This Illinois home was lacking some serious backyard outdoor living. A small patio and grass area made for an incomplete backyard that was in need of a face-lift. Remodeling contractor Lansing Home Remodeling added a four-seasons room (a heated room addition to your home, typically in the form of a sunroom or mudroom) and deck to enhance not only the outdoor space, but also the entire home.

For $24k, see the results of this backyard makeover with a four-seasons room and deck addition!

To see more photos of this backyard addition, check out Lansing Home Remodeling‘s profile on Porch!

Do you like this home better before or after the remodel? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

All Image Credit: Lansing Home Remodeling

We asked Ashley from Simply Designing 16 quirky questions! This Indianapolis-based blogger and interior designer spills her biggest DIY fail, and shares some great ideas for inexpensive home projects. Head on over to Simply Designing for some creative DIY projects, and to read the rest of this interview!

What’s your DIY weapon of choice?  Oh that is a tough one. It depends on the project, but I do love my hot glue gun! I also love almost any power tool!

 What are 3 words to describe your blog?  Creative, simple, do-it-yourself

 Tell us about a time when you had a DIY fail (we’ve all had them!)  Ha, I love this question! I actually blogged about my biggest DIY fail here.  It took us a few tries to actually refinish our stairs correctly, but we finally got them looking perfect! Although it was initially a fail, we learned from our mistakes and grew so much because of it. It ended up a big success, and I am grateful that I can help others avoid the same pitfalls we made!  

 Words of wisdom for someone remodeling on a budget?  Shop around.  Don’t be afraid to buy online.  Get crazy creative with materials, tools and inspiration to keep your budget low while still getting a look you love. And don’t be afraid to just plunge in and do-it-yourself.  But DO call in a professional when you need it!

 How did you become interested in blogging?  That is a great question.  I have always loved creating and decorating so when I discovered that I could blog about it, a whole new world opened up to me!  I dove in head first without a second thought, I had no end goals in mind and no idea where it would take me. I have loved every minute of it and I never would have believed where I would have ended up, or the opportunities that have come my way.  It has truly been an amazing adventure!

 Strangest decoration in your house?  Hm.  This is a tough one.  I don’t think any of my decorations are too strange, but I did recently use a really unique material in this project here.  I was working on this really fun IKEA Hack where I turned a white IKEA bookcase into a beautiful Industrial Cabinet!  And I wanted something unique for the inset portion of my cabinet doors.  I wanted something with a little texture and visual interest.  So we ended up finding this prisma clear acrylic to use for it which looks simply stunning and amazing!  And no one knows what that really is!  The typically use for this material is to cover florescent lights in office building.  Seriously!  It doesn’t look that great for lights, but it looks really amazing in my cabinet! 

DIY Industrial Cabinet via Simply Designing 

Hardest part about blogging?  The hardest part about blogging is that I don’t quite fit into any category. I am not a mom who works out of the home and can compartmentalize her job vs home life (I have done that), and I am not a stay at home mom (I have done that too), because I also own a business. So it becomes challenging to constantly find balance in my life. I get the best and hardest of both worlds! I am able to make my own schedule and I am able to be at all the important things with my kiddos, but I also have to have self discipline and say no to some fun things so that I can run my business at the same time. The work is never done, I am never caught up, but I also get all the benefits of being able to spend as much time with my family as I want to! So even though it is hard, it is 1000% worth it! 

Best part about blogging? The best part about blogging is that I get to wake up and do something I love each and every day!  I am able to be home with my kids, and I enjoy putting my family first, but I also have something that challenges me, excites me and is something that I love to do!  

Head on over to Simply Designing to read the rest of this interview!

Are you a blogger? Apply to the Porch Blogger Program, we can’t wait to hear from you!

Welcome fall! September is a month of transition, when we start to put away our summer gear and prepare for cooler weather. It can be a busy month for home maintenance, especially if you live in a region with fall wind and rain storms. Be sure you do your outdoor tasks before the weather gets too bad and book your professional services like chimney sweeping and roof/gutter cleaning.  In addition to professional servicing, there are easy DIY tasks you can do yourself to make sure you are getting your home ready for autumn.

In the garden there is still much to harvest: berries, tomatoes, corn, carrots and beets make great canning or preserving projects for the fall. Many orchards offer apple picking and even early pumpkin harvesting. Some states start experiencing their first frost dates in early October – these homeowners will want to use September to begin their annual frost protection tasks.

