Our Porch Makeover Journey: Thanks for Voting
Has it felt like we’ve been asking for your votes forever? Since we took on the BHG 48-Hour Challenge in April and gave our porch a big makeover, we’ve been checking the contest totals every morning. It’s been a thrill — and a little nerve-wracking — watching the vote counts rise and fall. With the contest wrapping up this Friday, we’re trying to savor the last moments of this wild ride and reflect on the experience.
Instead of making one more frantic plea for votes during these final days, we want to take the opportunity to thank Better Homes & Gardens and Home Depot for putting together such a fun event. The challenge pushed us to experiment, plan quickly, and find creative solutions for an outdoor space on a tight timeline. It was a great way to test ideas, learn new techniques, and see how a focused project can transform a porch into a welcoming, functional space.
We also want to congratulate our fellow competitors. Each entry brought its own style and ingenuity to the contest — from Marc’s grill cart and Dave’s arbor to Jen’s clever potting bench. Every project inspired us and reminded us why we love tackling outdoor refreshes each spring. Seeing those different approaches made us excited to keep improving our own porch and to share more renovation tips with you.
We’ve also long admired Nicole from Making It Lovely. Her porch is beautifully styled and thoughtful in every detail. It was a thrill to find out she was taking the challenge alongside us, and getting to collaborate with bloggers we respect made the whole experience even richer. Being part of this community — connecting with other creators and exchanging ideas — is one of the best parts of taking on a design challenge like this.
Below are a few of our favorite porch photos and some thoughts for you, our wonderful readers. Your support throughout this contest has meant more than we can put into words. Whether you voted once or voted every day, you helped make this project feel like a shared adventure. Your clicks, comments, and encouragement kept our momentum going and reminded us why we document these projects in the first place: to inspire and be inspired by this incredible community.
Who would have guessed thousands of people would stop what they were doing to click through and support our porch? Win or lose, the experience has been invaluable. The makeover challenged us creatively and technically, and the feedback we received has already sparked ideas for future improvements. The contest didn’t just put a spotlight on our porch; it reminded us that home improvement is a communal effort — full of inspiration, helpful tips, and genuine enthusiasm.
We’re endlessly grateful. Thank you for taking the time to vote, to share our posts, and to cheer us on. This journey has been priceless to us, and your support turned a simple renovation into something much bigger: a shared celebration of creativity, DIY spirit, and community.
So before we get too sentimental, we’ll wrap this up with a simple message: we love you guys. Your kindness, enthusiasm, and willingness to participate made every late night and last-minute decision worth it. We can’t wait to show you what’s next—and to keep sharing projects, tips, and the occasional makeover mishap along the way.