Ever since the new door got installed on the front of the house, I’ve been chomping at the bit to tackle more outdoor projects. I had the itch to go buy a bunch of plants and flowers last week and get them planted because the weather was beautiful. But luckily I got distracted by another fun project that has kept me busy because it’s been pretty cold and frosty the last few days! Want to know the project that has kept me distracted?
Meet: my cute little barn
Well, it used to be cute, and now it’s looking a little bit rundown and abandoned. If you have been around Love Grows Wild for a few years, you may remember me decorating this cute little barn before during the spring and summer months.
May 2016
I haven’t done much with it the last few years, and the cute chippy white paint it used to have is in pretty bad shape now, leaving the wood underneath exposed and decaying. I want to preserve this darling little barn in my backyard for as long as I can, so I decided it was time to finally time for a fresh coat of paint and some love.
I started by power washing the entire thing, which was very easy, but took me several hours to do. Most of the paint was chipping and peeling pretty severely, and some pieces even came off in large sheets. So the surface had to be either scrapped or power washed first before painting, otherwise the finish wouldn’t be smooth or last very long. I have this electric power washer that I absolutely love and have been using a ton this spring already. It is lightweight and portable and great for cleaning siding, cement, decks, pavement, outdoor furniture, and more. I highly recommend getting one for your outdoor spring cleaning!
I spent about one afternoon power washing and several days painting the entire barn a crisp, pretty white. Look at the difference this made!
I decided to keep the barn matching the house and garage by painting it Ultra White (I used Dutch Boy brand exterior paint in a Satin finish). When I got my house painted a year or two ago, the painter recommended going with basic Ultra White because it’s so easy to match in any brand when I need to repaint or ever need to do any touch-ups. It may seem like a boring option when there are so many pretty colors to choose from, but this was an easy decision, looks very crisp and clean, and matches the rest of the house.
To paint the barn, I used a thick 1 ¼” paint roller, which helped get in all the nooks and crannies of the old barn wood. For smooth surfaces, you want a smaller ¼-½” roller, but for a highly textured surface like this, you want something thicker. I knew the old weathered barn wood would soak up a lot of paint, but I had no idea just how much I would go through. After several trips back and forth to the hardware store, I think I went through almost 5 gallons of white paint!
Now let’s talk about that barn door… I absolutely love how it turned out! I had a vision in my mind that I wanted to add some interesting details to catch your eye, and “X” wood trim on the door seemed perfect for a barn. I kicked around several ideas for how to add the trim to the door without having to take it off the hinges, but in the end I ended up taking the door off and moving the placement of all the hinges anyway. But it was well worth it because I LOVE the way the door looks now, and the boys got to help me!
I used cedar 1×4’s for the trim and painted it with a mixture of a few color samples I had. I started with Dutch Boy Dusty Flats, but the color looked much lighter than the paint swatch I had picked out. I wanted the trim to be a soft contrast to the white paint, but be dark enough to stand out. So I dug through the paints I used for my Favorite Gray Paint Colors blog post and added a good amount of Valspar Smoked Oyster to darken the paint, while still keeping the color nice and warm.
Oh, and that barn light? It’s one of my favorite treasures I discovered while digging through an old barn years ago. This building doesn’t have electricity running to it, but I couldn’t help but hang that darling old antique light anyway. I considered giving it a fresh coat of paint also, but decided that I like the contrast of the rusty green light against the now cleaner look of the freshly painted barn. Little bit of old + a little bit of new.
As soon as we put the door back on the barn I started wishing that I had done two more large X’s on either side of the door because it turned out so dang cute. But I have a vision in my mind of some landscaping and decor that would hide any additional designs anyway, so I decided to let the door be the star of the show. I can’t wait to move on to phase 2 of this little makeover!
What do you think of the new look?? How would you landscape or decorate around the barn? I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas! You are always so helpful. 🙂 I cannot wait to sit on my deck this summer and look out at this darling little corner of my yard.
– Sources –
white paint: Dutch Boy Forever exterior satin paint in Ultra White
trim paint: Dutch Boy Forever exterior satin paint in Dusty Flats *mixed with Valspar Smoked Oyster
power washer: Amazon
I love this to pieces!
It looks amazing, Liz! Well done!
You could use one of those battery operated remote control puck lights in your barn light when needed. It may come in handy. You did a great job!
The door Trim and the antique light are PERFECTION!!! I need to think about the landscaping…but I didn’t want to wait to tell you how cute this barn looks!
I like the way you gave new strength to your barn door.
Love, Love, Love it ! Great job ……….so much character 🙂
Love it! Looks so clean and fresh.
I love the door on the left rather than the finished “X” but that looks like fun!! It is a beautiful barn!! This frost has been a killer for my plants here in Indiana 😳🙄
So so cute. I love it! If you have another spot for your barn light you could swap it for a solar one. They look just like yours but new and solar. Your door could be a shining star at night!
Oh, old fashioned hollyhocks, no doubt about it! Planted at the corner. Mixed colors. Whatever you ultimately decide, they should be old fashioned flowers. Perhaps some classic perennials and a mix of zinnias in summer (zinnias for cutting)? Or maybe a climbing rose on the side? In the fall when annuals are done, stick in some daffodils for next spring. Are you sorry you asked? Enjoy planting this fun new area.
I love all these ideas! Thank you, Ginny!
The barn looks so nice!! Loving it!
Oh what a difference a little paint will do for a tired exterior! Nice work! Some plantings around the base would give it that touch of greenery….or flower boxes mounted on one side. What would look very cool hanging on one side of the door (or on both sides) ,if you can find them, are antique rakes or other old gardening implements. Enjoy!
Looks great. I think the only thing I would have done differently is to make a frame the whole way around the door, then put the x in the middle. Looking forward to how you landscape.
I love your barn makeover!! The door is so cute. I plant colorful flowers around the front and sides by the bench. Maybe a big star on the side out of wood or metal. Whatever you decide, it’s going to look wonderful. Hugs,
I love your barn makeover! I can see some beautiful morning glory vines on one corner – maybe blue blooms!
I love your barn renovation, but I would have painted the “X” dark green to match the light. Just say’in.
Have a blessed day,
Sharon
Liz, I love your barn and the new paint job. The design, and color of the trim, that you gave the door is perfect. Good job!
Very cute! Did you say your house was aluminum sided? Debating whether to try painting mine… because I think it’s alum. siding.
Yes, it’s aluminum siding!
Love it! Great job. (Can’t go wrong with a couple of pots of red geraniums ).
Hiya. I love how you are transforming your place in real time! It takes time and money to do a home. So I came up with a couple of ideas for your little barn. How about painting the metal bits black and putting some type of molding at the top of the door? I know you can’t put trim around because of the hinges, but it might give the door more of a statement. Even a sign or decoration over the door that the light can highlight? My second idea just came to me. What if you painted the door black to echo your new front door, and painted the metal bits the antique brass color? Just a couple of thoughts 🙂 Pamela
I love all your ideas!! And you are right, renovating or even just decorating a home takes time and patience. But the journey is oh so sweet! 🙂 Thank you so much for your thoughtful ideas!
Awesome, awesome and then some more awesome!! You are truly a trooper to take on a project like this with only the help of your children. Well done👏👏
You rocked this!!!! I’m not going to give you any suggestions because you will do what this old building needs, I know. But I do see some flowers to grace it for sure!!
So much cuter! Definitely do what you like landscaping. For me, I’d put a trellis and grow a gorgeous climbing rose. I’m sure you’ll do something creative. You always do!
Janet
Sweet refresh of history worth preserving! It’s always good when the kids get to add a hand building memories.
Very cute! Thank you…