I have long dreamed of a big wrap around front porch outfitted with porch swings, incredible potted plants, and rocking chairs.
Well before I ever owned a home, I had a calendar that was literally 12 months of the most gloriously cozy front porches there ever were.
So when we moved into this house, complete with a covered porch, I was itching to make it cozy and inviting.
Because in our family, cuddling is an Olympic sport.
You might remember my porch from my introduction Hey, We Just Moved In post.
Just a long, sorta narrow area.
I tried to pretty it up by putting some potted plants at the end, but that proved a bad idea because they didn’t get enough sunlight to thrive.
Fast forward to my birthday in October. I knew exactly what I wanted:
Amiright or Amiright that a porch swing is the coziest of all inventions in all the land?
Thing is, when a girl gets a porch swing, she also needs (I mean “needs”) the accessories.
Otherwise, it’s just a plain old swing that doesn’t exactly beckon you to come sit on it.
OBVIOUSLY.
A few months ago I found this basket/galvanized tin thing at a hardware store for really cheap. It kinda hung out in the backyard with no real home or purpose for a while.
But with some succulents planted in what were supposed to be candle holder cups, and a citronella candle in the center to ward off bugs of the pesky variety, and little battery operated LED votives, it made a perfect, low maintenance centerpiece.
This Goodwill find of a wicker coffee table, which used to be brown and looked outdated was actually my second coffee table attempt. I bought one of Craigslist, but it was way too big for the space. So now I’m selling a coffee table on Craigslist.
The wicker table was kinda bland looking and borderline “oldish”. Nothing two cans of navy blue spraypaint can’t fix. (Which I already had…remember how I considered painting the boys’ bunks? Never did it. But had the paint. Score.)
Annnnnd then I found this fabulous indoor/outdoor rug on after-summer clearance. SO there’s that. It’s not my fault.
But really, the coziest finishing touches are the pillows and throw I got at Wayfair.
I found this really cute cable knit pillow in gray to help make the area feel more fall/winter like.
And the ikat yellow because ikat yellow equals happiness.
The gray pillow even has these darling wooden buttons on the back.
The throw with pom pom fringe is a favorite. We may or may not fight over it.
A few weeks ago, I painted the front door aqua. It used to be a dark olive green. Which wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t aqua blue.
That chandelier used to live in the dining room turned office. It was too low hanging for the room to be used as an office, and at the suggestion of Uncle Marc, we decided to hang it in place of the basic, boring can light in the patio.
But not before first giving it a fresh coat of chocolate brown spraypaint.
(You can see it in original condition here.)
At the opposite end of the porch are a couple of bar height stools we already owned.
And this great piece that is actually supposed to be a big, massive candle stick. But since no one really tends to have a need for a big, massive candle stick, it was on big, massive clearance. I added a simple round piece of wood (spraypainted, of course) to make a perfect little table for our coffee and sippy cups.
The table top is a little rough, and I might consider changing it out for something else eventually, but I think it works well for now.
This nerd got home mid photo shoot.
Wayfair is running a sale now through November 24th.
You can get 15% off ANY Pillow, Pouf, or Throw with code WFPTP15.
So who’s coming over?
Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, but I am a part of the Wayfair Homemaker Program which includes store credit to purchase various products. In this case, I scored the pillows, throw, and a portion of the swing. But the copious amounts of spraypaint. That’s all me.
Latest posts by jeannett (see all)
- Dirt in a Jar, Laundry Scientists, and Clean Water - October 20, 2015
- Because Cake. - October 11, 2015
- How to design a luxury bathroom for less - August 12, 2015
I’m with you: front porches and porch swings are the best! It was the front porch that sold us on our current house, and the swing was one of the first things we bought!
Right? I was dyyyyying for the few months we didn’t have the swing. :)
Nicely done. This looks like a great cuddle spot!
We have that very same porch swing! I’ve had it for quite awhile now and it is used often. The best thing I ever bought for it was a cushion to sit on. Makes it so much more comfy :)
We actually hung it from a porch swing SPRING hook thingy that was highly reviewed on amazon. It helps soften the clunky-ness of getting on and off of it, and I super duper HIGHLY recommend it. We had a porch swing as kids, and this is so much smoother. It’s a little pricey, but honestly worth every penny. Ask for it for Christmas. ;) http://amzn.to/1uOSd8L
Oh, so inviting! Are you around Thanksgiving weekend? :-)
What time? I’ll bring biscotti and the coffee beans. ;o)
Caryl