I hope you are all enjoying a nice Memorial Day weekend, wherever you are and whatever you are doing….enjoy the time!
This is my 3rd summer on the screened porch and it is such a happy place for me. I’m out here so much of the time now and as soon as I got the pollen cleaned up this year, it was back to business as usual on the porch.
This year, I pulled the hose up on the porch, got a bucket of hot soapy water and with the help of my roommate, we scrubbed the baseboards and windowsills with soap and I scrubbed the floor with a mop. I had cleared out all the accessories and the furniture was mostly covered with covers. Then I hosed it all off and let it dry well and then uncovered my furniture that I had covers on protecting my cushions for the winter. Keeping covers on the chairs and loveseat definitely help them stay cleaner during the year.
After removing the rocking chair and putting it on the new patio, the porch is more spacious without that extra chair and feels really good.
Now, the seating group is back to 3 pieces and the coffee table. All of this came from Big Lots when I was living in Birmingham, so I’m definitely getting my money’s worth out of this all weather wicker set.
This might be the last year to use the cushions on these pieces, as it has been 5 years this year since I bought them. They do start to fade after a few years, but I’ll get at least one more year out of them.
This truly is another room in the house and is enjoyed for the whole summer.
The outdoor rug cozies it up and makes it really feel like a room.
Great place to sit and relax.
I keep a few beach things on the tables.
Collections of favorite seashells are a nice addition.
The lamps were picked up at Goodwill so I sure don’t worry about them getting ruined out here.
Looking back towards the table and chairs from the seating side.
My grandpa’s old chair is a nice touch out here.
Here’s a look at my new sliding Pella door, which is black on this side.
I added a new oscillating fan from Homegoods on the console table and it is great for cooling off the porch. I turn it on most all the time now.
I love when the curtains blow in the breeze like this.
And it blows often back here, so a breeze is welcome. I have potted up some new plants in my vintage planters to keep going on the porch.
And we use the table and chair often too, sitting here with my laptop or eating on the porch. Those placemats are a recent Goodwill find and work great on the porch.
Loving this pop of new fabric on here.
Staring at the stain glass windows is a fun pastime too. I love them and they have been with me for years.
A porch cannot be beat in the summer months. I’m so thrilled to have a porch in this house and hope that I never have to do without one again. It truly is my most favorite spot during the summer months.
Happy porch sitting!
Hi Rhoda,
How lovely!
Have you heard of pollen free screens? It is screen that keeps the pollen out.
You can google it to find out more. I learned of it recently on a tv remodeling show and thought of you.
oh my gosh, i have never heard of that. I’ll have to look it up. My screens are stapled in so they might not get changed out at this point, but that’s a great idea.
I so love your screened porch.
We built our screened porch a year ago but we were planning as you were remodeling yours. I took lots of notes & saved everything you posted about yours. Our grill porch is pretty much exactly what you & your dad built. I showed your pics to my contractor & the only thing different is that I flipped the porch & steps – my steps are against the house. We use a charcoal grill & I was concerned about my husband catching our house on fire with it against the house!
We use ours year round so it gets a good cleaning about 4 times a year. We bring the garden hose up & spray everything from the ceiling down.
Glad you got your porch done too and used some of our ideas! Porches are the best!
Love a great back porch! It is a chore to get them all spruced up here in the south with all our pollen, but love that we can use them almost year round. Love your harlequin floors!!
this is such a wonderful spot. love those gorgeous stained glass windows!
What a perfect spot for the table and chairs…love your porch!
Rhoda,
This is absolutely beautiful. I love when the sheers blow in the breeze like that too. Oh that stained glass is fabulous. You know I think your blog is lovely. Your blog is so fabulous that I nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award which you can view here. http://www.diydesignmom.com/onelovelyblogaward/
Jackie
I think we got our porches about the same time, so I watched with a lot of curiosity as you decorated yours. It really is inviting and pretty. I spend as much time as possible out here — in fact I am sitting here now with the laptop. My favorite times of the day here are early morning, listening to the birds and watching them splash in the birdbath, and in the evening, listening to the crickets chirp. To clean it, my husband hoses ours top to bottom to get rid of pollen and just sweeps out the excess water. In-between, I vacuum and keep a Swiffer handy, along with some Windex and paper towel. It is not really too hard to keep it fairly clean. I think I have reached a point in life where I think, OK this is clean ENOUGH!
