Tag: summer space

Spring + Summer Front Porch

Written by Jenna on May 28, 2015. Posted in Gardening, Outdoor, Outdoor Ideas, Spring.

I can not be more excited that the warm weather is here! Over the last few weeks, it’s been hot. Spring skipped right over us this year, but after that brutal winter, who cares. As I’ve mentioned once or twice, we’ve been working hard on vamping up the outdoors for the warmer days ahead.

A lot of work has gone into the front of our home this year… curb appeal at it’s finest. The porch got quite a few updates. Here is this years Spring-right-into-Summer Front Porch…

I feel lucky to have so many spots around our homestead to chill + put our feet up (the patio / the deck), but the one spot (which is by far the smallest of all) our clan of 5 always seems to choose to relax is the front porch. Maybe it’s because the kids are often riding their bikes on the road or playing basketball in the driveway, but even when we’re playing a game of Uno, all of us pretty much always choose the front porch.

It certainly is quaint + cozy…

…with lots of color + texture.

Pillows on the porch: Blue Multi / White Medallion / Bird

Carpet @ chairs: $5 polypropylene mats from Five Below

Mat @ front door: Target – similar to this

Pouf: Lowe’s

Front Door color: Valspar Crushed Oregano in semi-gloss

A few upgrades from when we first moved in – enlarging the columns, adding the vertical pallet, installing the new front door – have all made a big impact to the entry of our home. psst, another fairly easy DIY project with a big impact look coming your way next week.

EASY DO-IT-YOURSELF PROJECT

Dress up your house numbers…

Using a board from an old pallet, I brushed on a light coat of white paint. I installed the house numbers (that used to be attached to the house) on the board about 3/4 up from the bottom. Then I took jute cord and wrapped it around to create an interesting design. Simple & not a penny spent!

[The stone edging at the garden beds are a new addition this year. Check out the tutorial on creating the perfect border for your beds]

And pretty flowers do make a BIG difference. This porch looked far from how it does now only a few short weeks ago…

All of my flowers for this years porch came from Lowe’s. They always have such a great variety of flowers + plants!

Not much is new; most of the furniture and layers on this years Spring + Summer front porch we’ve had for years. With some little updates, it’s amazing how old can look new in a snap.

The side chairs are inexpensive teak bought about 8 years ago from the Christmas Tree store. I thought about getting rid of them many times, but last year I added new cushions + a few vibrant pillows from Lowe’s and all of a sudden, they looked great again.

The lutchens bench used to be stained, but then I got my hands on a can of turquoise spray paint and it took on a new life!

The vertical garden pallet is a DIY creation from a few years back and it’s still a show-stopper on the porch.

It is such a wonderful way to add height to a vertical space (and height = drama!). From herbs to succulents to vines, I’ve hung many different types of plants on this vertical pallet over the years! For this Spring season, I chose to plant Variegated Vinca Vines in the smaller pots and Fuchsia in the larger pots – they are both shade annuals.

Fuchsia is also what I chose for the hanging plant over the porch since this side of the house gets no sun.

Ferns are another great shade choice and I have that hanging from a tall hook next to the porch. It’s such a beautiful, hardy Summer staple.

Can you see why this spot is our favorite to spend those long dog days of Summer? Do you blame us?!

Lastly, I love seeing + sharing how our front facade has evolved over the years…

Crazy, right? All this TLC has been tackled with our own hands!

Thanks for taking the tour of our favorite Summer Space! And by the way, did you catch anything different about this years porch from years past – if you’ve been following along with me for over the years, you might have noticed. Well if not, I’ll give you a hint… we jazzed up the ugly foundation with new stone veneer. More on that + a tutorial on how we installed it coming up next week.

Cheers to a fantastic summer!

So tell me, are you more of a front porch sitter or a back deck lounger?

DISCLOSURE: I am part of the Loweâ€™s Creative Team and was provided with a Loweâ€™s gift card to purchase items for my project. I was also compensated for my time to use the products. No one told me what to create, what to buy, how to use the product, or what to write. All opinions are 100% mine!

An Outdoor Deck for Outdoor Living

Written by Jenna on May 29, 2014. Posted in DIY, Outdoor. 2 Comments on An Outdoor Deck for Outdoor Living

If there were no mosquitos and if there were a teeny-tiny bathroom, my outdoor deck would be just the spot for me to live for the next 3 months. O, and maybe a small spot for me to cook – but wait, that’s covered… we have a grill!

Our newly revamped deck is filled with many comfy spots to sit, relax, eat, and simply soak up the sun over the coming Summer months. It’s a vibrant and welcoming oasis for outdoor living. But like I said, I’m not a huge fan of mosquitos – who is – so unfortunately I will have to come indoors, but not for long.

