“They eat the sweet potato vine out of our hanging pots,” she says.
Jenn immediately envisioned the house with a deep porch, “almost Southern deep,” she says.
She sold her vision to husband John and snapped pictures of the front so she could trace designs.
Jenn and John Gubler’s ranch home before the renovation.Credit: Courtesy of Jenn and John Gubler
I kept drawing it different ways," she says.
Architect Greg Brown eventually suggested two roof pitches.
“He said one pitch would feel like a covered backyard deck,” Jenn says.
Credit: Adam Albright
“I’m so glad he suggested that.”
“That’s just how we are; we’re project people,” Jenn says.
“When you do one thing, you gain confidence to do the next.”
Credit: Adam Albright
Jenn and John were looking to downsize.
Jenn was convinced theopen-plan ranchwould suit their family.
We’re not buying this house,'" he says.
Credit: Adam Albright
But Jenn and their sons, Owen and John Isaac, raved about the updated interior.
Jenn Gubler, Homeowner
“That’s just how we are; we’re project people.
When you do one thing, you gain confidence to do the next.”
Credit: Adam Albright
Easy-to-climb shallow stairs to the porch are designed in an ever-widening cascade.
“I’m not going to lie, framing them was hard,” Jenn says.
Working with the hard material was a challenge for their tools, John says.
“Our chop saw went through many blades.
Literally, 10 cuts in and we were bogging down again.
We started buying them and drill bits in bulk,” he says.
Jenn says, “We love it though.
It’s so comfortable on your feet.”
She oils it twice a year to keep the deep brown color.
“But you’re free to let it go gray,” she says.
Black accents in the flowerpots and door hardware tie into the roof color.
The Gublers chose letters frommodernhousenumbers.comand ordered matching stencils to paint the house numbers on the curb as well.
“We made the shutters, too,” Jenn says.
“The miter saw I used was actually aMother’s Day giftone year.
I’ve loved woodworking for a long time.”
Credit: Adam Albright
The planter beds were built from concrete block faced with brick.
Black exterior paint upgrades the look of inexpensive concrete capstones.
Kennedi’s puppy, Texas, now enjoys the shaded oasis.
Tahoe the cat endorses the front porch swing, but he’s not the only one.
The heavy-duty manila rope is also an online purchase.
