BEDKNOBS & BAUBLES

  • Interiors
    • My Home: Main Bathroom
    • My Home: Powder Room
    • My Home: Living Room
    • My Home: Dining Room
    • My Home: Main Bedroom
    • My Home: Front Porch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
    • Travel Posts
    • Travel Guides
  • Style
    • Style Posts
    • Outfits
    • The Coveted
  • Collaborate
  • About

We stained the front porch!

August 28, 2020 by jessica Leave a Comment

Sherwin Williams SuperDeck Wet Clay

You may remember last year’s front porch project when we replaced our screen door. And, now, we’re another step closer to completing the front porch now that we’ve stained the floor!

The process wasn’t without its frustrations, though, as you’ll see below. But first, let’s start with a before photo of the front of our house. (Side note: you’ll notice that the siding looks different in just about every photo depending on the light. The most true color is what you see above. It’s also in desperate need of a powerwash.)

Two year update: See how the stain held up here!

Progress Report: Front Porch

Okay, so this isn’t a real before image when the entire bottom portion of the house was unpainted wood and we still had the old storm door, but this gives you an idea of what we’re working with. Ultimately, we’d like to give our house a full face lift. The original front porch that went along the front of the house had been closed off years ago. We’d like to add more windows (vertical, double-hung) to give the home more appropriate historic curb appeal. Plus, that door to the right is permanently sealed. It would have led to the porch at some point. We need to have that removed and scrounge up enough siding remnants to close it in from the outside. Whenever we’re able to do this, we’ll redo the front stairs entirely. They’re someone’s DIY project and they’re not even deep enough for kickboards. But, as with everything, these lofty plans cost a lot of money and we needed to do something to make it cuter in the meantime.

We had left the wood raw for the last three years as we hemmed and hawed over the the pros and cons of paint versus stain. I preferred the opacity of paint, but everyone seemed to be pushing us toward stain because of its durability. It wasn’t until earlier this summer that I discovered that Sherwin-Williams carries an opaque stain, which is the best of both worlds!

I was a bit cavalier about my selection of colors, holding up the color chips to the siding and went with my first impulse: Gray Birch. From the sample, it seemed to be a warm, light gray. Clearly, I wrong:

There were so many blue undertones to this stain that it appeared baby blue next to the color of our siding. I probably should have stopped earlier, but I kept wondering if it would dry differently or that I’d like it if I really gave it a fair shot. Instead, I hated it more and more. At one point, I thought I ordered the wrong color and peeled the chip off the card to hold against the applied stain. A perfect match. It’s just that blue.

(P.S. We’d eventually stain those stair risers when we figured out the right color.)

Sherwin-Williams SuperDeck Wet Clay vs. Flagstone

After that fiasco, I had about a half-gallon left and talked to Sherwin-Williams to see how I should proceed. They told me that the wood could really only hold one more coat of stain before it would just chip off and ruin the integrity of the product. They stained it deeper, getting closer to the King’s Canyon color and gave me a paint stick dipped in the hue to hold up against the house. That ended up having purple undertones, so I switched gears entirely and picked a new area of the color chart to try, opting for Wet Clay (above, left) and Flagstone. (They weren’t able to do samples of these in stain, but were able to give me paint to use on a piece of poster board to check against the house.) These colors had more yellow to the base and ended up being really great options. (Let that be a lesson to you to always get samples first!) I went with Wet Clay and the second coat of applied stain completely covered the first without any hints of color coming through.

Note: I’m unable to find the Wet Clay stain color on the Sherwin-Williams website. The color code is SW 3083.

Sherwin Williams SuperDeck Wet Clay

I am so happy with how it turned out! I can’t speak to the durability of the color until we get through a Wisconsin winter, but I did try to chip at it with my fingernail and it held tight.

Two year update: See how the stain held up here!

So, next on the list is doing something about those iron railings (might replace, might just spray paint them matte black with Rust-Oleum), touching up the white paint, and replacing the sconces. In full disclosure, I don’t mind the shape of the sconces, but they are so incredibly flimsy and cheap — and they’re starting to rust.

