I cannot believe it has already been 4 months since we moved into our new home. I still have a long way to go on getting things decorated and designed the way I want, but it’s coming along. I want to invite you inside, or in today’s case outside, to visit our home. I love sharing our home with others and inviting friends over. I also love decorating, so this new house has been a fun project for me. I want to invite you over each at the end of each month to share in the work I enjoy doing, to inspire you in creating your own space, and to just sit back and relax with me.
Today, I want to share with you the outdoor spaces of our home. One of the few areas I feel are really under control are the porches. I wanted these areas to be up and running so we could enjoy them in time for spring and we have loved them so much. The screened porches are still my favorite part of our house.
We shopped around for furniture for the porches and ended up with two sets of four rockers and a sectional. The rust-colored set was last year’s clearance from K-Mart. The tan set came from Big Lots.
Two of the rockers went on the front porch. I love the little blue pillows from Target that provide a cute pop of color and were only $5 each. They tie in perfectly with the garden stool that is serving as a side table, which came from Lowe’s. The plant on the table is Citronella. I’m hoping to keep the mosquitoes away.
The front porch is also the location of my first gardening experiment. I really want to garden, but have no idea what to do. I started small this year with two tomato plants and two rectangular boxes containing mint, basil, oregano, and chives.
I have always loved hanging ferns on a front porch. They just scream Southern to me. We’ve never had a large porch where hanging anything was an option, so I was super excited to add these.
I added yellow calla lilies and hydrangea to the steps for a pop of color. I absolutely love flowers. Next year I would like to redo our landscaping. Right now its all builder landscaping and everybody’s house has the same plants, and they’re all pretty unexciting. I want a trellis with Clematis, some pretty roses, and a hydrangea bush for sure.
One of my favorite items, which I’ve had a few years, is the little frog prince who stands by our front door. I think he is adorable. He was a Tuesday Morning purchase. I’ve found they often have cute decor items for both in and outdoors if check with them often. Their stock is always changing.
There are two screened porches on the back of the house, one on the first floor, and one the exact same size on the second floor.
The first floor is pretty basic. We have a set of four of the rockers and a couple of storage side tables.
Our favorite part of this porch is the fire pit table. S’mores ingredients are always on hand!
We put a cute little bird feeder just off the steps leading to the backyard. Unfortunately the squirrels found it, not the birds, and they also figured out the birdseed was on the porch, so they chewed through the screen.
My favorite place in the whole house is the screened porch on the second floor, which is right off of our master bedroom. This is my happy place. I could sit out here all day (and have before). I almost always write out here (I’m doing so right now). My husband works from home and often works from the porch. It’s a great place for a nap. I especially love it when it rains. There’s a creek behind our house, and sometimes we can hear the water trickling over the rocks. There is so much wildlife there, too. At night, we hear a symphony of frogs.
The sectional came from Wayfair and we have been so happy with it. All the throw pillows on the porch are from Lowe’s.
This white lamp is a cool feature at night because it can be set to different colors and to music. We also have the other two rockers that match those on the front porch. These serve as Mark’s outdoor “office.”
The inside of the house still has to-dos everywhere, but I love that the outdoor spaces are in good shape.
Thanks for taking a peek at our home with me. I tell my husband all the time that it’s the best purchase we’ve ever made. There are so many things I love about this house and I can’t wait to show them to you in the future. Look for a new home update at the end of each month!