• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
If Only April
  • MEET APRIL
  • DIY PROJECTS
    • Kids projects
    • DIY furniture
    • Design plans
    • DIY holiday projects
    • Macrame
    • Transformations
    • Woodworking
  • VIDEOS
  • CONTACT
  • SHOP
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • MEET APRIL
  • DIY PROJECTS
    • Kids projects
    • DIY furniture
    • Design plans
    • DIY holiday projects
    • Macrame
    • Transformations
    • Woodworking
  • VIDEOS
  • CONTACT
  • SHOP
×

The before + design plans for screened-in porch | One room challenge. Week 1.

Please note, that some of the links below are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links (at no additional cost to you). Thanks for your support this way.

FacebookPinPrintEmail

I'm so excited to announce that I'll be participating in my first One Room Challenge! It feels like I didn’t have enough stress in my life so I decided to accept the challenge and renovate a season room in our rental house!

If you are not familiar with a One Room Challenge, it's a wildly anticipated biannual event where participants challenged to complete a makeover of one room. It usually goes on for 6 weeks, but considering the events in the world, it was extended to 8 weeks this year. Sounds easy? Well, not so much!

While I'm not one of the featured designers, I'll be joining as a guest participant and will challenge myself to renovate one room from start to finish in 8 weeks. I'll be posting updates on my blog every Thursday so make sure you sign up for my newsletter (below), so you don't miss a thing.

If you are new here (hi!), I'm April and I love to make things myself. I live in Connecticut with my husband and 2 little girls. I love to build furniture for my kids, like this playground, or a sandbox picnic table for my kids. Since we are renting this house, I never tackled a room completely from start to finish, but it is about to change!

The before

My family loves to hang out in the season room during summer. When it's hot outside, the screened patio is a perfect place to eat, drink and entertain.

We had a very rough winter this year and a lot of snow storms. The wind teared down black fiberglass screening and damaged the bead board on the walls. To be fair, bead board isn't a perfect material for an outdoor space. And the fiberglass screening already got damaged by squirrels last summer, when they chewed through it to get to my tomatoes. (I build a raised garden bed last summer and had rather unpleasant encounter with squirrels)

The season room clearly needs some TLC and I'm about to transform it in 8 weeks.

Plans for season room

I plan to change the bead board with siding panels that are meant for an outdoor use. This way it will be more durable towards weather conditions and it won't get damaged as easily. I also plan to replace the fiberglass screen. My research showed that fiberglass screen is the best option. I also would like to change the door and powerwash the floors.

As you can see we have a punching bag in the corner. It will have to stay where it is but I'm thinking to add a rack with weights and make it into a workout corner.

When it comes to furniture, I'm looking at the Facebook Market place if I can get some outdoor furniture. If this won't work, I'll make a sectional myself.

Another thing that I'm excited to make is a coffee table with a mosaic table top. I've seen this trend and really would love to get my hands on it.

I'm not exactly sure how the final room will look like but I created a mood board for you to see a direction of where I'm going.

  • Wood siding panels. These are durable to be outside.
  • Moulding. I'm planning to add it on the top and bottom.
  • Fiberglass screening. Pretty much the same as we have now.
  • Fan lamp. I absolutely obsessed with this lamp.
  • Wall lamp. This one is so cute but I'd probably get a bronze one.
  • Desert mosaic coffee table. Love this one but it's pricey.
  • Tomato barrel and greens.
  • Lamps for the outdoor. They just make magic.

I'll be posting sneak peaks to Instagram as the weeks progress, so make sure you're following along.  You can also sign up for email updates below so that you don't miss any of the action!

xoxo,

April

Want more swift renovations to follow? Here are the other 20 insanely talented designers in the One Room Challenge to follow! Can’t wait to see where we all end up. 

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Print
« Design plans for a kids playroom makeover { + mood board}
Demo and installing side paneling in the screened-in porch | One Room Challenge. Week 2 »
FacebookPinPrintEmail

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm April! I love woodworking and making things! I hope you will stay for a while and get inspired to make something!

More about me →

Popular

  • Things to do with kids in Vermont in the fall
  • Sasha's bedroom makeover progress
  • Speakeasy library room reveal + budget breakdown
  • Little girl bedroom makeover inspired by spring

ifonlyapril

DIY single mom | 📍CT
Painting my heart away 😅 since we moved to this Painting my heart away 😅 since we moved to this house a year ago, it's been a journey, and tons of paint involved.

