And while these stones don’t look nearly as good as the ones on my front porch skirting, and they’re obviously not an exact match for the original stone (since I used two completely different processes to make them), I’m okay with that. This door isn’t the focal point of the front of our house. Our porch is front-and-center, and it’s the focal point of the front of our house, so I wanted those stones on the front porch to be an exact match. This door is off to the side, so it won’t get nearly as much attention. And from a distance, I don’t think anyone will notice or be able to tell that these stones aren’t original, or that they’re not a perfect match to the original stones. Once they’re mortared, primed, and painted, I think they’ll blend in perfectly.
I am so proud of how this is turning out. I went from hating how this door looked on the outside to loving it! I’m really hoping that I can get it all finished by the end of the day tomorrow, but I make no promises. The concrete has to cure for a minimum of four hours before I can prime and paint it, so there’s a very good chance I won’t get to the priming and painting until Friday.