Favorite Spot - Summertime

I imagine that everyone has a favorite spot in their home. Mine changes seasonally. When the weather is just right, there is no better place to be in our house than the screened-in porch. Being at one with nature, minus the bugs - what could be better?

Honestly, this feature was a huge selling point for me. It isn't a terribly large space, probably about 10' x 10', but it's just enough; enough for a cup of coffee in the morning, an afternoon read, or an after dinner drink. Such an important space requires a lot of thought in terms of design.

So, when our realtor gave us a set of matching white wicker as a closing gift, I was equally excited and a little disappointed that I wasn't able to make the decision myself. This is how our porch looked last summer.

Nice enough, but some changes had to be made. First of all, we found a new home for our garbage cans - not the nicest of views! And because I'm not a huge matchy-matchy person I had to find some way of breaking up all that white wicker. Fortunately, I had some vintage wrought iron that we had picked up during our time in London so I was able to incorporate that as well as a variety of darker accessories. Take a look at the porch this summer.

 

Notice how the dark accessories really ground the space and pop against all that white? What you can't see in these pictures are the newly installed dark iron sconces, rattan outdoor ceiling fan, and bamboo shades. These fixtures tie in nicely with the wood plant stand, brown wrought iron side table, banana leaf tray, and bamboo wind chime. All in all, I am loving this newly decorated space.

One last thing: do you see the water jug peeking out behind the elephant between the chairs; I received it as a gift for my birthday with a challenge attached. I am to turn it into a terrarium! I think a visit to my friends at Chalet is definitely in order for this project.

Where's your favorite summertime spot?