Screened porch updates

Earlier this spring I spent a lot of time on re-doing my front porch and was thrilled with the results.  Then my screened porch looked as if it needed some love.  Isn't that always the way it happens?  One thing leads to another!

I didn't have much time or money left to spend on this space, though.  So I gave it good cleaning and spent about $35--and here's what I have now.

Sticking mostly with what I already had, I made just a few changes to freshen up the space.  Here are some shots going around the room.

The sitting area in the evening light:

A few years ago I was longing for a sitting area as well as an eating area on the porch, but I thought it was too small for both.  But with a little space planning and a lot of imagination, I found that we could have two separate areas.

Most of the furniture is just indoor furniture adapted for use on the porch.  The eating table was a gift for my 40th birthday.  The table is made from reclaimed wood, so it contains lots of imperfections--what difference do a few more make?  The black chairs were in my breakfast room for years; they've held up pretty well out here.  The small ladder back chair and table are antiques; life on the porch has just given them a little more patina.  The bench and rug were made for outdoor use, so they've held up beautifully.  The pine shelves and wicker chair have made it fine on the porch.  And the ottoman I made myself from a heavy-duty styrofoam cooler.  If it shows signs of wear, I'll just re-make it!

My low-cost updates:

New throw pillows were simple to sew.  I found the orange fabric first, then searched for an aqua to go with it.  Bingo!

I crafted new tabletop accessories.  You can read about these here.

I mixed a few new shelf accessories with ones I already had.

The shelf-top vignette is composed solely of things I already had.  I just layered things until I was happy with the look.  The aqua vase is great with my new pillows. 

This pretty plate is from Target--it's melamine and cost just a couple of dollars.  The bottles I found at Goodwill for $1.99.  I painted and distressed the holder and ran the bottles through the dishwasher, which etched them a bit.  Now they look old, which is just what I wanted.

This little chair was part of a set my kids had when they were little.  I spray-painted and distressed it. 

One of my favorite things about this porch is the fact that it's on the second floor of the house, so the view is pretty.  Sitting out there almost like being in a treehouse!  Here's how it looks on an overcast day--don't the trees look lush?

And just for fun, here's how it looked before these updates:

And now:

No huge changes, but I'm really enjoying the updated look.  Now I wish I could have you come over for a summertime meal.  We could linger over dinner and not worry about bugs!   What do you say?

I'm joining some wonderful parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Open House at No Minimalist Here

Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage

Inspiration Friday, At the Picket Fence

Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now

Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest

Saturday Seven at Positively Splendid

Show Us Your Outdoor Spaces at Thrifty Decor Chick

Before and After Party at Thrifty Decor Chick