decorating our back porch

When Andrew and I bought our home here in Gainesville, Florida, we had no idea just how much we’d end up loving (and basically living on) our screened-in-porch. You see, screened-in-porches aren’t a super common thing back in Dallas. Here, they’re everywhere… and now we know why!

As this beautiful spring weather has rolled in, we’ve loved spending our mornings enjoying coffee while having quiet time, our afternoons reading/needlepointing/listening to music and chatting, and our evenings making dinner on the smoker and enjoying a cocktail out on this porch. Once COVID-19 is over, we can’t wait to welcome friends out onto our favorite space for cookouts and board games. I can already tell you that when the day comes for us to leave Gainesville, this will be one of the things we miss the most!

When we first moved in, I purchased two of these outdoor love seats from Target for a bit of seating. As we’ve started to enjoy more and more time outside these past few weeks, however, Andrew and I have started to daydream about really maximizing this space we’ve come to love and use so much.

So, this past week, we did a bit of rearranging and decided to order a few more pieces to really complete this space. I’ve put together an inspiration board for the look and feel I’m hoping to achieve, and I’m excited to share it with you today! Take a peek below and then read on to hear more about what, specifically, we’re planning to do.

 

back porch inspiration

 

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Pieces We Already Own

outdoor love seat (two) // seagrass rug // bistro chairs and table (found at HomeGoods) // blue and white planter // woven tassel pillows

Warm neutral tones mixed in with soft blues has become a pretty consistent color scheme throughout our house, and I’m hoping to bring that same look to our porch. Another element I’m loving for the outdoors? Wicker. I love it all. We’re trying to be as cost-efficient as possible, so while many of the pieces in this collage are out of our budget, we’re having fun finding creative ways to mimic the same look!

Here are a few specific changes we’re especially excited to make:

 

porch swing

 

The thing we’re most excited about? This porch swing! While my dream would be this swing, we don’t have quite enough space for it. So, we’re hoping to paint this $200 swing white, add a few cushions (like this one), and hopefully replicate the look on a smaller scale and for a much smaller price tag. It arrives today, so I’ll keep you updated on the process!

 

lemon tree

 

While playing around with the layout this weekend, Andrew actually had the idea to add a tree to the mix! I ran upstairs and brought down the faux fiddle leaf fig tree from my studio and placed it in a blue and white planter we had on the front porch to see how it would look. It’s amazing the dimension, color, and ambiance it instantly added! We’re hoping to swap out the faux fiddle leaf with a real lemon tree soon.

 

spray painted love seats

 

Like I mentioned above, we’ve had two of these love seats for about a year now and have loved them. (Heads up, this sofa doesn’t get great reviews on the website because it’s nearly impossible to put together with a hand-held screwdriver. We used a power drill and had no trouble at all!) The one thing I’m wanting to change is the color of the frame… the black iron just doesn’t mix with the rest of the look! I’ve been watching a few YouTube tutorials, and am thinking I’m going to spray paint the sofas white. What do y’all think about that idea?

Once we finalize these main details, I’m excited to add a few decorative touches to round everything out. We’re thinking a large wicker coffee table for holding drinks, chips and salsa, magazines, etc and couple of garden stools to serve as side-tables for the love seats. We already have string lights set up that we love, so that’s an added bonus!

I do believe less is more when it comes to outdoor spaces (don’t want things to start looking crammed or junky!) so I’m going to fill things gradually as we see it all come together. I’m so excited to bring you along on this little decorative project, and would love any and all of your ideas!

Love from the Sunshine State,

Kate

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4 Comments

  1. Yes to being on our porch as much as possible! Any of these touches would make me never want to leave.

    Published 5.5.20 · Reply
  2. Monty said:

    It all sounds wonderful! We are working on our back porch right now as well. I wish I could talk Gene into putting down a rug. I think it would add so much warmth and definition to the space like yours has. He’s just worried about it retaining moisture and rotting the wood decking below it. If our porch was covered and screened in like yours this wouldn’t even be a debate. Your space is going to be gorgeous. You’ll never want to leave it. I hope we get to have afternoon coffee on it one day when we are not in Quarantine any more.

    Published 5.5.20 · Reply
  3. jack said:

    Thank you for sharing these! I’ve been hunting for blue glassware since a trip to Paris years ago, and Estelle Colored Glass makes some that are perfect!!

    Published 6.4.20 · Reply
  4. lisa said:

    I think plants are very important in the decoration of your house. I’ve linked a few of my favorites. Did you know there are special faux outdoor plants? These geraniums are a great option if you want no maintenance. However nothing beats the real thing, so add lots of color and greenery if that’s your thing.
    For more visit keahardware.com

    Published 9.2.22 · Reply