Jen on the Edge

Once upon a time, Pete and I lived in a house that had all sorts of things that we do not have here in Jenworld. Back then, we had a two car garage that led to a wonderful mud room, which led to the rest of the house. There could be a Category 2 hurricane roaring outside and we could unload our groceries without getting wet.

When we bought Jenworld, we were actually looking for a house with a garage, preferably one that was attached to the house in some manner, whether it was a mudroom, a breezeway, or even just a cardboard refrigerator box. Alas, Jenworld does not have a garage, nor could we squeeze one into the existing space.

We did the next best thing and built a screened porch. (Okay, it’s nowhere near as good as an attached garage, but my brain can rationalize just about anything short of cannibalism.)

The thing about our screened porch is that it serves as a de facto mudroom. We pass through it from the car to the kitchen and vice versa. We dump muddy shoes, wet umbrellas, and snowy boots on the porch. Our recycling resides there too.

But we also love to hang out on the porch and admire our little domain. We have wonderful views of the back yard and enjoy hearing the girls play back there. It’s a very peaceful place.

So we have this lovely space that is also functional, which means that the lovely space is often an unlovely mess. Plus, I never really decorated the porch. It’s not one of those beautiful “outdoor rooms” you see in all the glossy magazines.

No more.

Here’s what the porch used to look like:

Boring, I know. All that creamy white and it isn’t even clean!

(And yes, I tidied things up a bit before I took the photo.)

I kept meaning to do SOMETHING with the porch, but never quite got around to it. At one point, I had planned to paint the interior of the porch a really bold color scheme, but (again) never quite got around to it. Last week I decided that it was time to Take Action, so I went to World Market and bought cushions and pillows. Then I spent some time cleaning and painting this weekend. Here are the results:

What do you think? A bit more colorful and welcoming? It’s still not one of those beauteous magazine porches, but it’s my porch and I’m pleased with it.

What you can’t see is the grouping of potted plants I have by the door going to the kitchen, but they’re pretty, I promise. Nor can you see that the ceiling is painted sky blue, which is quite soothing. (So much so that it is inhabited by Charlotte and all of her arachnid friends.) Oh, and the recycling bin is still on the porch, but it doesn’t take up much space.

Now, whenever I Twitter that it’s Happy Hour here at Jenworld, just imagine me in the chair on the left with a drink in my hand.