Sources: Andersen storm door | CB2 mailbox (also love this one) | House of Antique Hardware doorbell | Sherwin-Williams SuperDeck opaque stain in Wet Clay

–
Let’s keep in touch!
Instagram / Facebook / Pinterest / Bloglovin’

You might also enjoy:
Cocktail Hour: Pineapple Punch
Lately
The Main Bathroom Renovation - Reveal Day! (All Sources Linked)
What I've Learned Our First Year of Homeownership

Filed Under: Front Porch, Home Tagged With: Front Porch, home renovation

Hello!


Jessica Hamm
Hello there! I'm a first-time homeowner updating a 1920s house in Madison, Wisconsin. I have a penchant for travel and a love of costume jewelry. Follow along for personal style, travel, and lifestyle content.

Search

Keep In Touch

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

You Might Also Enjoy These Popular Posts:

  • How to Remove Paint from Antique Hardware How to Remove Paint from Original Antique Hardware
  • Two Years Later: How Sherwin Williams SuperDeck Stain is Holding Up
  • Review: Waterproof Birkenstock Arizona EVA Sandals
  • Copenhagen Travel Guide: Dos and Don’ts
  • On the Right Foot: Introducing Our New Kitty, a Colorful Home Tour, Kohler is Reintroducing Vintage Hues & More!

Currently Coveting

Visit Me on Instagram!

Over the weekend, we drove to Michigan and welcome Over the weekend, we drove to Michigan and welcomed this little lady to the family! She’s a two-year old snow Bengal that was surrendered after being bullied by the other cats in her home. We’re pretty sure she’s a seal lynx point Bengal, which has Siamese in the lineage, based on her vibrant, slightly crossed blue eyes. She is the sweetest, softest, most playful, and unbelievably talkative little girl. We’re crazy about her! 

We haven’t picked a name just yet, though. We have some ideas, but we’re waiting to get to know her personality more. 😊

#bengalcat #snowbengal #snowbengalsofinstagram #schoolhouse #schoolhouseelectric #schoolhouseliving
Looking back at the changes we made to our home in Looking back at the changes we made to our home in 2022. 

#homerenovation #homedecor #home #ckstyleaccordingly #showemyourstyled #homeremodel #thisoldhouse #1920sHouse #dominomag
Merry Christmas! My own Christmas tree isn’t a Merry Christmas! 

My own Christmas tree isn’t as tinsel’d as this one from the Christmas museum in Salzburg nor does it rotate. Consider these goals for next year. 

@salzburgerweihnachtsmuseum @visitsalzburg #visitsalzburg #salzburgaustria #austria #salzburg #christmastree #vintagechristmas #tinsel #vintagechristmasdecor
I made @csaffitz’s raspberry almond thumbprint c I made @csaffitz’s raspberry almond thumbprint cookies and they’re delicious, but a lot of work and they don’t hold up well. If you’re planning on them this year, don’t add the jam dollop until just before you’re ready to serve them. The moisture gets sucked in overnight. Still good, of course, just softer than the first day. 

#whatsfordessert #dessertperson #clairesaffitz #clairesaffitzrecipes #christmascookies #holidaycookies #baking #cookies #bonappetit
I absolutely fell in love with the charming Austri I absolutely fell in love with the charming Austrian city of Salzburg. Head to the blog for a photo diary, sightseeing recommendations, a list of restaurants and bars we enjoyed, and where to stay if you’re planning your own getaway. 

#visitaustria #visitsalzburg #salzburg #salzburgaustria #travel #travelphotography #condenasttraveller #travelandleisure #feelaustria
The first snowfall of the year isn’t so bad when The first snowfall of the year isn’t so bad when it’s this pretty … and when the sidewalks and roads are still too warm for it to stick there. All of the aesthetics without having to shovel! ❄️
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Jennifer on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in