Back Porch Makeover

04 Aug Back Porch Makeover

I seriously considered titling this post “What You Can Do In Thirty Hours”.

This makeover was a quick one, but it turned out beautifully, and it seemed to be just the happy, colorful space the clients requested.

And the clients?  None other than this sweet couple.

Remember them?  I turned their honeymoon photo from the 1940’s into a canvas for my closet turned laundry room update.

When I got married, I received a beautiful thing – grandparents.  And this pair is near to my heart, I just adore them.  A few weeks ago, we went for a visit (the kids LOVE visiting “the farm”), and as I sat down with Granny, she was telling me about some fabric she had gotten to make some cushions for her back porch, along with some vibrant, striped chair cushions.

It was bright and colorful, but I chuckled when I told her she had been telling me about what she wanted to do to the back porch for over a year.  (she sounds like me, ha)  It was at that very moment I decided we were going to make it happen.

We did not have much time, but I knew it would not take too long to get things going for Granny…especially since I knew the power of spray paint.

This project began on a Saturday afternoon and ended Sunday afternoon, and you can see the before photo below.  The green glider swing you see in the background has been in Granny’s family since she was a little girl, and it is special so we decided to give it a special pop of color.

With the color scheme of the cushions and fabric Granny had already purchased in mind, I drove “to town” and paid visits to Home Depot, Lowes, and Pier1.  After loading up the car with spray paint, plants, pillows, and a few decor items, I headed back, and that evening, we started painting.

We painted into the night, and Granny was right there with us, spray painting away.  (not too many eighty somethings doing that!)  Kent and I did not let Granny and Papa Z see their new back porch until we moved everything back in and unveiled the space, and they were so happy with it.  Doesn’t it look lively and cheerful?

Every item of seating in this space was revamped, and the power of paint here, wow.  I really liked that we reused so many things too, just placing them in a different spot, or using them in a new way.  They like to sit in those blue chairs (they both have designated chairs, of course), and the cobalt blue is just the right shade for the overall scheme.

The cute little yellow bicycle planter was filled with succulents, and the other plants in the space are all “easy care”.  I used gloss paint on all of the pieces so they would be very easy to wipe clean.  Even though this porch is screened in, dirt will find its way in eventually.

The pillows and outdoor lamp (the shade is washable!) are from Lowes, and that beautiful rug is from Pier1.  (the rug is indoor/outdoor!)

They were so pleased with everything, and it warmed my heart when Granny told me she had saved a photo from a magazine years earlier that had a yellow swing just like the new color on the glider.  “And now I have one of my own”, she said, “a dream come true!”

This little makeover was such a privilege for me – to be able to give back a smidgeon of what I have been given by marrying into this family.  I am so thankful and proud that I am a Mitchell, and to think of this sweet married for 60+ years couple sitting on their porch and enjoying their radio or newspaper or reading this blog on their iPad, makes me very happy.  : )

The door from Granny’s kitchen onto the back porch is my favorite, aren’t those colors lovely?  It gives such a nice peek into the revamped space.  The beauty of color…

Hope you had a great weekend.