How Pinterest Helped With Our Home Renovation

May 27, 2014 /

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My husband and I are well underway with our exterior home renovation. While what we are doing is by no means “earth shattering,” we are giving our 1973 home some modern updates. In the process, we were extremely lucky to have worked with an architect who truly “listened” to what we wanted to do without breaking the bank. She sat through a three-hour meeting with us, while I showed her photo after photo of things we liked—things I had pinned on Pinterest. We walked around the house and talked about the roof, the garage, the siding, the soffits, and more structural technical terms that I am probably now forgetting. When we received the plans back from her, we were euphoric; her copious note-taking had lead to an architectural drawing that we did not have to alter. She produced on paper exactly what we were looking to do.

Additionally, we are working with a contractor with whom we have worked in the past, so it all is coming together rather nicely. As I write this, they are banging away on my roof.

The fact that I was able to categorize our ideas on Pinterest, sorting them into categories such as “porches, patios & sunrooms” and “exterior renovation ideas,” has helped me search for different characteristics of things we like. Now that Pinterest is one of the most used sites by women, many of you are on it. The trick is to actually put what you pin into practice.

There are certain photographs and ideas I have pinned that I keep coming back to time and time again. The porch inspiration photo is one of them. The look of the columns (four of them will be in the front) is one I refer to quite often. Because I love and am obsessed with chandeliers, I have pinned porches with chandeliers and have used those to help guide me in my choices of chandelier.

What Pinterest offers most is a wide range and variety of pins from which to choose. It’s up to you to use your imagination to put it all together with the help of those who know what to do and how to build.

I thought I’d share with you some of the most influential photos I’ve pinned that are helping to make my life–and the life of my husband and contractor–a little easier as we barrel through this renovation.

This is the photo that helped me choose the colors for the home. While our house is a colonial and not a Cape Cod, I love the muted tones, and look forward to adding color in the flower beds.
This is the photo that helped me choose the colors for the home. While our house is a colonial and not a Cape Cod, I love the muted tones, and look forward to adding color in the flower beds.
This is the photograph I come back to again and again. There's so much I like about this porch, but mainly it's the look of the floor, the trim with the screens, and the bronze ceiling fixtures. We have a vaulted ceiling, so it will look a bit different, but many of the elements will serve as inspiration.
This is the photograph I come back to again and again. There’s so much I like about this porch, but mainly it’s the look of the floor, the trim with the screens, and the bronze ceiling fixtures. We have a vaulted ceiling, so it will look a bit different, but many of the elements will serve as inspiration.
There's not too much else to say except this: I LOVE THESE COLUMNS! This was the inspiration photo for the four columns that will be in the front of the home.
There’s not too much else to say except this: I LOVE THESE COLUMNS! This was the inspiration photo for the four columns that will be in the front of the home.
We wanted to add a "statement piece" to the approach. Searching for "outdoor" chandeliers proved a bit challenging, but I ended up with two I love: one for the front porch and one for the back. I love how welcoming this entrance is, and I'd love for ours to feel the same way.
We wanted to add a “statement piece” to the approach. Searching for “outdoor” chandeliers proved a bit challenging, but I ended up with two I love: one for the front porch and one for the back. I love how welcoming this entrance is, and I’d love for ours to feel the same way, even though it won’t be nearly as grand. But here, it’s the idea that matters.
I saw this GORGEOUS photo on Pinterest and pinned it immediately. I loved the idea of a REALLY BIG clock. And while our porch won't be quite this "girlie," I used this photo as inspiration. When I was shopping at a local store, I came upon the clock below. It is huge (not as big as this one in the photo), but I bought it and it will be our statement piece on the porch. Had I not seen this photo, I would not have had it in my head to even be on the lookout for something similar.
I saw this GORGEOUS photo on Pinterest and pinned it immediately. I loved the idea of a REALLY BIG clock. And while our porch won’t be quite this “girlie,” I used this photo as inspiration. When I was shopping at a local store, I came upon the clock below. It is huge (not as big as this one in the photo), but I bought it and it will be our statement piece on the porch. Had I not seen this photo, I would not have had it in my head to even be on the lookout for something similar.
This is the clock I ended up buying for the porch. Fun, blue, a little girlie (but not too much), and it's deceiving in this photo. It is actually enormous.
This is the clock I ended up buying for the porch. Fun, blue, and a little girlie (but not too much), it’s deceiving in this photo. It is actually enormous.
One last inspiration photo: This one I pinned for the floor. We are updating our front walkway and porch floor, and this photo served as inspiration for that.
One last inspiration photo: This one I pinned for the floor. We are updating our front walkway and porch floor, and this photo served as inspiration for that. My husband also likes the idea of a swing.

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Overall, you can see I’ve taken advantage of Pinterest. Here is a shot of the house  BEFORE we began the renovation. What follows are our after photos of the house post renovation.

Our house BEFORE. Soon to come, the AFTER.
Our House BEFORE the renovation.
Our home AFTER the renovation.
Our home AFTER the renovation.

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