My Front Porch
My front porch takes a beating year after year. It’s open to the elements and faces south for total sun exposure. There is water damage to the floor that needs carpentry work, and the structure needs painting, but it did not stop me from decorating it anyway. Twenty-five years ago, Tyler, the local Victorian renovator, rebuilt it with mahogany floors and custom Victorian designs on the ceiling along with unique butterfly side panels. The round ball fretwork added particular appeal as passersby stopped to ask me about them. Last year we replaced the roof, and we need to keep going. There are other projects underway, and in the fullness of time, my husband would already do the porch repairs. But as always, there is only so much time. I can no longer wait for all the stars to align or make excuses not to do anything. I chose to quit the all-or-nothing approach that holds me back from moving forward. The front porch is an area that welcomes my guests and sets the tone for my house. So despite the imperfections, I decided to get started one step at a time.
The Glider
My glider is the most comfortable place to relax and stretch out in the late afternoon after the sun rounds the corner. It’s over 60 years old and my favorite piece of furniture. It holds so many happy childhood memories for my siblings and me. For hours we used to rock on it overlooking the Hoosick River on the backside of my grandparents’ apartment down the same street from our Classic Street home. The sun faded the existing blue and white striped fabric, and I accidentally ripped the top seat cover, so I had no choice but to replace them. I looked online for already-made cushions but decided to do them myself because the foam was custom-fitted and still in good shape. Years ago, I asked local upholsterer Mr. O’dell, now deceased, to procure thick seat cushions without feeling the slats underneath. He cut 5-inch thick foam, and it was divine.
Forging ahead, I knew I would just bite the bullet and reupholster them myself, so I went to JoAnne Fabrics to see their selections. I selected Avion Confetti tropical blue and orange birds and butterflies with passport stamps, a reminder of my love of travel. It had a large pattern repeat, which was not for the faint of heart as the beaks and wings had to line up perfectly. Even though I knew how to sew draperies and curtains, I have never made boxed cushions with zippers. Thankfully I was able to use the existing ones as a pattern, and that helped somewhat. I stitch-ripped the seams of four 36-inch cushions. Slightly above center, I displayed the vibrant species in the best light. I made custom-cording with a creamy white liner that I already had on hand. Determined to enjoy this intricate process, I emphatically told my husband that I would take my time and relax, two adjectives that do not typically describe me. For two weeks, sewing paraphernalia took over three rooms, including the much-preferred location of the waist-high kitchen butcher block.
I used 3M Hi-strength 90 contact spray adhesive for a professional appearance to wrap 1/2-inch batting around the 5 by 4-inch thick foam. Stuffing the bulky textured batten-wrapped cushion into the smooth, thin fabric cover did not seem possible without ripping apart the seams. So I went online to see how the professionals handled this tricky feat. With the help of whisper-thin Sailrite silk film wrap, I wrapped the cushions and glided them into their new box, and zipped them up. This silky wrap was essential and helped me to get the cushions aligned with the welting. I plan to appoint the glider with an Annie Selkie abstract emperor indoor/outdoor pillow for the final appointment, but it has not arrived. I liked the pillow’s kaleidoscope of colors, butterfly wings, dots, and dashes for a touch of whimsy.
For the record, I watched several Youtube videos, referred to my Singer sewing books, and I still found sewing the zippers to be a dibble - that’s putting it politely. They are not perfect, and that’s ok because they are hidden! I have a new saying, “the zipper checkers are not coming to the house today.” And that saying applies to almost everything for people with busy lives, especially unmade beds. If anyone wants to come to my house and do this with me, I have another ten zippered cushions to sew for my side porch couch and lounge chair! As it so happened, on my way to the Annie Selke Outlet for a new pillow to designate the glider, I stopped by Berkshire Fabric and Wallpaper, also in Pittsfield, MA. I met the owner, and we reminisced about the Old Stone Mill factory. She told me that she bought out their inventory back in 2003, and she graciously offered to help me with my zippers. Boxed cushions are one of her specialty services. I plan to buy the fabric from her so we can both benefit from the experience.
The Bench
I had my eye on a simple wooden coral-colored bench from my childhood breakfast nook. It was replaced years ago by a massive roll-top desk, relegated to my bedroom, where it housed stuffed animals and toys for visiting grandchildren. It had simple lines, straight and solid - just right for two people. Shaker in style, it was just what I needed for the short-walled corner of the porch. I decided to strip the old paint and give it a refresh. My husband hoisted it up on two sawhorses, and I bought four bottles of Back to Nature, Ready-Strip Safer Paint Remover to remove seven layers of paint. Time-consuming over two weekends, I used a plastic scraper with gloves and safety glasses for protection and plenty of toweling. Halfway through, my husband suggested that I keep the old paint-worn country look favored by a local artist. Tempted, I decided it needed a more up-to-date look and painted it Benjamin Moore Adriatic Sea. I had a blue and orange color scheme in mind, and this Mediterranean color was bright and welcoming - just what I had in mind.