Let me show you around. Will you join me on the deck…

Along with the Patio Paradise I am in the midst of finishing up, this is another outdoor space that we’ve revamped for the coming Summer months. Since we’ll be spending lots of time at home this Summer with the new baby, it was important for us to create multiple outdoor spaces that we will really enjoy & use. And hopefully in the meantime, we’ll get a handle on the mosquitos…

As you step outside the dining room slider, I welcome you to our new outdoor dining space. I am in love with the metal table + chairs we just got from Lowe’s. We used to have a rectangular table on the deck, but it really was too large for the space. This new round table is just the right size and we’ve already sat out here many of times for a quiet, delightful lunch and our daily family dinners.

With our deck being newly stained last year, the lighter-colored rug which I got from Home Decorators a few years ago is a great contrast.

If you’re interested, the Ikat patterned umbrella is from last years Target collection (I haven’t seen anything similar this year, which is a bummer) and the seat cushions + pillows are a recent purchase from Kirklands. A few weeks ago they had some great deals so I got all 6 pieces for around $100.

I love surrounding the deck and our other outdoor spaces with plants and flowers that are easy to maintain. I really try to find things that are low-maintenance and don’t need a lot of sun because as you can see from the photos, we are surrounded by lots of trees. This fern beauty is new and it’s doing well so far…

One part of this deck that I love is that it’s two levels, so it kind of creates two distinct sections, yet they still read as one. The ‘dining’ section is what you step out to from the house and then you step down to the ‘living’ section. This is the first year it’s set up like this – we used to have it reversed as you may have noticed the change from last year.

The ‘living’ space is where we have the pallet sofa and other spots for sitting + relaxing. We still ADORE our outdoor sofa because it’s oversized and O, SO Comfortable!

Because of the sun that shines for some parts of the day, we have another umbrella that is slightly smaller that gives the coverage needed. It’s a bright orange hue and is a great compliment to the other bold + vibrant colors used on the deck. It’s a Pier One find that I scored 2 years ago during a very hot, scorching week. I’ll just say, I wasn’t the only one in the store looking for outdoor umbrellas, but I got to it first and snagged the last one {pat on the back for me}…

How can I go any further without talking about the focal point of the deck… The adorable pennant banner. The fabulous + talented Kelly of The Modern June sent them to me and I am forever gracious. I met her last year at the Country Living fair and sadly, the last pennant was purchased right under my nose (by who of all people, one of my besties). Even though I missed out, in the end I am blessed to have these beauties swaying in the wind. And you know what the best part of these cute oilcloth banners / buntings are??? they have chalkboard fabric on the other side. How much better does it get?!

The burning question you may be thinking… Where is that round table from? O, that lil’ ole’ thing… That’s a roadside find. It’s actually a wire spoil for electrical lines. You never know what you’ll find when you’re driving along with 2 kids + a trunk load of groceries. Ya, that was an interesting day.

What makes this deck oasis complete? The layers. Accessories like plants, flowers, lanterns, urns, stools, blankets, candles, etc make any space warm + inviting. Layers are the key to giving dimension to every space – inside the home or out!

Opposite of the pallet sofa is another seating vignette. Not every day is hot, so for those cooler nights a warm blanket is a must. Of course, it doesn’t stay outside overnight, but it’s brought outside often.

If you’re wondering, the pillows are a new addition. I found them while shopping for the new patio and they are all from Lowe’s. The pouf is from last year’s Target summer collection and the yellow garden stool is a Homegoods find.

As much as I would have liked to show you around in person, I hope you enjoyed the tour of our new outdoor deck oasis. If you’re looking for us, you know where we’ll be…

Happy Spring & Summer!

A Favorite Summer Space

Written by Jenna on June 22, 2011. Posted in Decorating. 15 Comments on A Favorite Summer Space

When I think of summer, the first thought that comes to mind is the outdoors — the beautiful great outdoors! After a long winter of being cooped up in the house, I’m always ready to spend my summer days soaking up the sun and enjoying my time outside.

One of my favorite Summer Spaces is “nana’s house” – – that’s what my family calls it. Actually, it’s a screened house on my parents property surrounded by the great outdoors.

It’s a little oasis in nature…

… a place to sit and relax for hours reading a good book while sipping a favorite drink.

There are no worries or stresses….

… just pure bliss while communing with nature.

No matter what direction you look, you can see and hear the beauties of your surroundings – –

Flowers…

Water…

Birds (cardinals and goldfinchs are our favorite)…

“Nana’s House ” didn’t always look this pretty. This is a before picture only a few short years ago…

The areas surrounding “nana’s house” are just as beautiful including gardens, quaint details, and the sounds of the great outdoors.

Thanks for taking a tour of on of our favorite Summer havens!