We’re still wrapping things up in Richmond (not for much longer!), and before we publish a big progress post about our Florida house’s exterior we want to be there in person to take lots of photos. That in-person exterior update is coming next week — by then we’ll definitely be living in Florida — but this post is every bit as dramatic as the before & afters of our current house’s interior. In fact, the Richmond house’s exterior transformation might be the biggest update we’ve ever tackled. Read on for the full before-and-after story of the yard, landscaping, porch, driveway, and outdoor features that changed over the years.
We unearthed an old exterior tour from 2013 and were floored by how much has changed since then. It was a genuine blast from the past and really highlighted the progress we made on the Richmond house’s curb appeal and outdoor living spaces. To fully appreciate the transformation it’s helpful to see the original “before” footage; it makes the after photos and walk-through so much more satisfying.
Because many readers asked for a final exterior tour, we filmed an updated “after” walkthrough recently. Keep in mind that, when we filmed it, exterior planters and outdoor furniture had already been packed up for the move, so the yard looks a bit more bare than it normally does. Still, the changes are clear: healthier lawn, new landscaping beds, a refreshed porch, upgraded lighting, and a general sense of cohesion across the whole property.
Below are some before and after photos to capture the most dramatic outdoor improvements. If you can’t watch the videos right now, these images illustrate the major steps we took toward the yard and landscaping we always envisioned.
When we bought the house the backyard looked rough — spotty grass, a rotting deck, an enclosed sunroom, and several trees in poor condition. We removed a few trees right away for safety and insurance reasons; one inspector even described a tree that grew through the deck as “tickling the foundation.” Some trees were hollow and posed real hazards.
Over time we made several major changes: converting the enclosed sunroom into an open porch, removing the deteriorated deck, installing a vine trellis that has since flourished, and progressively updating the yard. The back yard has evolved into the outdoor space we pictured when we first saw the property, though a more formal stone patio replacing the pea gravel remains a future idea we never completed.
We handled a lot of the work ourselves: grading the yard, installing our own irrigation system to support thicker grass, and adding landscape lighting for evening ambiance. In 2017 we brought in professional landscaping to define the perimeter, and we added a shed that quickly became a favorite feature. Over the years we continued fine-tuning plantings, pathways, and outdoor lighting to create a cohesive, inviting exterior.
Looking back at the contrast between the original photos and the final results makes the scale of change obvious. We got the property to a place we’re truly proud of, but we also feel relieved to be downsizing — moving from nearly an acre to about a tenth of an acre means less maintenance and more focus on the things that matter most in a small yard. Our experience with a compact, beautiful yard at the beach house taught us a lot about creating a high-impact outdoor space without excessive upkeep.
If you want details on individual projects, here are highlights of the exterior work we documented over the years. These posts cover the porch conversion, porch tiling and ceiling work, landscape lighting, brick painting, the shed and its updates, patio improvements, the DIY vine trellis, and installing a bluestone path and awning over the front door.
- Converting an old sunroom into a back porch
- Tiling the back porch (it used to be a carpeted sunroom)
- Vaulting & planking the back porch ceiling
- Adding landscape lighting out front
- Painting the brick house white (including cost details)
- The backyard shed and updates
- Shed improvements: new lights, window boxes, and paint
- Our pea gravel patio, string lights & other updates
- Creating a DIY vine trellis
- Adding an awning over the front door & a bluestone path
- How we grow lush grass ourselves
Next week we’ll share details and photos of the exterior at our new house in Florida. We’re scheduled to move later this week, and if everything goes according to plan we’ll have fresh exterior photos uploaded by Wednesday the 20th. We can’t wait to show you the next chapter of our outdoor projects and landscaping adventures.