Recapturing Our Porch

One of the things that sold us on this house was the nice screened in porch off the living room.  Summers in North Carolina are hot (as we are already experiencing) and buggy.  This porch with its ceiling fan and screens is the perfect retreat on a summer night.

Lately though the porch has become a catch all for the packing materials and boxes as we get settled.  At first we had them in the living room but honestly seeing them there was giving me a minor anxiety attack.  It looked like we had so much more to do even though they were empty boxes.  So I banished them to the porch!  Out of sight.  Out of mind.  Right?

Before

Well as the boxes piled up higher and higher it just got rediclous.  Where was our porch?  Thankfully yesterday the movers finally came back and took them all away!  Loaded every single one up and drove off. So thankful that I can look out our living room windows and see backyard instead of cardboard.

Now that the boxes are gone, I've started thinking about what we can do to spruce the porch up a bit.  Right now we have a lawn chair and one of those poplin chairs out there.  Comfortable yes but practical not so much.  Right now I'm thinking that a small patio set would be great.  Maybe with a little table for meals or just to relax around.  I'm watching the budget so maybe I can find something cute on Craigslist and give it a minor face lift? I'd also like to get some plants out there too.  The trick will be finding some that Buddy doesn't like to eat or keeping them up high so he can't get to them.  The cat likes plants what can I say.

But anyways I leave you with before and afters.  I love how it instantly makes me feel like I've made progress on the house.  Even if all I did was direct the movers to the backyard :-)

After