Time for the front porch. I fell in love with the potential of the front porch the moment I first walked into my house, but after several failed attempts at painting the floor without it chipping, I gave up. Now, I have a wonderful place to sit back and enjoy a book and a glass (or bottle) of wine with friends.
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The only "before" picture I have is one of Dingo chasing a mouse out the door. But you can see, there was nothing spectacular going on.
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We painted the natural wood slate walls and red brick, a sage green. On the floor we used garage floor epoxy in a color called cedar. The trim and natural wood ceiling were painted (12 times) a bright white. Note: When painting never before treated wood and covering water stains, you MUST use oil based paint. Second Note: Oil base paint is the messiest stuff on the planet.
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Dingo added the blinds which really makes it feel secluded from the neighbors and I added many plants, my grandmothers old dry sink and her Queen Anne's Lace painting she bought while vactioning with my Grandfather in the Smokey Mountains.
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I don't know why I like the glass chessboard so much, but when the light hits it during the day, it makes some incredible shadows on the wall. Dingo loves the fountain but I think we need to hit Goodwill to find something more "natural" versus "modern". Natalie, Dingo's cat has found a new watering hole.
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We covered Dingo's ugly, old, orange chair with a comfy blanket and I added curtains made of
Floursack Towels, screws, picture wire, and no-sew clips. I had held on to this super cool 1970's style orange light for years and it has finally found a purpose. And my new collection of cacti donated my MIL t0-be goes perfectly.