May 20, 2009
Hello to all our porch loving friends,
Spring is in full swing here in Middle Tennessee. We've had more rain than we need but the fabulous lush green landscape is our reward. We hope wherever you are that you are enjoying whatever season and weather nature is bringing you. While many of our Front Porch friends are from the United States, we also have friends from many other places including Australia - where winter is just on its way.
Here folks are sprucing up their porches and taking on new landscaping projects. Some are looking for new furniture or cushions while others look for ways to increase curb appeal. We are always looking for great ideas for decorating and landscaping. And in these tough economic times, we like to find ideas that are within our budget. The ideas we discuss here are intended to get your creative juices flowing.
Our wish is that you enjoy time on your porch as much as we do. Please let us know if you have any suggestions for our site; our goal is to make it enjoyable and informative for you. We welcome your comments!
Happy Porch Sitting from your friends at
Front-Porch-Ideas-and-More.com!
Dave and Mary
Porch Swings
Porch swings make the porch. Like Elton John sings "I got nothing to do except hang in the breeze." From cradles to swings, we all love a gentle, back-and-forth motion to soothe and relax us, regardless of our age.
There's just something about swinging on the porch that can slow down the day in this hectic world.We offer a few tips on selecting just the right swing:
- A seat depth from 18 to 36 inches (50-100 cm) - depending on your preference and comfort.
- Curved or slanted chair slats to make a more comfortable seat. Air should be able to circulate between the slats.
- Think of how your swing will be used...swings can hold one or more people depending on the length of the seat and the strength of the chains, hardware, and supports.
- We have instructions for you here on how to hang a porch swing properly.
- Additional length-wise supports under the chair slats will make your swing a lot stronger and will swing more evenly.
Porch blinds and shades
Porch blinds and shades can make a real difference! I remember my parents having a porch on the back of their garage. It was very private and my Mom and Dad spent many evening hours out there listening to FM music. When it was real windy or sunny though, they came indoors. I'm sure they could have enjoyed their porch more if they had blinds or awnings to lower in the afternoon.
- Exterior shades
can add a dimension of ambiance and privacy to your wonderful porch. Porch blinds and shades provide shade during the hottest times of the year - keeping your home cooler and your porch more comfortable.
- Blinds and awnings can help keep your porch drier on a rainy day - so you can sit on the swing and read a good book!
- An exterior sun shade can also protect your furniture from ultra violet rays. We are partial to Coolaroo shades
- Porch blinds come with wind cords to keep them from flapping around in windy conditions and can be positioned at any height. Another great feature of exterior blinds and shades is that they come in a wide variety of colors.
Build a screen porch
Who hasn't thought of converting a porch into a screen porch, 3 season porch, four season porch, or even a room addition? I know we have and never regretted making the conversion. If you have basic carpentry skills and want to know how to build a porch, we can help. Depending on the roof design, most DIYers can take on building a porch; however, complex roof designs should be left to the professionals.
Any type of porch is a wonderful investment in your home - whether it's your front, side or back porch. A porch increases the joy of being home plus gives your home a very welcoming feel. Since you have many options when building a porch it may be beneficial for you to review our Front Porch Ideas guide.
There are many products on the market to make your construction project fairly easy or if you’d like you can fabricate your own screen panels. When contemplating a porch conversion, consider the size of screened porch you need, how much time it will take, what type of electrical capabilities you’d like to have. Also, obtain the necessary building (and if applicable Home Owner Association) permits you’ll need. We cover all of those and more at How to Build a Porch.
We have an awesome step-by-step pictorial of how to build a screen porch from the ground up. Our thanks to RC Mickel for sharing his photos with us.
Porch craft - decorate your table and chairs
Our niece, Elizabeth, shares with us is how she fixed up a garage sale purchase. She purchased a table and chair set for her sun room. It was pretty unattractive until she spruced it up. She turned a ragtag piece of furniture into a great conversation starter for her porch by using some of her favorite treasures. By using Modge Podge, she turned old furniture into conversation pieces. See how she did it at here.
Porch pooches - meet our new friend, Samson
Meet Samson, a 12 year lab who l-o-v-e-s his porch! Isn't he a sleepy dog? His owner, Flatty, was kind enough to share this very cute picture of Samson with us. Who wouldn't want a porch pooch like Samson? Send photos of your porch pooch and a short description and we’ll post them so others can see. Check out Buttercup – quite the porch pooch??
Want to be published?
Front-Porch-Ideas-and-More.com is all about our passion for front porches and the fond memories that Dave and I have of time spent on porches. But now, we want to give YOU the opportunity to share your own stories and pictures with us. You are the reason why we have our site so we especially love hearing from you about your own porch.Do you have a childhood memory about your front porch? We love hearing from you and we appreciate receiving heart-warming and fun stories and pictures. Submit your favorite porch memory to us.
Do you have a porch decorating idea to share with our site visitors? Some neat decorating idea (large or small) you have done with your own porch that we could share for all to see? Submit your decorating ideas to us.
Till next time
May you take a few moments and put your feet up on your porch swing. We hope you are enjoying spring where you live. Take a little time each day to enjoy your porch! We love hearing from you.
Are you motivated to change your life?
Do you have a hobby or passion? What do you enjoy doing? “Are you motivated to change your life?” That’s a quote I came across one day when reading GreatDay.com by Ralph Marston.As Ralph Marston states: "How would you like to earn a living doing something that you love, something that interests you, something that provides a continuing sense of meaningful challenge and fulfillment?
How you would like to know, every day that you’re providing something of real value to others, something that can truly have a positive influence on the world? There’s something within you, something unique and valuable, interesting and worthwhile, that is yours to share with others. There are people all over the world who are looking for passion and expertise that you have to offer."
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