Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Our Porch is my Favorite Room


You will find us on the porch most of the time with the ceiling fans going.
With a blue slate floor and blue ceiling and the fact that  I love everything blue and white it became my color scheme for the porch.  A much needed find were the accent pillows from Pottery Barn that were on sale.  Actually, all the furniture pieces except the end tables fortunately were on sale.
For the last few years, I've used white flowers on my porch.White hydrangeas, white geraniums and white impatiens fill blue and white chinoiserie and cobalt pots. 
I also have mirrors on the porch.  I think mirrors are great in every room and an outdoor room is no exception. I enjoy the mood they invoke and how they reflect the light. The mirrors at each end of the porch open up the space and make it seem like an extension of the house. (NOTE-Not sure what is going on with Blogger and the spacing today!)
I felt as it the metal wall sculpture was not heavy enough for the large brick wall so I added these leaning wooden shutters. Do you think they look better leaning or should they be hung? Excuse the bug repellent. My eyes struggle with the small thumbnail pics as you load onto your blog and I loaded the wrong pic.

My little bistro table is just right for eating when it's raining or too sunny on the patio.
Our ceiling is haint blue which supposedly tricks bugs into thinking it is the sky, however, the wasps are not fooled.
I'm loving white hydrangeas the last few years and planted these size pots outside. They survived and I am very glad.
My chaise lounge takes up space but I love it for comfort. Comfort has been my main goal for our porch.
Gardenias have the most ethereal fragrance and this time of year I'm enjoying bouquets inside and outside.
Our hummingbird feeder is close enough to enjoy the hummingbirds while on the porch and  can also be seen from inside the kitchen. 
It took a number of years to get comfortable seating and fabric colors to match for the porch. Finally, that has been accomplished  and my porch makes me happy.  I am cringing now, but decided to show you the evolution of the porch. My first purchase was the sofa and being marked down twice and the right size and comfort I bought it, but the fabric did not match my chaise lounge and it wasn't my desired color scheme. 
This is the sofa before I had slip covers made in a blue indoor outdoor fabric. Also, you can see a small coffee table and one end table that have been replaced with better proportional pieces.You can also see everyday living in this pic. LOL!
If I wanted to take the blue slip covers off and use terra cotta accents for fall and winter I could. Life is so full I haven't done this so far but  knowing the option is there is nice. However, I would need a slipcover for the chaise lounge to coordinate or a new pillow.
So here we are today with a larger coffee table and end tables with my chosen color scheme and comfortable seating. Also a smaller table for more room.  A great place for a nap, reading or blogging. 
Watching the birds and butterflies dart about, hearing the wind chimes tingling as I dream and scheme of new things to add to my garden my porch is my favorite place to be. What about you? Do you have a favorite place outside?
So glad my hydrangeas are blooming this year. Have a wonderful week.


21 comments:

  1. I love the blue and white colors. Your porch is wonderful. The iron wall hangings are nice too. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

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  2. I can see why you spend time out there. What a beautiful space. I love the way the blue fabric you chose pops off of the brick. Sorry to hear that the wasps aren't fooled by the blue ceiling, I often think I should paint my front porch ceiling blue. It stinks to hear that, but I still may do it. I am quickly becoming a color blue fan, especially outdoors.

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  3. Oh I love your porch too! So pretty and I would spend WAY more time there than I would need too! LOL! Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  4. Bonnie, your porch is so inviting and I am on my third cup of coffee, wish I could just run over and enjoy your outside room. I have always loved blue and white...classic! I can imagine sitting out there and enjoying your lovely garden!!! Beautiful job, my friend!

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  5. This is so pretty! Your new slip covers are perfect. I love the big mirror on the wall!

    Happy Thoughts of Home Bonnie. I'll be missing you today.

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  6. I love the blue! Wow, you really made the porch look lovely from what it once was. I must agree with you in that the mirrors do make a difference. I do not use them, but I can see on your porch how beautiful they are.
    Thank you for sharing your beauty with us, Bonnie.