The Rug
“I Bought a New Rug.” It’s silly, but for days in my head, I sang Huey Lewis and The News’ hit song I Want a New Drug with substituted lyrics. The rug just made me happy, the color, the choice, the bold orange-red stripes. It’s full of life. To imagine it on my front porch entry was a risk. I bought it from Target online for only $169.00. It was bright but not much of a financial risk, so I went for it. I was looking for something new and wowing, and just like the song, it makes me feel like I am in love. I hope my guests feel the same when they come for a visit.
The Wall Art
The sunburst is a 1970s ombre painted wooden retail sign from our now-closed home appliance store. The center of the vintage sign has the famous red and white GE sticker logo. I noticed the sun spritzed trend in all the catalogs, so I repurposed the gold medallion with the letter D for Donohue and painted Benjamin Moore Spanish Red, the same color as my living room. Knowing I had a date in mind to finish this project, my thoughtful husband searched all over the local hardware stores and finally found the 8-inch letter at the Walmart craft section. He carefully attached the D with hot glue and hung it above the welcome bench. I taped the original sticker on the backside for future GE sign enthusiasts to ensure its place in history.
I stumbled across a small green wooden door in the basement. It’s one of those original pieces that I instinctively knew should be hanging decoratively on a wall somewhere in my house. I dragged it upstairs, and for six months, it stayed in the corner of my backroom at the bottom of the stairwell. Every time I walked by, I would think about where to hang that door. It was fantastic yet cumbersome. It occurred to me that the vast space above the front porch glider needed outdoor art. I left it blank for the summer but knew it was not right. I asked my husband if he would be able to hang it above the glider. He remembered a new brass chain-link leftover from a recent light purchase and cleverly attached it to the ceiling with an eye hook. The chain creates a triangle, an extra-dimensional shape. A bit sad, the door needed a decorative touch. I decided that old fashion was coming back into style. So I took the opportunity to display Norman Rockwell’s Four Seasons plates, complete with frames. Handed down to my grandparents, I tucked them away for several years because they looked so old. Now I am thrilled to display them prominently. The glider picked up the plate colors and completed the picture, so I no longer needed the pillows. It was just what I wanted, and as they say in the decorating world, it looked resolved.
The Plants
I no longer dream about bringing my six flower boxes to the local shops to do the cumbersome task for me. A couple of years ago, I watched Monty Don’s potting technique, a shortcut that makes flower boxes enjoyable to fill. I remove the plants from the containers, position the empties just so, and surround them to the top with the mix. I remove the container and then plunk the plant in the soil hole. I like to shop at McNeily’s Florist and Bloomin Art in Hoosick. Usually, with no plan in mind, I decide what full-sun flowers look best, depending on my mood. Each year is different, but I am fond of petunias and geraniums. I purchase Fall mums for the change of season. On the steps and in the partial shade, I often buy begonias that sit in the shadow of the tall rhododendron. My all-time favorite flower is a blazing orange nasturtium. I am partial to orange flowers in the garden. I cull orange cosmo seeds each year and store them in large manilla envelopes on top of the second refrigerator in the back room. Knowing I needed more plants, I bought two enormous cactus-like Euphoria and placed them into gorgeous glazed terracotta planters from Crate and Barrel. The plants are too big and sharp to remove, so I put them carefully inside with hidden risers. From Etsy, I also purchased firestick cacti for the bright orange color. Cacti are now featured in many magazines. I enjoy the mix of shapes and textures.
To divert guests to the sheltered side entrance, I placed a circular black metal log holder as a barrier to entry. My husband added a shelf to display additional flowers that cascaded down the steps. I painted the wooden rectangular frame with one of my Benjamin Moore samples, Dinner Party, a burgundy tone to complement the rug strips.
The Sears Doors
My S. Roebuck & Co doors are antique and need help. Manufactured at 172 Fulton Street in New York City, they graced the front porch and greeted guests with a spring-loaded bang. I wanted to paint them for years, but I always put the idea on the back burner after watching the Antiques Roadshow. The constant reminder to leave the original finish alone stuck. I decided the show was not going to intimidate me any longer. It was time to paint the entrance doors a vibrant Benjamin Moore Red exterior color. I did not overthink the color choice. Independent of one another, my husband and son picked out Claret Rose from a line-up paint chart for the mudroom entrance door two years ago. I did not paint the mudroom door but remembered the color choice. Serendipitous, this bright red-pinky-coral goes with the new carpet.
