Paper Lanterns and the Joy of a Screen Porch

Alas, it is getting closer to the end of summer but, I still wanted to share my screened-in porch with you before fall sets in.  Many years ago my husband and I purchased a screen porch that attaches to the side of our house.  It was a compromise since our home did not accommodate a proper screen porch easily.  Since bugs are something to be reckoned with at dinnertime, a screened-in porch has been a wonderful thing to have.

However, it isn't the most beautiful thing you've ever seen.  Creative decorating was necessary to bring the porch to its full potential!

As "ugly duckling" as the porch is, I have to tell you, I spend every possible morning eating my breakfast in this spot.  It is simply lovely.  The sun gently beams in and, if I am lucky, a hummingbird will serenade me with its hum while getting nectar from one  of my window box flowers.  It really is so serene and amazing at the same time.  It is probably my favorite place in the house during the summer.  We also enjoy most of our suppertime meals out here, as well.

Now back to design. The screen porch is divided into two sections; the eating section and the sitting and visiting section.  Here we see the sitting section.  My old rattan set has served me well for many years.  It was a gift from my sister-in-law.  My husband painted it white and we had the cushions re-upholstered.  (They could probably be re-upholstered again but that project is well down the line.  I will just have to make do with what I have for now :).  

This is the view from the dining side of the porch.  On the left you can see my indoor plants.  I place them in the porch for a summer "vacation". They always flourish out there.  I even got a gardenia that was close to death to blossom with the help of the porch environment.

Here you can see some of the paper lanterns.  I tried to keep them in the general palette of the seat  cushions.

In years past, I had tried to take photos of the screen porch with little success.  It just didn't photograph well and I thought the ceiling had something to do with that.  I found this pink and white chevron print at JoAnn Fabrics and decided to use it to camouflage the ceiling.  I liked how it broke up all that beige.

I couldn't seem to stop with the paper lanterns.  I ended up finding more of them in the bargain bin at the craft store.

The liked how well the metal lantern worked with the paper ones.

It's a festive look without being too overwhelming.

So, I guess in the end, it isn't really about the paper lanterns, although they are AWESOME.  It's about making a place where you are going to spend a lot of  your time as pretty as you can. For me, this year, it was the use of lanterns and fabric.  Next summer it will probably be something else but, hopefully, the feeling I get from sitting in my screen porch won't change.  And, hopefully, the hummingbirds will continue to visit!

Linking In With:
Finding Silver Pennies
Love of Home
Thoughts From Alice