Savoring the Season

As fall has made itself known in earnest this week, I’m enjoying memories of a lovely summer and appreciating the change in seasons. The maples are already turning amazing shades of gold and red – so vibrant that it’s almost hard to believe it’s natural! The crisp air seems to draw us outside to savor the seasonal transition. Where better to enjoy nature’s autumn show than from a beautiful porch? Whether it’s purpose is to shelter guests entering our homes, or a place to lounge or dine, porches are a distinctly American addition to the architectural vocabulary. A good porch should always be large enough to furnish – 8′-12′ from front to back is a good place to start. A proper roof overhang ensures water (and snow) stays away from porch furnishings and provides shade during the summer months. Traditionally, porch ceilings are painted a light blue (something akin to robin’s egg blue) to ward off wasps. Here are a few nice porches from my portfolio. Each is furnished differently to suit it’s purpose, and both open-air and screened porches are shown. One of the porches is furnished as a sleeping porch with beautiful antique day beds and family wicker. Porches are great rooms in which to flex our decorating muscles – without the burden of paints and curtains (well, curtains are nice on a porch too!) we can change the decor of our porch with each season. I love to find vintage wicker or other furniture, lots of colorful pots, and small tables here and there. While you can’t go wrong with a sisal rug, try bringing in something unexpected like a faded Oriental rug. Enjoy the view!