As well as being a time of fun and relaxation, summer is a great season for tackling an outdoor home project (or two). We have relocated and lived in various states around the country. One thing that we’ve enjoyed each time is adding our own influences that make each house our own. Since me and my husband are both fairly handy and love implementing our own designs, we choose a couple of medium to large projects per year.
Summer Home Renovation
This year’s projects at the Reyman house focus on the walkways and flowers beds surrounding our immediate perimeter.
We purchased our home 3 years ago and knew then that the front walk would need to be addressed, but it was not the first focus. My Mom, now in her nineties, has since moved in with us and the walkway project has moved to the top of our list.
Along with the need to create a safe pathway to the house, we really hoping to add some character.
The Process
In typical fashion, we begin each process with research. This entails walking through local neighborhoods to see what other homeowners have done. Looking at Pinterest online to preview patterns and designs. And, visiting stone companies to see the available choices.
We knew we would enjoy the process of creating and installing the path but, we’re not that crazy about breaking our backs! We hired help to dig out the pathway we wanted to renovate.
The Progress
We enlisted the aid of our sons to get the rock bedding filled in and the paving started.
This week, we are laying the remainder of the pavers and bricks and will rent an electric tamping machine before finishing it off. We’re looking forward to strolling down our new front walk to enjoy July 4th celebrations!
On the Horizon
While the digger was still on hand, we had him carve out a pathway near our back deck. Taking the slate we pulled up from in front of the house, our next project is all lined up. Stay tuned for Summer Project #2 at the Reyman house!
