You guys! I have to tell you that this porch on the north side of our house has been the BEST place to relax outside in our yard! It's not big - just about 8' deep by about 18' wide - but it's just the right size to put a grouping of four chairs there, and bring a cup of coffee in the morning or a tall glass of a little soothing refreshing in the afternoon, and sit a spell.
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It was really easy to put together, too, using mostly items that we already owned with just a few additions this spring.
Before we go too far, I want to show you what the porch looked like on the day we first toured the house.
It was pretty sad and bare, actually, as the previous owners either never used it, or they had already removed their outdoor furniture in preparation for moving. (I have a feeling they never used this porch... they never opened the windows of the house in 10 years they lived here, so enjoying fresh air might not have been "their thing".)
This porch is the main entry for us as we come and go from the rear driveway. The door on the left is the door that goes into the kitchen. The double door on the right is an old set of french doors (original to the house in 1925, we believe) that leads to the dining room. These doors, unfortunately, are no longer operable.
The wooden screen doors on the outside are bolted shut and the original screens are covered with plexiglass. They're ugly, dirty, buggy, and a huge eyesore.
I decided I didn't want to stare at this ugly eyesore all summer long. I was sitting there, staring at it, thinking about what I could do to deal with it. I remembered that I had some sheer curtains and a tension rod in our stash up in the guest bedroom. On a whim, I went up and grabbed them and came down to see how it might look. The result? Works for me!
I like the added softness that the sheer fabric adds. I like the way it blows in the breeze, and adds a gentle flow to the area. And knowing that it came together for free? That was awesome!
Next, I arranged the four chairs from our 20-year old wrought iron table set into a small conversation grouping with two tables for drinks, etc. This was the beginning of our relaxing porch space. (the table that goes with this set is now in another part of the back yard with six chairs instead of just four - a win-win situation all around!)
Things were coming together nicely, but it still wasn't as relaxing as I wanted. So over the next couple weeks we added a little more to this space to make it even better. First, we painted the ceiling a pretty sky blue, just like so many southern porches. It made a HUGE difference in the light on the porch - no more heavy darkness hanging over us.
Next, we added a new outdoor rug. I picked this up at Lowes very inexpensively, and chose a simple neutral brown with a green trellis pattern to match our seat cushions.
Then we installed an inexpensive natural bamboo rolling shade from Amazon.com to block out the late afternoon sun. I ordered this from amazon, and it fit the space nicely.
We brought out the houseplants to add a little more life to the porch. And we added the doggie bed to give the pups a place to hang out when we're working in the yard.
Sitting here with a cup of coffee is a great way to spend an early morning.
Having four chairs here comes in handy when we have friends over and are looking for a quiet place to relax over drinks.
This porch ties into our North Side Yard garden wonderfully! We can sit here to take breaks from working in the garden, or we can just relax and enjoy the sights of our hard work!
Yes, I'm loving this porch, and am so happy to have such a great place to relax. It has turned into a three-season space for us, one that we use nearly every day.
Do you have an outdoor porch or deck that you like to spend time in? Tell me about it in the comments, I'd love to hear from you!
The area adjoining the porch has been the main focus of our work here at Harmony Hills. Here's the low-down on how we totally transformed the North Side Yard gardens that adjoin this pretty porch:
We've been working hard to create a beautiful, relaxing, inspiring yard and gardens this spring and summer... check out all the blooms we have been able to enjoy in our first summer in our new home:
Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest to get more tips and information about relaxing in your yard and garden.
Here are links to some of the products you see in these photos:
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