Nesting With Grace

by Brooke Christen

Changes to the Exterior of our Utah Ranch Home

Since buying our ranch-style home in November 2020, we’ve been gradually updating it. The first major remodel took about a year—we painted the exterior black and added a full second story for the girls’ bedrooms. Since then, we’ve kept making changes as our style has evolved and as we realized some original elements just didn’t work. Sharing what the exterior looks like now—five years later!

Exterior Before-

Before photo I took December of 2020.

Exterior After-

The AFTER!!! We’re so happy with how it turned out. The biggest recent changes have been removing the giant front pine tree, all of the original pavers, and adding some landscaping details that bring charm to the yard, like the gas lanterns.

Pavers

It wasn’t an easy decision to remove the old pavers. The original owner was a mason, and he had cut and laid each one by hand. But after 55 years, the wear and damage had become impossible to keep repairing. We had to decide, keep putting bandaids on it or start fresh and rebuild it to last.
Plus, starting fresh gave us the chance to add even more! Our landscaper suggested creating this walkway from the front of the house, and I’m so glad he did. It’s both beautiful and functional, and the added detail has really elevated the overall look of our home.

Gas Lanterns-

On one of our nightly walks, I noticed a new build with gas lanterns lining the front of the property. I couldn’t stop thinking about them, I could instantly envision gas lanterns at our home.
I love how the lanterns clearly define the edge of our property, starting right at the driveway. They also helped integrate the mailbox into the overall look, making it feel like a thoughtful part of the design instead of just a separate piece.
Before, the grass ran right up to the road, which made it tricky to avoid driving or parking on. In other places we’ve lived, there was always a curb to create that separation. Now, we’ve planted boxwoods to help define the edge, and I love the direction it’s heading. Just imagine them growing taller and fuller, eventually meeting the gas lantern pillars to form a low, boxwood “fence” around the front, it’s going to be so good!

Landscaping-

The pine tree needed to be replaced because it was dying. We had tried to save it, but in the end, it had to come down. Thankfully, they were able to replace it with a mature tree and, as much as I miss the old one, I do love that it no longer blocks Ella’s view of the mountains. It’s always sad to remove something that’s been there for so long.
Seeing what other people have done with their yards, I’ve learned what I really love in landscaping-big, full, and color. I know it takes time for plants and flowers to grow into that look, so we’ve been working with our landscaper to plant with that goal in mind. Patience is the hard part, ha!
We recently lined our pathway with taller plantings called blue mist shrub, and I love the added height. Little flowers and ground covers fill in the spaces between, and it’s already starting to take shape. I really love how our landscapers grouped similar plants together!

Fence-

This is one change I wish we’d made from the start. We kept the original stone pillars but had installed wood slat fencing and the wood kept breaking, which had us constantly worrying about the dogs. We finally swapped it all out for metal, and now it’s solid and built to last!

Pool and Pavers-

I really love that the new pavers match the colors of the ones around our pool—it helps everything feel more cohesive.
Info on our pool and pavers HERE.

Pergola-

Our Landscapers built our pergola, it is 12’x15′. We have been very happy with the size. Our landscapers custom built it when we redid our yard. The cost was about $40k for the pergola. It has footings, meaning it is attached to the ground. They stained it black in a tint-able stain, color Tricorn Black from Sherwin Williams.
What I’ve learned most from working on our yard is that it’s worth pausing to really think through how to make your ideas better—gathering inspiration, finding reference photos, and asking for input if you’re working with a professional. It’s also totally okay to take it slow and focus on what you love. Plans change, we change, and it’s more than okay to change your mind along the way.
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