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I don’t think I’ve shown this porch much since we moved in. Come on out! It’s a small but comfortably cozy area. It fits our family of five perfectly, and after the kids go to sleep, me and Brandon can hang out back here with a few friends.
It looked like this before. Squished!
It’s a tiny space, but it felt even tinier with that little gap to squeeze through between the loveseat and the chair. Those big pieces came out right away after we moved in. We replaced them with a few things we brought with us from our first house, but did little else until now. I spent the weekend cleaning it up a bit. It looks pretty good outside for a 125-year-old house and I may try gently scrubbing the siding (I know you’re not supposed to pressure wash it), but I’m worried it may hasten a paint job.
Avoiding opening that can of worms, I stuck to sweeping out the dust and dirt, and turned my attention to maximizing the space. I added a wooden bistro table to a pair of metal chairs we already had. The small size of the table is better suited to the space, making it feel larger, and a bistro set is more useful than another armchair.
The color scheme is a little kooky with the stained glass. It’s an odd addition that doesn’t really go with the rest of the house, but the privacy is nice. I didn’t want to add a lot of competing colors, so I kept the furniture and accessories mostly neutral, and brought in some natural textures, wood tones, and brass accents to warm things up.
The lounge seating was on the porch at our first house. Half of it was reused here on the front porch, and the other half here. I got that pink polka dot pillow maybe five years ago, and the woven pillow is new.
I got a matching outdoor pouf too because the kids were super into it. It’s too bad I only had room for one because they’re kind of fighting over who gets to sit there.
We weren’t using this spot much at night because it was too dark, but it will be a whole lot nicer now that I hung string lights. I used removable hooks to test out the placement because I wasn’t sure if I’d like them to be swagged (as they are now) or pulled taut. What do you think?
I popped back out at night to take a few shots of them all aglow.
Candles help with the ambiance too. We have a hanging candle holder with open sides out there (came with the house), and you never realize how breezy it is until you try to keep an unsheltered candle lit! I bought a set of LED votives for the first time (along wtih a few perforated gold votive holders), and they are so much easier to deal with. No worries with kids around, I can put them anywhere without risking a fire hazard, and they don’t blow out with the slightest wind.
The table is just the right size for two people. I brought out our patterned plates, gold flatware, and our everyday pressed glass tumblers, and added cute polka dot napkins to tie in with the pink pillow. And of course, there’s the brass Nate Berkus vase that has been all over Blogland. It’s the perfect tall vase for big floofy flowers (hydrangeas, peonies, dahlias, you get the idea).
This little porch looks and feels so much better now. Having breakfast out here, late night drinks, coffee and a newspaper… I can’t wait. It’s such a special part of the house, and we’ve already been enjoying the spruced up space!
Staci
May 24, 2016 at 10:39 amThis is so beautiful! I love the stained glass but agree that the color scheme doesn’t really go with the rest of your home. I need to get a bistro table for my patio. Currently I have 2 cute outdoor chairs but they never get used because there’s nowhere to set food/drinks.
sandi
May 24, 2016 at 8:16 pmVery cute what you did on the porch. And, yes, I also agree about the stained glass colors. Soooo a suggestion – the red blocks kind of spoil the look and ambiance, to me. Perhaps cover them in a glass paint the purple shades of your house? The blues and golds would blend in perfectly with the purples. And since the reds look opaque, you’re not losing anything by changing them up. Maybe test with pieces of purple paper to see how it would look.
Ari Baker
May 25, 2016 at 2:52 amThat’s such a cute porch! I love the stained glass, and yes, maybe changing the red somehow would be a good idea. But even with the red it’s such a cozy place!
helenwk
May 25, 2016 at 7:59 pmWhere is this porch in relation to the rest of your house?
easymichigan@wordpress.com
May 25, 2016 at 9:59 pmI like the quirkiness of the glass. It is special for your house alone, I wouldn’t change it.
Angela Dugan (@OakParkGirl)
May 26, 2016 at 9:37 pmThat porch looks amazing! Begs to have a group of ladies sipping cocktails on it Really nice work.
Elizabeth @ CrazyBusyHappyLife
May 31, 2016 at 7:58 pmI am so in love with your house! That stained glass accent is neat although I can see how it would mess up your color schemes. I might have to try something like that on my nosy neighbor side of the porch. LOL
Nicol
June 10, 2016 at 11:13 amSo in love with the colorful glass panels :)
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