Me too, Ellen. I definitely don’t stress out about it.
It’s so busy on this porch, and that makes it look small. With less stuff it would look larger and more airy. And lighter colors would make it feel more like summer like.
Your porch looks great. I would just want to use it on sunny winter days and avoid the pollen. On our porch in NC, we have EZ Breeze (there may be other brands that do the same things) and we use it all winter with our eastern and southern exposure. Maybe someone wants to collaborate with you on a project!! Here is a link to what I am talking about if you don’t know. I just LOVE porches!
HI, Judy, that looks like a pretty cool system, have not seen that before. Thanks!
Love the porch, busy??? I don’t think so, I love it and I also like a lot of “stuff” sitting around, plants, pictures, books, you name it. We have an outside sitting area as well as a sunroom. We love the sunroom because living in Florida even an outdoor screen room can get very hot. We spend a lot of time in our sunroom. I can send you pictures of it if you are interested in seeing it. You have wonderful taste and you’re very talented so just keep those wonderful ideas coming.
Loving your screened in porch…I already have one but have not really put it “all together’ and made use of it. Your first scenes of the black and white furnishings gave me an idea. My porch is [small] screened from floor to ceiling height and I do like how yours is a more “finished” look…something to think about and shouldn’t be too big a chore since I have already some [inexpensive/cheap] BLACK wicker. Thanks for the inspiration!
I knew there’s good reason to place your blog in my HONOR ROLL OF BLOGS~
Porch envy – so pretty. I like that the bottom half of the windows are not open. My porch is screened top to bottom and every speck of dirt finds its way inside. Oh well… I still enjoy sitting out there and try to wipe down the chairs before sitting. Yes, I hosed down my porch twice so far this year, and will probably require another round by fourth of July. Happy Memorial Day, Rhoda.
Rhoda, just wondering if the lamps on your porch are outdoor lamps? Love your blog!
Tracy, no they are not outdoor. Came from Goodwill so I don’t care if they get ruined eventually. Thank you for stopping by!
Thanks for the great idea!
Beautiful!! But what do you do when it rains? Doesn’t the rain blow in and soak everything, including the electric lamps and fan? Eeek!
HI, Kate, Rain does blow in at times and when I see it coming, I pile the cushions in the middle of the porch and it doesn’t blow that far. It really is OK if things get a little damp, it dries out pretty fast after a rain. It tends to blow worse on one side of the porch than the other.
Oh my goodness. I just love your screened porch. I’m planning on purchasing a small balcony set this year. Thank you for the inspiration.
Hi Rhonda, I was wondering if you recall where you got the fun paisley rug? It’s exactly what I would like for our porch.
You have a great eye. I enjoy your inspiration.
HI, Patsy, I think that one came from Overstock, but it’s been 2 years ago now.
Rhoda, it looks so pretty and inviting and I love the curtains! We just finished scrubbing down our 3 porches and repainting the floors. What a task…! Luckily, we finished while it was superb weather.
I love your porch, puts me in the mood for sweet tea and relaxing. I am still in the dreaming stages of adding a porch to our cottage and wondered if you would share the dimensions of your porch.
what color is the paint on your lap siding. Is it a green? The wall behind your grandpas old straight chair. I have workers on my porch right now. Finally decided to make it an all season room but having trouble with colors. Love your porch.
HI, Susan, I painted that wall in Pratt and Lambert Fennel, a pretty green. Sherwin Williams can mix it too. Same color as my kitchen and office.
So beautiful You might consider just covering those cushions when the time comes. It’s probably cheaper, but even if the same price, you’ll get a custom look and can use indoor outdoor fabric. these look really easy to do.