Patriotic Summer Porch

Waiting for spring and summer this year seemed to be especially hard. What I did not find hard was deciding what I wanted to do this year for the front porch. Last year, on a trip to Kennebunkport, Maine I saw this...

Our small town holds a Memorial Day parade every year and since we live right off the parade route our little street sees a lot of traffic. I like the house to look nice for the celebration. This year I embraced Old Glory and ran with it.

I pulled the same theme around to the planters on the back deck.

Geraniums, potato vine, vinca, and white petunia fill the window boxes on the shed.

In the area that used to be home to one of our old, gigantic maple trees now sits a pretty little metal bench with a potted geranium tucked into my favorite blue pot. That color makes my heart so happy!

The bench on the front porch needed some patriotic color and I have seen tons of pretty little pillows but thought they would get filthy so quickly with all the pollen. Instead I bought a plastic red and white table cloth from the dollar store. I folded it and wrapped an old pillow inside, tying a knot on the front and tucking in the ends. In the back there is a folded over pocket of sorts and I placed a heavy rock in there so it is less likely to blow away from my porch. That same week I found an "outdoor pillow" for $5 to accompany it. 

This 200 year old house looks most authentic adorned in the red, white and blue.

 I had pulled it together for Memorial Day and I will keep it up through Labor Day this year. 

How fun are these pinwheels I found in the dollar section of a local store? Who can resist? And, true to form, I had to get a little beachy/coastal touch in there with some starfish. 

A defective cabinet door from our kitchen renovation got a coat of chalk paint and a copper tape border. A little word with big meaning declares what makes my country so great.

Flag overkill?

Nah, I'm loving it. About a week after it was done Mister noticed someone sitting in a car outside our home. The woman behind the driver's wheel had her cell phone out taking pictures. (Glad to know I am not the only one who does that!) I was thrilled that my home has become one of those homes that people like to stop and look at.

Do you decorate for summer? Do you change by the month or do you do one theme and stay with it throughout the summer? Leave me a message and don't forget to sign up for emails or follow on social media to make sure you don't miss the next post. 

Happy Summer and thanks for spending time here with me today!

Jolena

Linking up to these parties:

Ducks N A Row, DIY By Design, Shabby Art Boutique, Life With Lorelai, Katherine's Corner, The Pin Junkie, A Delightsome Life, Chic On A Shoestring, The Cottage Market, Kippi At Home, Pieced Pastimes, Finding Silver Pennies, Skip To My Lou, The How To Home, Home Stories A to Z, The Dedicated House, Create With Joy Lou Lou Girls, A Stroll Thru Life, Our Home Away From Home, Celebrate & Decorate

Traditional Home Makeover-Dining Room (Part 5)

Welcome back! I had to split my last post on the makeover into two because it got waaaay too long! But then I wrote a super long post about time away with my friends... I can't explain it.

Last time I showed you the formal living room. That room and the dining room are pseudo-separated by an archway and pony/knee walls but totally visible to one another so they have to play together nicely, color and style-wise.

Before: We are keeping all the furniture in this room and the art work which was one of two similar pieces that served as our inspiration for this makeover. 

The homeowner's table and chairs are dark and heavy... and red leather! Since they are staying I tried to find curtains to pull everything together with the old wall color but still lighten it up a bit. I love this fabric!

(Source)

Not bad but not quite what the mister of the house was wanting; just a bit too feminine for him. So, now what?

Painting the dining room the same color as the living room gave us a soft neutral canvas that could almost seem white. Red... white-ish.... and blue! Since he is ex-military he would appreciate this, right? I chose a navy blue, solid panel. The homeowner found the white panels with the same navy blue in the pattern. (Source)

A vase from Hobby Lobby and some faux dogwood dress the table. The light fixture (she originally thought she may want to change) works well with the new paint color. And, believe it or not, their wedding china from 20+ years ago is navy blue...perfect. 

Two lanterns purchased on sale from Pottery Barn sit on the knee walls between the two rooms to keep clutter from gathering there. 

I am so glad that we painted these rooms and I love how they have turned out. It makes me want to breath deep every time I walk through the front door and while there is a hint of formality that is insinuated by the trim work and floor plan the dressings don't leave either room feeling to stuffy or precious. 

My homeowners love the spaces and that's what it is all about; loving the space you live in. What do you think? 

Next time we'll move on to the kitchen!

Thanks for following along. Make sure you don't miss the next post by signing up for email notifications in the bar on the right.

