New front porch

One of my favorite features of our house is our front porch.  It's an alcove tucked into the space to the right of our front door, just outside our dining room.  Its inset location makes it protected and serene, and I've worked to make it into an outdoor living room.  But the look of it was growing dated, so this spring I redid it.  I'm excited to share photos of our new space!

The seating area:

The whole porch, from front door to seating area.  The front door opens to the foyer; the side door opens to the back hall that connects the garage, laundry room, pantry, and kitchen.  In older homes I think this was called the "service entrance."  Here it would be a "serve yourself" entrance!



The seating area from the other side:

In the late afternoon, ready for a cold drink:

In the early evening, lit with lamps and candles:

If you look closely, you can see the dining room through the windows.  I like the way the new porch colors work with the French blue of the dining room.

Now for some details. The all-weather wicker furniture is from the "Camino Real" collection made by Lane Venture.  I have no affiliation with Lane Venture, but I couldn't recommend this furniture more--it's been out here year-round for six years and is still going strong. We've been very glad we invested in good seating pieces. Of course, that meant we had to get creative to fill in the rest of the porch, but that's okay!

The rug is an outdoor rug from Target. Inexpensive, good-looking, easy to clean, and practically indestructible.   The wooden lamp table is an antique desk given to me years ago by my parents; the other table is a Goodwill find that I keep re-doing with paint.  The lamps were purchased several years ago from Target.  They're specially made for outdoor use.  The iron piece resting in the left windowsill was a TJMaxx find, as were the finial and the "Welcome" sign on the table.  The candle holder hanging above the couch is from Target.  I love inexpensive accessories, especially for an outdoor space.



The ottoman I made myself from an Omaha Steaks cooler; click here for a tutorial.  For this update, I simply removed the old fabric and stapled the new striped fabric in place.

With the addition of a tray, the ottoman does double-duty as a coffee table. The tray was a $1.00 Goodwill find; I updated it with a coat of Rustoleum's Heirloom White.

The corner by the side entry door is a good spot to add a little cheer. I place a Christmas tree here every December. For now, I added some plants beside the obelisks in the corner. These plants get almost no sunlight, so I chose hostas. I don't think they'll grow a lot, but they seem very happy in this shady spot.

For the wall, I hung a couple of antique ceiling tiles at the top. Oh, wait--these aren't antiques. They were copper pieces I bought at Ross for $5.99 each. Painted with Heirloom White and sanded to reveal some of the copper, I think they look like antiques!

The large chalkboard started life as this rooster painting I found at Goodwill for a few dollars:

I simply painted over the rooster with chalkboard paint, gave the frame a coat of Heirloom White, and turned it on its side for this space.  There's chalk and an eraser in the little bucket beside the plants--perfect for me to write a message for family or guests or for them to leave me a note!

Sometimes even a dedicated DIY enthusiast needs some help.  I knew that making zippered, fitted covers for the loveseat and chairs was beyond my elementary sewing skills, so I had a local seamstress do that part for me.  The throw pillows I made myself using the "sew easy" technique described here. As you can see, the fabrics don't exactly "match."  I'm more of a cross-your-eyes-and-see-if-the-colors-blend-well kind of decorator.

These fabric all came from Not Just Linens in Durham, North Carolina, where most of the fabrics are just $7.99 per yard.  The green I used for the upholstery is an outdoor fabric, so it cost a little more--it was $10.00 per yard.  The store manager, Diane Tattreau, made the new seat and sofa cushions for me.  I could have ordered new cushion covers directly from LaneVenture or from a replacement cushion company, but I liked the idea of employing someone in my community for the work. Diane copied the existing cushion covers exactly, so these fit perfectly.  Her prices were were very reasonable and I was happy that I got to choose exactly the fabric I wanted.

Now, just for fun, here's a peek at how the porch looked before:

And now:

Now all I need are friends to relax with me on the porch. The weather is warm and the drinks are cold!  Won't you come on over? 

I'm proud to be joining these wonderful blog 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

Saturday Seven at Positively Splendid

Show and Tell Saturday at Be Different, Act Normal
Best DIY Projects of May at Beneath My Heart
Show Us Your Outdoor Spaces at Thrifty Decor Chick
Show Us Your Life at Kelly's Korner
Best DIY Projects of 2012 Contest at Not Just a Housewife