Yes, I realize I just said I am in love with my porch, but the truth of the matter is ... I might be. Currently our porch is my favorite space in our house as I begin my day here and most days end it here as well. It has become a refuge for me, a place I can sit a minute and gather my thoughts, take a breath and just relax. I really do love being on the porch, even when it has been super hot outside you will find me at some point taking a break and sitting with the fan on just taking in the birds, the cicadas, and enjoying the peace and quiet. Most times I am on the porch the door to the kitchen is open and you can hear someone in my family commenting on me letting "all the store bought air out". Yep, just keeping it super classy at our house. 😂
As a girl growing up in Florida the porch was a very necessary space. There were a few months a year it was just too hot outside to enjoy the outdoors, but the space on the porch somehow made it bearable. While we had a screened porch, some (like my Nana) had a breezeway, and others had a Florida room. Each of these spaces was some level of outdoor space, some with glass walls and some just with screen. Each had all wicker furniture and were used 12 months out of the year. We would sit, have glasses of lemonade or tea and catch up or spend the time reading and relaxing. It was something I treasured as a girl, and now as an adult I crave. If you can't find me inside the house, I am most definitely sitting on the porch.
At the beginning of the summer I partnered with Grandinroad + Frontgate to fluff our porch and deck area. The deck needed a lot of fluffing and the porch was in pretty good shape, but the flow of the searing arrangement wasn't working and there were pieces that definitely weren't working at all. It was a good space, but not a great one. Enter a new rug, some new accessories, a pair of side tables, and a new coffee table (that is another crazy story) and it is functioning better and looking better than it ever did. I truly get so happy when I see it in the morning knowing it is mine and we get to enjoy it every single day.
When we first decorated the porch a few years ago I knew I wanted wicker pieces mixed with some antique pieces so the porch would flow with the rest of our home. When I painted the floor blue I decided to leave the wicker chairs their natural color and to paint the antique sofa white. I love the mixture of the white sofa plus the natural chairs and the natural bamboo coffee table. I think it grounds all the blue and white. When I chose side tables I was initially worried that they were darker than the chairs, but the minute they arrived and I placed them I truly did think they were perfect. It bothers me when too many things match so the darker side tables made it work perfectly. I was ready to share the porch with you earlier in the summer and then I accidentally fell into the first coffee table and shattered the glass and broke part of the table so the space set for a while waiting on a new coffee table. I wish I had some great story as to how it happened, but the truth is I was taking pictures and I backed up and into the table I fell. I am lucky to have walked away with just some bruises and a sprained wrist since the 1970s smoke glass was left in large shards. When Lance showed up one day with this perfect coffee table I could not have been happier. Don't you love it even more than the one before?
We continued with the blue + white theme that was already there. I love blue and white only on the porch, it makes mixing things so easy and it exudes such a feeling of relaxation. It is also timeless and doesn't need to be updated any time soon, which makes me very happy. There is nothing more classic than navy and stripes. I like mixing reds for holidays, plaids for fall and pink + green for spring. Lately I have been using all white flowers and I really love how fresh it looks.
This weekend I logged more hours than normal on the porch, and I think I would classify it as one of the best weekends we had this summer. Endless cups of coffee, a cocktail or two, numerous rounds of Uno, long chats with my girl, finishing one book and starting another, a long nap, and many moments in between just relaxing and taking in the beauty of the outdoors. I can't ask for anything more in the crazy of life. 💙
I hope your Wednesday is amazing!
All sources listed here ...
Hudson Rug - Frontgate
Side Tables - Frontgate
Round Mirror - Grandinroad
Cane Vases - Emily McCarthy
Coffee Table - PKL The Cellar
Candles + Wicker Turtle - Homegoods
Couch - PKL The Cellar
Elephant - Iris Apfel for Grandinroad (sold out)
Green + White Server - PKL The Cellar
Blue + White Lamps - Homegoods
Koi Fish Table - Grandinroad (sold out)
Wicker Chairs - Martha Stewart for Kmart (purchased years ago)
Pink Lanterns - PKL The Cellar
Vintage Croquet Set - Etsy
Pup Art - Willa Heart
Blue + White Plates - Antique shops
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