                                                               Jolena

Party time!
Ducks N A Row, Katherine's Corner, Decor Craft Design, Shabby Art Boutique, Life With Lorelai, April J. Harris, Chic On A Shoestring, The Cottage Market, Pieced Pastimes, Finding Silver Pennies, Skip To My Lou, The How To Home, Home Stories A to Z, The Dedicated House, Create With Joy, A Stroll Thru Life, Our Home Away From Home, DIY By Design

Coastal Retreat

I am a beach girl. Not sure why, or how it happened. I didn't discover that about myself until I was well into my.... well, let's just say I was older. Perhaps it was the time I spent as a kid at Hickam Air Force Base that planted that seed deep down in my DNA. Now, I know there are some who prefer lake-life and lakes are beautiful in their own right but for me there is just something awe inspiring about the ocean. There are others who hate the summer and the heat, preferring the spring or fall and both have their good points but oh, the warmth of the sun on the skin and the smell of sun lotion! Then there is winter.... I got nothin'. Honestly, it is so far from my mind right now that we'll just not talk about that right now.

Summer is the perfect time for the beach but I love the beach year round. You'll constantly hear me say things like "a foggy day, (rainy day, cloudy day, windy day) at the beach is still a day at the beach". It is my happy place. It is a time to clear my head and my sinuses. It is where I feel small next the the expanse of water before me. It is where I notice the small things like the bazillion grains of sand, tiny crabs, little fish, beach glass and sandpipers. It is where I see the faithfulness of God and contemplate His provisions and promises.

A few months ago I was blessed to spend some time with sisters God has purchased for me through Christ. (*I didn't grow up with sisters and didn't go away to college so this is a relatively new experience for me.) We were celebrating the birthday of one of these beautiful women. As a treat we got to spend it at a beach home nestled in what was an old Portuguese fishing village in Tiverton, Rhode Island.

While this was not set on the open ocean it did boast water views along the Sakonnet River that leads to Newport and the Atlantic Ocean. The minute we walked in the door we all gave out a huge exhale of content mingled with relief because sometimes you're just not sure if the rental is going to match the photos on the website. This place did not disappoint!

We were greeted with a beautiful table set with a charcuterie board filled with local treats and prosecco.
Um...yes, please!

Fresh flowers and live plants were scattered throughout the home.

White slipcovered furniture and warm blankets to cuddle up with begged us to sit and talk.

The master bedroom and ensuite took up the entire top floor with a huge window that led to a deck and sitting area which provided views of the water. A board and batten feature wall serves as a headboard. White linens and an overstuffed club chair make this a true retreat.

The house was sandwiched between the ocean before us and the salt marshes behind us.

Two smaller bedrooms were dressed with luxury linens in crisp, cool whites that beckoned me to jump in and snuggle down... and shiplap!!!

Each bed was adorned with a guest basket filled with fluffy white towels and slippers. Our hostess was mindful to place a black washcloth in each basket for women to use to remove their makeup, so smart!

The owners bought this property as a rental. They did all the work themselves. Here's a before photo.



You'll hear me say this a lot; never underestimate the power of paint! I know many decorators are saying that the grays are going out of style but at the beach I think the combination of grays and whites is timeless.


                                                   (Photo take from VRBO listing)

Our host and hostess stopped by to meet us and invited us to their other home on the next street over. (Who does that!? Nicest people!) It is a smaller home, 750 square feet. I believe they will be renting that one also at some point. I fell in love with this space. It does not feel small at all. It is an excellent use of space, color and glass.

before photos 

after photos

brilliant way to hide the tv

The weather was not "great", drizzling the day we arrived and and overcast and cool when we visited Carolyn's Sakonnet Winery and Tiverton Four Corners for shopping.

The weather did not stop us from walking and talking and enjoying the time together. The day we left the sun rose bright and beautiful waking me before the others were up.

I grabbed my camera and headed to the beach.

We joked about a blog post and how it may mean we never get to stay here again if it gets too popular. It is a beautiful, quiet location and we left feeling rested and blessed.

As I said before there are somethings you shouldn't underestimate; a can of paint, a good cup of coffee....,

 fellowship of the saints...,

and drawing near to the God who delights in giving His children good gifts.

The Salt Marsh Beach House was a such a beautiful treat. I would highly recommend a stay. You can find their listing here at VRBO. *Tell them you heard about it here!

Thanks for spending time with me. I hope your summer provides you opportunities to enjoy the beach, lake or whatever provides you those times to relax and enjoy the world around you.

* An after thought.

Linking up to these parties:
Shabby Art Boutique, The Cottage Market, Finding Silver Pennies, Create With Joy, Pieced Pastimes, DIY Showoff, The Painted Hinge, Ducks 'N A Row, The Dedicated House, Lou Lou Girls, Our Mini Family, Marilyn's Treats, The How To Home, Our Home Away From Home, April J Harris