    Have a beautiful and blessed day~

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  7. Hi sweet Bonnie! Oh, I can see why this is your favorite place to be...it ould be mine too :) Everything looks wonderful and so inviting. The perfect place to relax during the summer days.

    Hugs to you!

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  8. A lovely place to sit and be and enjoy the outdoors!

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  9. Your garden is just beautiful! I really like the idea of slipcovers for the patio furniture. Ours gets so dirty and vacuuming doesn't seem to get it all.
    It was a pleasure to get to know you over our delicious lunch today!

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  10. Bonnie, I love how you've decorated your porch. Isn't it nice to find furniture on sale too. I love the sofa and the original fabric color is lovely but it doesn't show up against the brick. The blue is fabulous and pops off the brick, I love that. The addition of the shutters are perfect and look great either way. Such a gorgeous table with the two ivy topiaries and blue pots. I see why you spend a lot of time out there! I love your blue and white, beautiful porch.

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  11. Bonnie, Your porch does look comfortable and also very inviting with the blue and white. A great place to watch the hummingbirds and look at your lovely garden. The hydrangea do seem to love the location too! Linda

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  12. What a beautiful porch, Bonnie!! I would love to have such a place to enjoy the outdoors, but at the moment, we don't. I especially love your use of blue and white, as those are favorites for me, as well. The blue ceiling is SO pretty, and so is the slate floor. Of course, I love all your blue and white porcelain and your wonderful hydrangeas, too. :) The mirrors and wrought iron wall hangings add the perfect finishing touches -- you've done a great job with your outdoor room, Bonnie.

    I hope all is well with you and am wishing you a good weekend, my friend.

    Hugs,

    Denise

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  13. Oh Bonnie, what a perfect spot for relaxing, and you've decorated it perfectly! The shutters really add a nice frame work to your iron piece, too. The tea wagon is one of my favorite pieces, and I also love your bistro set. The blue ceiling and the blue slate floor look so pretty with your blue slip covers and your white accents. You have such an eye for decorating!
    It was so nice to connect yesterday, Bonnie, at such a fun spot, with fabulous food! Sharing made it all the more special. Blogging friends are the best!

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  14. I love the classic blue and white you've used out there mixed with black iron. So southern! We use our front covered porch during the day and our back deck at night when it cools off. It has been in the upper 90's every day with no rain in sight so we stay in the shade as much as possible!

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  15. Your porch looks dreamy! I love how it came together.
    :) gwingal

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  16. You have done such a lovely job on creating an outdoor room. Thank you so very much for sharing this wonderful post at Thoughts of Home on Thursday.

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  17. I love your porch. So nice that you have created such a nice domfortable outdoor living space. I really love the blue slipcovers and that shelf full of ivy topiaries! Your entire space is lovely and welcoming! Enjoy!

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  18. Oh I can certainly see why your porch beckons to you and hours are spent here soaking up the joys of nature.
    I love your haint blue ceiling too, we debated on whether to paint our back patio haint blue and we truly were torn between that and staining the pine. Our home has a bit of a rustic feel, so the vote was stain.
    What an added bonus and treat to be able to observe the hummingbirds, they are such a darling little bird!
    I am so pleased that you shared this inspiring post!
    Have a lovely evening,
    Jemma

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  19. I am with Jemma, I do see why you enjoy your lovely porch so much. It is so pretty. Loving your collection of pots too. I enjoy watching the birds, especially the hummingbirds. There is something so special with creating an outdoor room. xo

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  20. Your porch is so beautiful...no wonder it is your favorite. I love your cobalt blue and blue and white pots....I so love using them too on my porches....so happy that your hydrangeas are blooming this year. For a while there I thought the hydrangeas would never bloom again!....Interesting about the haunt blue ceiling not fooling the wasps...we considered painting ours blue. Have a great and safe 4th!!!

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  21. Bonnie, your porch is so pretty! I love your use of the blue and white; and the white flowers are perfect. Another favorite is all of your ivy plants. I love that they are so easy to maintain. You really have a wonderful retreat.

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