When we started our house hunt, one of the items on our must-have list was a screened in porch. And since we moved in during the Fall we were only able to enjoy it for two short months, during which we did nothing in terms of decor. So...as soon as the weather started to turn we jumped on the opportunity to do a 1-2 and get functional & fancy (or "elegant" as our neighbors Patty & Charles have described it).
It turned out to be a full days work, starting with a massive scrub down. Hose and all.
Followed by the removal and addition of window hardware. There were a lot of these hooks so I diligently turned and twisted these suckers out while Rick hung our new outdoor curtain rods (which was NOT an easy task, a lot of m'effing and we definitely got into a little spat but that is the norm around here when hanging things).
Then the fun stuff. We started by hanging the street signs we bought in Ireland. Kinsale & Galway are two of the four towns we went to. The plan is to hang all four but we haven't located Dingle & Dublin since the move. Rick was pretty pumped about drilling into the brick with his new drill-bit.
A new rug.
An old plant hanger spray painted oil bronze - looks brand spankin new!
Some lanterns.
All the curtains hung.
The La Jolla - our very expensive still-feel-sick-about-it lounge love seat.
Our old iron side table.
And a few decorative pillows.
Progress!
And a sneak peak at the semi-final product:
We still have a lot to do. We are on the hunt for a two-top table & chairs (Paris bistro style, good luck!), change the drapes to the hook and ring style so they can glide easily along the rods, possibly add bamboo blinds along the side wall, plants (not sure if I want a pot or a hanging fern but we need something live out there), something to hang on the chimney, a mat by the door into the house, change out the light fixture and add a dimmer, twinkle lights?, coffee table of some sort to put our feet up on, repair small holes in screens, long term-paint the floor, and long term-hunt down the roll up panels that hang on the exterior for bad weather. I know, looooong list for a little room!
But for now, it works and like I said, we've had a lot of compliments from our neighbor ("best this porch has ever looked" - mind you, they have lived next door for 30+ years, "this looks so elegant", "looks like its right out of a catalog") Of course I'm lovin that all the hard work went noticed. That night we were able to enjoy it too, the weather was gorgeous, we posted up with the ipad to watch a show with a couple drinks, snacks, the dog, and a breeze. Heaven.