My husband removed the hinges and molding that held the worn black screens and placed the doors onto a large table in my daughter’s former upstairs bedroom, now my official cold-weather workroom. I removed approximately one hundred heavy-duty staples with garden gloves to protect my hands and plucked out the trim with a putty knife and needle-nosed plier. There were so many scars underneath the border pieces from years of replacing the screens. For practicality, I planned to use the existing strips and paint them with two coats of the finished color. After seeing all the holes and knowing that it would be a dubious job to re-nail them, I decided to go to the Home Depot to buy new, decorative trim. With a spoke and wheel embossed pattern, the pieces were so pretty when painted.
My husband offered to repair the screens and re-tack the trim pieces. Rain-delayed for two weekends in a row, he was in the middle of building a new fence section. I wanted to move the project along, so I tackled the screens. The screen material was just like a piece of fabric that reminded me of my reupholstery days. I carefully laid the soft black mesh over the openings, tacked it with ⅜ inch staples at one edge, and made my way around. Halfway through the job, the nails popped out of the broken gun. A rivet was missing. I quickly ran up to the local hardware store and bought an identical one to avoid losing time. It was not difficult, but it took a steady hand and patience to pull the screens just right. I cut close to the staples with a small pair of scissors to ensure the trim would cover. From there, my husband took over to cut and miter the edges. When he flipped the doors over, he realized that the underside of the trim exposed some of the white primers. White marks would not do. He removed his craftsman precision work so I could paint underneath. The oversight slowed us down by a day but the paint dried in no time. In five days, we completed the painting project with one coat of primer and two coats of paint. Instead of removing the old rusty brown hardware beforehand, I touched them up in place with a delicate watercolor brush in Benjamin Moore Black Bean Soup, a sample brown color that was a close match. I based my decision to paint in place on previous experiences with old door hardware in my house. It has a fussy nature not to close correctly once removed. Hand-touched, it looked terrific!
To paint old furniture piques my interest. Recently I visited Aaron Buzzinski’s store, Wilders Cabinet, in beautiful downtown Hoosick Falls, NY. His painted furniture pieces were striking. They added life and class to otherwise drab old furniture. The reality was that my doors were constantly full of road dust and falling apart from years of wear and tear. Even though they were old, they were not charming. They looked dead. I knew a beautiful coat of paint would bring them back to life. I still enjoy watching Antiques Roadshow, and I respect their advice, but boy, am I pleased with my decision to paint those doors every time I hear the BANG!
The Accents
The birdcage with the dangling wooden trinkets and stained glass bird has been part of our family, home to numerous parrots. I hung the green metal cage with etched glass on a hanging flower basket hook. The bottom had disappeared, but the open-air look was pleasing. I added a red cardinal trivet, and faux birds clipped to the birch trees as part of the flock. The glass table has a weathered look of orange and gold. The gold paint would wear away every time I cleaned it, exposing its flaked patina; the worn look never seemed to go out of style. A gift from a work colleague, I painted the artisan wooden fruit bowl with Benjamin Moore Egyptian Clay that matches the metal glider frame. I strategically placed a blue-teal ice cream shop chair for additional seating. A brown striped alpaca blanket and hydrangea mixed basket are on the bench, culminating in a finished look. On a recent trip to the Berle Farm Store to buy yogurt and cheese, the owner gave me a postcard with orange flowers and butterflies. Fitting the theme, I found an old frame and added it to the log shelf. Last but not least, I painted the mail basket white to freshen it up. Protected from the elements, it casually hangs by a string and is easily accessible for the postal service.
Seasonal
The nice thing about the Northeast change of seasons is the opportunity to continue to express my creativity. This Halloween, I pulled out decorations from my basement storage. One of my favorites is a spooky candle-lit house from Partylite, purchased twenty years ago from a dear friend’s house candle party. In the existing silver planter, I arranged the eight-inch tall ceramic with local gourds from Strawberry Acres Farm in Buskirk, NY, for only one dollar each in place of the dead nasturtiums. To this day, the glow reminds me of that particular time and friendship that continues today. Mindful of the new front door color, I added six mid-sized fresh orange mums from McNeilly’s florist that fit just right in the existing flower boxes. A plug-in jack-o-lantern from my dad reminds me of Halloween times together. While handing out candy, he got the biggest kick seeing the trick or treaters react to his gangly long-haired wig. I found an old ceramic apple cookie jar representing apple season and added Fall flowers and gourds to complete the scene.
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