Modern Front Entrance Paving Reno
Creating a Clear Path to Our Side Entrance: A Practical (and Stylish) Solution
Now that we all know why so many 1950s homes have their front doors on the side, let’s talk about how we solved a major problem that comes with it—guests and package delivery. Without a clear path, deliveries were left in random spots, guests wandered around confused, and food delivery drivers always called asking where to go.
The Plan: A Smart DIY-Plus Approach
I love a good DIY project, but some skills are still under construction—and installing pavers on a sloped yard? Yeah, that was a disaster waiting to happen. I could already picture my future self, standing in a lopsided patio, seething as everything slowly slid downhill. Plus, the job required big, heavy machinery and a level of precision I just wasn’t in the mood to wrangle.
This wasn’t a fully DIY project, but I tackled a lot of the prep work to make sure the design was exactly what we wanted and to save money along the way. I know some people assume DIY means you can't afford to hire professionals, but for me, it’s about choosing where to spend. Every dollar saved here goes into our sinking fund for unexpected expenses (like when a water heater dies) or even an extra vacation. If we can do it, why not?
So, we did what any sensible people with a little pent-up aggression would do—we tackled the demo ourselves. (Great workout. Highly recommend. And honestly, who doesn’t love an excuse to swing a sledgehammer?) After that, we called in the pros and went with a local company, System Pavers for the installation.
Take a moment to appreciate the absolute chaos that was our yard when we bought this house. No judgment—this kind of wild landscaping is pretty standard in our neighborhood. It happens when a yard outlives its original owner’s ability to keep up with it, budgets get tight, or, in our case, a revolving door of renters each made one questionable decision at a time until we ended up with… whatever this was.
Walking up to the corner could have felt like stepping into The Secret Garden—but instead, it was more like stumbling into the opening scene of a low-budget horror film. You half expected a creepy doll to be watching from the bushes.
The bougainvillea was a full-on menace—overgrown, neglected, and basically out for blood. The final straw? A thorn went straight through my shoe and into my foot, like it had a personal vendetta. After being repeatedly stabbed and ultimately earning myself a round of antibiotics, I made the executive decision: it had to go. 0/10, do not recommend engaging in hand-to-hand combat with this plant
The Challenge: Defining a Path Without Adding Stairs
A common solution for side-door homes is adding a pathway straight through the yard, leading up to the house and over to the door. But with our yard’s decent incline, that meant adding steps—which I wasn’t thrilled about. Stairs can make it harder for people to reach the door, create a tripping hazard for kids and older guests, and just add another thing to maintain.
Instead, I wanted to use our driveway as the primary walkway but incorporate a different material to define the path—something a little more "I know where I am going" and a little less guess where the door is!
Major hardscape projects are tricky to DIY because the prep work is everything.
There’s no ‘winging it’ unless you enjoy watching your pavers shift like tectonic plates every time it rains. Watching the crew from System Pavers work was seriously impressive—they had precision, the right equipment, and, most importantly, no existential crises in the middle of the job.
Another reason we went with pros was that back in 2018, finding modern, sleek pavers was like searching for a unicorn. You couldn’t (and still can’t) just stroll into Home Depot and grab them. Also, sidenote: Home Depot donates a ton of money to political villains, so there’s that. These are Linear Plank Pavers, from Calstone (now Belgard).
The End Result
With a clearer, safer, and more defined entry path, our side-door setup finally makes sense. No more confused delivery drivers, and no more packages left in weird places.
It’s also really easy for projects like this to snowball into “Well, since we’re doing this, why not redo the driveway? And add a porch? And maybe an outdoor kitchen?”—which is how people end up living in construction zones for years. Since we always pay cash for big projects, we opted to split it up.
One thing that mattered to me was keeping a balance between the hardscape and wood elements. Too much stone and concrete can lean brutalist dystopia instead of warm and welcoming, so we decided to keep the porch wood rather than using more pavers. That became one of our next DIY projects. As for the driveway? Yeah, that’s still on the eventual list—but honestly, it’s totally okay to take your time and not have everything done at once. No shame in the slow reno game.
If a hardscaping project is on your to-do list but you’re not sure where to start, here’s something that might help—System Pavers is currently offering a FREE demo of your existing hardscaping (up to $8,900). If you use my referral ID #30256 I get a little something too, so it’s a win-win!
One thing I really liked about working with them was how ridiculously easy the whole process was—fully digital, no piles of paperwork, and no awkward scheduling calls. As an elder millennial, I fully appreciate being able to check my project status online and sign everything with a click.
Also, if paying all at once isn’t your thing, they offer financing options too. So if you’re thinking about a new patio, walkway, or driveway and want some expert input (or just an excuse to finally tackle that project), this could be a great way to get started!
