sofa and drum coffee Guess what?! Both our leather sofa and drum coffee table are back in stock! We love both of these pieces from @overstock (gifted), and they are used daily around here. I will say when it comes to leather couches, we all give this one a 10/10, it’s incredibly comfortable and a piece you will have fore a looooong time. 
.
.
.
 #liketkit http://liketk.it/3cWHf @liketoknow.it @liketoknow.it.home #LTKhome #LTKstyletip #LTKfamily  #bonusroom #movieroom #decoration #decorinspo #interiordesign #interiordecorating #neutralstyle #neutralhome #neutraldecor #leathercouch #midcenturymodern #midmod #cljsquad
Not ready to close the books on spring break! I ha Not ready to close the books on spring break! I have a feeling homeschool is going to be a tad challenging this week 😉. We’ve really enjoyed the past week and low key weekend, it’s definitely getting us all a little more excited for summer and being outside a lot more! 
.
.
.
 @liketoknow.it #liketkit http://liketk.it/3cK8e @liketoknow.it.home #LTKhome #LTKkids #kidsroom #kidsspace #bunkbeds #bunkroom #ombre #accentwall #painting #boysroom #overstockstyle #ombré #interiors #interiordesign #doingneutralright #showemyourstyled #smmakelifebeautiful #thedelightofdecor #ispyraddesign #heyhomehey #currenthomeview #ispymoderndiy #myhousebeautiful #homedecor #homedecoration #homesweethome #diyprojects #diyhomedecor #diydecor
One of my top questions is about the console table One of my top questions is about the console table in our entry way, I got it from Arhaus about 6 years ago and haven’t seen it in stock since... BUT they have two other ones on sale right now that have similar looks to them. I also rounded up a few more that will give you the same look. I linked them to this post in the @liketoknow.it app and will share in stories as well! 
.
.
.
 #liketkit http://liketk.it/3cDC4 @liketoknow.it.home #LTKhome #LTKsalealert #entryway #rusticmodern #consoletable #entrywaydecor #interiors #interiordesign #doingneutralright #showemyourstyled #smmakelifebeautiful #thedelightofdecor #ispyraddesign #heyhomehey #currenthomeview #ispymoderndiy #myhousebeautiful #cljsquad #neutralstyle #neutraldecor #neutralhome
Got our dose of Vitamin D this week! Felt amazing. Got our dose of Vitamin D this week! Felt amazing. But I can’t wait to jump back into projects! Lots of new stuff coming up, I also have a fun video tour of the house coming up tomorrow! 🖤
.
.
.
#springbreak #palmsprings #laquinta #vacation #vacationmode #dinnerdate #datenight❤️ #datenightoutfit #vacationoutfit #resortwear #california #hothusband
It’s supposed to be in the 70’s in Seattle nex It’s supposed to be in the 70’s in Seattle next week which means major work on the backyard will be taking place! Things are moving right along. Our exterior started to get a new paint job this week (see stories) which will be finished next week, we will finish layer the paver pathways and installing the new turf next week as well! Next up, landscape and lighting. I love how this space looks already, and I can’t wait to show you even more of it. 🖤
.
.
.
 @liketoknow.it #liketkit http://liketk.it/3cpoZ @liketoknow.it.home #LTKhome 
#outdoors #outdooradventures #outdoorliving #patiodecor #fireplacedecor #fireplacedesign #outdoorfireplace #polywood #backyarddesign #backyardgoals #cljsquad #neutralstyle #neutraldecor #neutralhome #outdoorfurniture #neutraltones #blackandwhitedecor #homedecor #homedesign

Footer

THIS SITE

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Partner with Taryn

Privacy Policy

If you are interested in learning more about data that might be collected by this site you are encouraged to read the Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy for TarynWhiteaker.com 

COPYRIGHT POLICY

All images on this site are copyright of Design, Dining and Diapers, LLC. Unless otherwise noted. You may not use these images without written permission. If you would like to feature a project shown on Design, Dining and Diapers you may use a maximum of 2 images and include a visible link back to the project.

Copyright© 2021 · Brunch Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Hosting by 3116 Digital

This site uses cookies: Find out more.