September maintenance tasks

• Lay mulch for winter frost prep
• Trim back flowering plants like lavender
• Prune trees and shrubs near house
• Can or preserve garden edibles
• Repair exterior siding as necessary
• Prep and clean fireplace
• Check for air leaks in attic and basement
• Clear roof and gutters from leaves
• Test your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector
• Inspect your fire extinguishers

Pros to schedule

• Heating service pro to assess your home’s potential heat loss
• Chimney sweep to inspect fireplace and ensure safety

Tip of the month: Fireplace Safety

Your fireplace should be a source of warmth and comfort, not a dangerous hazard. Unfortunately, every year thousands of people (including children) are seriously injured by fires. 14,000 house fires each year originate in the fireplace, so the more you know how to maintain your fireplace (and safely use it) the better. Be sure you read all of our fireplace safety tips including:

• Have your fireplace inspected each year by a professional, especially if your fireplace is wood burning
• Clear the area around the hearth and make sure it’s free of flammable materials
• Use only seasoned hardwood – soft wood creates more creosote buildup
• Always use a screen around the fireplace to catch sparks

A Seattle, WA home positioned along the waterfront in the Laurelhurst neighborhood received a huge upgrade with a complete kitchen remodel. New countertops, a tiled backsplash, fresh cabinetry, and all new appliances are just the beginning of this kitchen renovation.

Completed by Pacific West Construction And Maintenance for $39k, take a look at the results of this kitchen renovation!

To see more photos from this kitchen remodel, visit Pacific West Construction And Maintenance on Porch!

What do you think of this kitchen’s new look? Tell us whether you love it or hate it by commenting below!

All Image Credit: Pacific West Construction And Maintenance

What does EPCOT center, planetariums and most IMAX theaters have in common? They’re all geodesic domes (albeit large versions). These very distinctive structures feature a faceted dome made up of many tiny triangular forms. You probably won’t see one in the average American neighborhood, but thanks to continued interest in sustainable building, geodesic domes have become a small trend among the same types of adventurous people who are into tiny homes.

Usually, in “What’s That House,” we talk about defining features of a particular style. But since the geodesic dome really just has that one characteristic feature (the faceted structure), we’re going to talk instead about the past and future of this unique home.

Architect and engineer Buckminster Fuller was credited with bringing the geodesic dome into (then) modern conversation, offering it up as a solution for the post World War II housing crisis. He promoted the dome as an easy-to-ship option that presented a more forward-thinking way of living. They were lighter than typical homes, could be installed fast and could be made using equipment that were used to create war planes. He also noted how the dome shape allowed air to flow without interruption, a more efficient design as far as energy goes. Of course, he lived in his own geodesic dome, in Carbondale, Illinois, originally built in 1960.

Here’s a tour of the home when it was newly built:

And here’s what’s left of it today:

Wikimedia

The problem came in the form of construction difficulties and building codes, the two forces that have burst the bubble of many an architectural innovator. There was an awkward union issue. Since the pre-fab structures that were built by the aircraft companies came pre-wired and with plumbing fixtures, construction trade unions refused to install the homes.  Those who wanted to go the DIY route met issues with crafting the precise triangular facets that made up the dome, along with restrictive building codes. The half-spherical structure made it nearly impossible for placing things like sewer vents.

These were huge setbacks to Fuller’s vision of the future, where he imagined over a million happy people living in geodesic domes by the ‘80s. In the 1990s, only 50,000-300,000 were actually built  (and it’s estimated that most of these domes functioned as sheds). However, you can still find a few domes for sale from those who were lucky enough to find the right architect for the job.

Zillow

Today, the dome has enjoyed a minor resurgence, splintering from the tiny home craze. Like Fuller, design lovers tout the domes very unique benefits:  They’re quick to build (using pre-fab elements) and efficient. Plus, they really do look cool. Companies like Easy Domes and Garden Igloo offer kits that make them a little easier to construct than in the olden days. As for getting these past building codes? You’re on your own.

Easy Domes

Did you like this post? Read the rest of the What’s That House? series!

Top Image Credit: Easy Domes

Today we’re On the Front Porch with food blogger Whitney Bond, where we asked her 16 quirky questions! Whitney is a huge fan of breakfast burritos, Taylor Swift, and coffee. Find out more about Whitney including the strangest item in her pantry and her favorite comfort food. Don’t forget to read the rest of the interview on Whitney’s blog!

Favorite comfort food? My Dad’s Captain Crunch Fried Chicken

What are 3 words to describe your blog? Fun Delicious Recipes

Tell us about a time when you had major cooking fail (we’ve all had them!) Most of my cooking fails involve gluten-free baking… like crepes that were thicker than pancakes or biscuits that looked (and tasted) like hockey pucks! I’ve found that most of my gluten-free baked recipes have taken many attempts before finally making it to the blog! It took me three attempts to perfect this Gluten Free Strawberry Banana Bread!

Describe your dream kitchen! In one word, HUGE! Haha! I would love to have a large island in the middle of the kitchen, double ovens, six gas burners on the stove, a walk in pantry and a 6’ x 10’ refrigerator, all of which would take up the entire living space in my current condo

How did you become interested in blogging? I became interested in blogging when I went back to school in my mid-twenties to study journalism. I had been following a couple of my friends blogs and thought that I should give it a try to practice my writing skills for school. I had NO IDEA that it would become a career!

Strangest item in your pantry? I currently have 3 jars of buffalo sauce and 3 bottles of sriracha in my pantry. Why? Because I’m a saucy & spicy kinda gal