You know the saying about not waiting for your house to be perfect to invite people over? Well, I realized that even though my porch is not 100% complete, I shouldn’t wait to invite y’all over.

I have wanted to spruce up our screened porch for 3 years now. Screen porches like Between Naps on the Porch have beckoned me from afar. I always knew I wanted to do something similar to Susan’s porch.

So, after living here for 4 years, I finally got around to giving the screen porch a much needed makeover.

This is basically a representative “before” picture taken the month before we bought the house.

After we moved in, it stayed the same except we had a white square table and chairs for meals on the porch. Slowly I have been furnishing and decorating the porch with fixtures and accessories like: Ladder Display Shelves, Beachy Coffee Table,  Minnow Trap Lights, Bamboo Painted Rug, Dream Big Butterfly Window, and my Garden Bench. My budget for this makeover was next to nothing, which presented a little bit of a challenge.

So, are you ready? Here is a tall glass of sweet tea with lemonade. Please come join me on my porch:

The two side chairs are actually from the table and chairs set. I just dressed them up with IKEA throw pillows. Someday I want to buy some wicker rockers to put in their place.

Remember the disgusting moldy coffee table I saved from the trash? There she is!

My favorite spot on the weekend. My Dad gave me this hammock for my 30th birthday and it is still in good shape after 10 years! Thanks Dad!

My semi-famous ladder display shelves I built from a $15 rickety old ladder.

The minnow trap pendant lights add the perfect amount of light after dark.


Were you wondering where I hung my Dream Big Butterfly window? Here she is:

That chippy little cabinet is the most expensive piece of furniture on the porch! I paid $85 for it at the flea market. It used to be a table, but someone cut off the legs and nailed boards to the sides and added a door to the front.

Such a great spot for catching up on my favorite magazines: Country Living, Better Homes and Gardens and Flea Market Style (the issue Layla and Kevin were recently in.)

Can you believe a neighbor was trying to get rid of this little decorator table? I gladly sprinted over to her house to pick it up. Then I draped a clearance shower curtain from Target over it. Yup,that is a shower curtain!

{Sigh} My favorite flower, blue hydrangeas.

Remember that purple garden bench? Well, she wasn’t weathering the constantly changing weather conditions, so I brought her in the porch and gave her some TLC and a few coats of paint. I just need to sew a cushion for her.

Thank you so much for coming over. I enjoyed our time together. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with a hammock. Zzzzzzz.

 

 

 

 

 

87 replies
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    • Brittany (aka Pretty Handy Girl)
      Brittany (aka Pretty Handy Girl) says:

      Thanks for your comment. We love our hammock. Put it on your wish list. It is so much fun for the kids (as long as they don’t flip their brother. And we like to lounge in it Sunday mornings or after dark. Definitely invest in a good one. This one has lasted 10 years.

      Reply
  1. Lesa Maloney
    Lesa Maloney says:

    Brittany…your porch looks beautiful. You did an amazing job and the colors you chose are very light and airy! You’ve inspired me to give my back deck a facelift!! Lesa

    Reply
  2. Judy
    Judy says:

    You are NOT Pretty Handy Girl—you are absolutely AMAZING Handy Girl. I just love the projects you share on your blog. I wonder if this old G’Ma can learn a few new woodworking tricks??

    Reply
  3. Angela
    Angela says:

    Thank You so much for your wonderful blog! I’m inspired by the way you tackle home improvement and repairs. It makes me itch to get working on something handy after I read your blog posts. I just wish that I had the upper arm strength to lift heavy things so I could take on all the unfinished projects we have going in my house. Why does God give men the upper arm strength but not the ability to multi-task? It’s a cruel cruel world! JK.

    Reply
    • Brittany (aka Pretty Handy Girl)
      Brittany (aka Pretty Handy Girl) says:

      Angela, well, we may not have as much upper arm strength, but we women possess much stronger legs then men. So, try to use that to your advantage. I also keep this mantra in my head for the times when I really need it, “If there is a will, there is a way!” Good luck with your DIY projects and don’t let your shortcomings stop you. Go kick some DIY butt!

      Reply
  4. Monique
    Monique says:

    Lovely porch. Gives me some ideas for our sunroom.

    Until I read on another blog just how much it costs to keep their site up and running, I simply didn’t have any idea what bloggers like you shell out from their own pockets. And that doesn’t include time spent creating posts. I wish you much success. You’ve certainly earned it in more ways than one.

    Reply
    • Brittany (aka Pretty Handy Girl)
      Brittany (aka Pretty Handy Girl) says:

      Monique, thanks for your comment. Wow, do you know who wrote that post about how much it costs to blog? I’d love to read that. And it is true, it may be free to start a blog, but there are costs to taking that blog to the next level. Thanks for your understanding and best wishes.

      Reply
  5. Dawn
    Dawn says:

    Very pretty. I use shower curtains on my porch also. That cant get hurt during a rain storm!!! You did a beautiful job, everything is peaceful and inviting:)

    Reply

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  1. […] Hand paint a bamboo rug in a whimsical floral motif with Brittany at Pretty Handy Girl, and while you’re there, take a peek at her screened porch!  […]

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