I absolutely love the porches on our house. We love to rock in our rocking chairs on our front porch, and sometimes I will move out to the cocktail porch and work there during naptime. Now with Little Miss, we love to grab a pile of books and read on the sofa on our back porch and relax there with friends, too. We have done a few things to our summer porch this year to make it more cozy and attractive.
(the porch last year)
We purchased the sofa and the most comfortable swivel chairs from Home Depot, and both of these items are on major sale! The indoor/ outdoor rug was from Target last season, but they still have a great selection of others here.
We Bought the Right Furniture
This table we purchased from World Market, and it is actually on sale, as well. We continue to love it. We are still happy with these purchases, and many of our friends have commented on the looks and comfort level of our table and sitting area. All of this furniture is holding up great, and we are still thrilled with the dining table and sitting area combo.
This year I wanted to make our back porch a little cozier. I didn’t want to go overboard, and I didn’t want to spend a lot. I made some small changes that I wanted to share with you. Plus, these are easy changes you can do for you own porches and outdoor areas. We are thrilled with the cozy factor that adding some outdoor curtains and plants made.
Curtains Add Coziness
The first thing I did was add some outdoor curtains to our summer porch decor. I have wanted to have outdoor curtains for some time, but I just didn’t do it. The other day I was at World Market, and they really do have some cute outdoor things. They had some neutral and reasonably priced outdoor curtains. I purchased these. Online you can get multiple lengths, but I opted to not buy the longest because as much as I love the curtains that puddle on the floor, it wasn’t as practical for this porch. Our dog Gracie loves to enter and exit the porch on the side of the sofa, and that says it all. These curtains not only soften the porch’s look, but they also have a practical purpose. They block the afternoon sun and keep the sofa area cooler on those hot, southern days.
Texture From Baskets
This little hurricane candle holder was another World Market purchase. It is also on sale and adds some more texture to our summer porch.
Plants for Our Summer Porch
I also decided to add some plants, both real and faux, and that really made a difference in the cozy factor. I haven’t had the live plant that long, and I am not sure it is going to last. I am also tempted to try a lemon tree. I found the basket at Ikea and cut out the bottom because it wasn’t exactly flat, and it kept tipping over. Now it works great.
If it doesn’t survive, I still have this faux plant that adds some nice greenery.
A Lamp Adds Coziness
Another simple addition is the lamp. I moved some lamps around and then had this one as an extra. It is so nice at night to use our string lights and this lamp. It has such a good feel to it and is cozy. When we had friends visiting for Memorial Day weekend, we didn’t sit in our living room once. We spent our time in our outdoor living room. It was awesome. When we purchased this home, we said the porches would add extra living space, and they sure have. The lamp really is a nice touch at night.
Inside Accessories Work Outside
Bring inside accessories out. I brought out some books and another plant that I had on a table indoors. It just adds another touch to make the room feel more like a summer breezy living room instead of just a blah porch. With each thing I added, I couldn’t get over the homey factor feel.
I have thought about screening in the porch due to mosquitoes and a snake that happened to come up on the porch one afternoon. I didn’t really want to spray our lawn for bugs but found this handy little lantern which does a great job with the mosquitoes. You light it and it is by far the best thing we have used to not get eaten alive. You do need to light it about 10-15 minutes prior to being outside. We have gone through a lot of the refills, but it works and we feel we have been outside a lot more than usual. Oh, and it acts like a little light as well. Win, win all around.
Colorful Art
The final touch is by far my favorite. The art work created by Little Miss. You can read how she did it here. It just adds some fun to our outdoor space.
I hope these are some tips and tricks you can use for your own summer porch. If you have any to share, please let us know in the comments! Thank you so much for stopping in. Let’s make this a great week.
Cheers!
Affiliate links in post
Linking to Our Soulful Home and Stonegable
Donnamae says
Your porch looks so cozy….cannot believe it’s not screened. Guess that’s a great testimonial for that lantern. I use the personal ones when I’m out gardening. Little Miss’ artwork is the crowning touch! Enjoy your day! 😉
Alicia says
It looks absolutely beautiful!