I don’t know if it’s finished, but I’m done working on it for the year. I would still like to paint the wooden stools and add a long window box behind each bench, but those little projects can wait.
We really like spending time out here. Eleanor and I start out most mornings by sitting on this side of the porch, watching neighbors and cars go by.
Some of the ferns are a little out of control…
But it makes the porch feel lush and green.
Tomorrow, I’ll post a design board with sources listed for everything.
Christine
August 12, 2010 at 11:32 amIt looks so comfy and lush!! And that little monkey man is the cutest! Great transformation :)
Angie
August 12, 2010 at 11:43 amIt really looks lovely! So inviting! I love the ferns just as they are!! Thanks so much for sharing!
Tracy
August 12, 2010 at 11:56 amWhere do your store the plants during the winter? If inside, do they overwhelm your interior space?
Making it Lovely
August 12, 2010 at 11:58 amI don’t, I let them die. :( I don’t have a super green thumb, so I get new plants for the front porch each year.
Nicole P.
August 12, 2010 at 4:38 pmI was going to ask the same thing! I can’t bring myself to let my plants die so they end up over taking the house all winter :( It’s kind of nice having something alive and green through the winter though.
Valentina
August 12, 2010 at 12:20 pmI love the monkey! Looks so funny.
Suzie
August 12, 2010 at 12:25 pmOh my gosh!! I love every detail! That monkey is killing me!!!
Holyoke Home
August 12, 2010 at 12:28 pmAdore.
What is it about ferns on a front porch? They don’t look NEARLY so lovely elsewhere. The Victorians were really onto something there.
Congratulations on an AWESOME project!
Making it Lovely
August 12, 2010 at 12:31 pmI know. Ferns aren’t among my favorite plants, but I have to admit they’re really thriving on the porch. We get so much shade there, my options are pretty limited.
Tonia
August 12, 2010 at 12:37 pmI’d love to seat out, and just read a few of my decor mags, and drink ice tea. I love the ferns and the monkey too.
Danielle
August 12, 2010 at 12:39 pmHow is your painted rug holding up? I thought of doing something like this on our porch.
Making it Lovely
August 12, 2010 at 12:41 pmIt’s holding up really well! It looks dirty in these photos because it is… there’s a construction project on our street and we’re getting a ton of dust and dirt all over everything from it.
Rose Campion
August 12, 2010 at 5:50 pmThat construction project is really miserable, isn’t it? I had to ride in your neighborhood the other day and just about died coughing from all the dust I inhaled while going past.
Courtney
August 12, 2010 at 12:48 pmi really love all the greenery makes a huge difference!
emanddee
August 12, 2010 at 12:51 pmIt looks lovely. The plants were an excellent choice – so lush!
Angela
August 12, 2010 at 1:05 pmI love the green ball. What is it made of and where did you get it?
mary
August 12, 2010 at 1:13 pmThere’s a devil on your porch. Run!
Redlilocks {Swoon Worthy}
August 12, 2010 at 1:44 pmSo lovely… makes me wish I had a front porch! In the UK, it’s not so common as it is in the States to have one so when I see them on blogs it just makes me sigh…
I really love the ‘monkey man’ too, so unexpected – I love a bit of humour in decorating! And that plant pot – it looks like a deep cerise with flowers on it – is just GORGEOUS. Fabulous job as always.
Andrea
August 12, 2010 at 2:59 pmGorgeous! Looks so lush and cool. Like a perfect spot for a late-afternoon cocktail or lemonade. Love the striped pillow. Great job.
Stevie
August 12, 2010 at 4:10 pmI love it! It’s exactly how I would want my porch to be – lush, comfortable, beautiful…love the ferns/other plants and the pots in which they’re planted!
April Johnson
August 12, 2010 at 4:41 pmI can’t wait to see where you got the watering can. It looks great!
Rose Campion
August 12, 2010 at 5:52 pmI love the Liberty pot. I was really disappointed when all of those were sold out at the Targets I went to.
Pencils
August 12, 2010 at 8:40 pmVery nice porch! You have the same Target Liberty watering can I do, I bought it for myself as a Mother’s Day gift. Also the matching gardening gloves. ;)
Momnivore's Dilemma
August 13, 2010 at 5:25 amFor all ya’ll not from Chicago, as I am sure Nicole will attest, there are two seasons here: winter and construction.
Nicole, your front porch is a dream. I hope to move to a Victorian in Old Norwood Park (like many of the homes in your area)…with a porch like that.
For now, I have a porch, but seeing your porch made me want to work on a vision board STAT.
White for the side tables???
Jakki
August 13, 2010 at 8:11 amI love the ferns ‘out of control’ for the very same reason…the lushness and the vibrant summer greens.
Sylvia
August 13, 2010 at 10:07 amI wish my (teeny townhouse) yard looked half as great as your front porch! And I can’t wait til my ferns are as out of control as yours :)
Kari
August 13, 2010 at 3:54 pmI was going to say that the rug seem sto be holding up well, too. I wondered if it was just dirt, or if it is starting to wear a little? I’m almost hoping that it’s a little roughed up–when you first painted it, I imagined it being all worn down and (unintentionally) sanded on the board edges and I was eager to see it age. Looks fabulous.
lisa
August 16, 2010 at 1:05 amI really like this look! The plants make it nice and lush which I find calming and cozy. The dark colors seem to go better with your house colors. Or maybe it’s just the light? Whatever it is, I really like this look!
Nicole in Seattle
August 16, 2010 at 7:10 pmJust discovered your website through another blog. You have such a wonderful eye for design and coordination of colors. It’s good inspiration for those of us who don’t know where to start. Your studio is my favorite! Keep up the great work.
emily
April 9, 2011 at 4:14 pmHi Nicole! I was just looking through your blog for inspiration, always my first stop. We are redoing our small outdoor space and I am considering the Ammero from Ikea. Wondering if you were happy with your purchase and if it is holding up. Hope you are well!
Making it Lovely
April 10, 2011 at 8:28 amI’ve been very happy with the seating. The cushions clean up well in the wash, and they’re pretty comfortable. Go for it!
emily
April 10, 2011 at 10:31 amThanks Nicole, I think I will get some!
A Sandbox / Fort for the Kids – Making it Lovely
August 3, 2016 at 1:35 pm[…] also commandeered by Eleanor from the back porch, along with a couple of pillows that used to be on the porch at our old house. The blue plastic tote works well for containing the sandbox toys, and I drilled drainage holes in […]