I wish I could say I love painting walls. I don't. I love a fabulous transformations though. So the pain is validated. 

Considering I'm a single mom of two kids and  a dog (that is heavier than my both kids combined and quite a handful), I'd say I'll need another 2 years to paint all the rooms as I planned. 

What's your estimate?

#diyprojects #diysinglemom #makersgonnamake #diyproject #diyhome #paintingroom #ifonlyapril_oldhouse #behr #swpaint
If anyone needs a reminder - you are still here af If anyone needs a reminder - you are still here after all the sh*t you had to go through, and it's worth celebrating! I'm proud of you! 

So often we look at people through social media, admiring them, admiring their life, without realizing what is actually going on behind the scenes. 

Last few years has been an emotional rollercoaster for me. After being in an abusive relationship for years, being constantly gaslighted  that made me question my sanity, I thought I was going crazy. I've found the truth. Truth can set you free. I wasn't the crazy one after all. I just didn't trust my gut and chose to ignore it while it was screaming at me that I'm being played. 

It taught me a lesson. I didn't know I was going to go through something like this, and oh my, I had very low scary points during all that. But now I have awareness. And the biggest lesson I've learnt is to trust my gut.

You are strong! You can get through whatever life (or some assholes throw at you) 😘 in case you didn't hear it from anyone today 😊

#narcawareness #narcabuse #narcissist #narcissiticabusesurvivor #youvegotthis #narcissisticabuse #narcissisticrelationship
Fall foliage, hayrides, and cozy cocoa sips—Verm Fall foliage, hayrides, and cozy cocoa sips—Vermont is the ultimate playground for autumn-loving kiddos! 🍁🚜🍫 
For more ideas, visit my blog where you can find all the links, locations and more fun activities to do with kids in Vermont in a fall besides hiking and enjoying nature.

https://ifonlyapril.com/things-to-do-with-kids-in-vermont-in-the-fall/

#VermontFamilyEscapades #FallFestivities #KidApproved #alpacaexperience #vermontwithkids #vermontteddybearfactory #applepicking #christmasshop #thingstodoinvermont
YouTube is def a Harvard for self taught individua YouTube is def a Harvard for self taught individuals 🤣 Don't want to pay someone to do the job? Look it up online😁

#makersgonnamake #diyrenovation #diyreno #diyrenovations #ifonlyapril_diy #diyhammerhood #diyprojects
One of my favorite DIY projects for kids! Why? I One of my favorite DIY projects for kids! Why? 
I made the same building blocks pyramid for my kids 4 years ago and they still play with it!!!

It's such a great open ending toy (my favorite kind) that can take kids imagination to the moon!

What are you waiting for? Your kids will thank you later!

Find all the details on the blog: https://ifonlyapril.com/diy-wooden-building-blocks/

#diykidstoys #diywoodentoys #diykids #diybuildingblocks #singlemoms #diysinglemom #kidstoysplay #ifonlyapril_diy
It's definitely has been a journey. Journey of sel It's definitely has been a journey. Journey of self discovery, healing childhood trauma, learning how to let go. 

The hardest part was to live in a fantasy world. Where I felt for years that something was off but my every concern was met with me being called crazy. 

I wasn't crazy after all. And truth can set you free. 
I'm in a happy place now. 

Finally. 

I remember who I am.

#narcawareness #narcabuse #narcissisticabuse #healingjourney
Little bunny's room transformation. Find all the Little bunny's room transformation. 
Find all the details and sources on www.ifonlyapril.com

And I'm working on a YouTube video. Need to push myself to find time to finally finish it 😁 it's been a long journey. I'm glad it's at the finish line🤗

#roomdesign #kidsbedroomdecor #kidsbedroomideas #diybedroommakeover
I made this sound diffuser almost a year ago. I fi I made this sound diffuser almost a year ago. I finally hung it up and added picture light to it. 

I call it "There will be light" as a reflection of a dark times I was going through at the moment.

What do you think guys? 

Watch full video on YouTube and find all the details at 
https://ifonlyapril.com/there-will-be-light-unique-diy-wood-sound-diffuser-wall-art/

#makersgonnamake #diyproject #diysounddiffuser
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Disclaimer

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • Media Kit

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © IfOnlyApril 2023

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!