I love a good outdoor space. Luckily we have a small porch in our current place and I love getting out there in the warmer months for a mid-day reading break! If you have a nice, quiet spot to hang in your home/apartment, don't neglect it! Every spot in your place deserves some sort of special touch.
After doing the majority of Eunice's first floor of her Denver spot, she had another request! Of course, I was more than happy to oblige because working with her is a blast--open to my ideas, very responsive and super pumped about any thoughts I have to share with her! What's not to love?
This next project was going to be their front porch, the entry of their home (for guests, not for them) and what faces the street. It needed some help with curb appeal, and they wanted it to be a spot they could all enjoy in the warmer months. It gets great sun and has an adorable view of the neighborhood with so many fluffy trees and charming houses around (I know this because I visited Eunice while in Denver and I can attest to the adorable-ness of the neighborhood). It's not private by any means but it's a cute little spot that needed to be utilized to its max potential.
Here we go! Let's first dive into the "afters" since those are the most fun.
The basic dilemma with this front porch was that it had two sides on either side of the front door, with these french doors that went into both the office and formal living room. Both of these spaces were the same size but prettttty tiny, maybe 6 feet deep at most.
We decided on giving each side a purpose - one would be for lounging in the morning/evening with a drink with the kids or just Eunice and her husband. The other side would be more of a "fun" setup with plants and a fun chair. That fun chair ended up being a SWINGING CHAIR! Yes. Since the beginning of working with Eunice we had both loved this chair from Serena & Lily and finally found a place to put it in her home.
And I must say it's really fun to sit there and swing around in it (again, tried it IRL).
How did we get to that finished product? Here are the two concepts I originally presented to Eunice - we wanted it to be light, textural, boho, soft/pretty and really welcoming.
Eunice decided that she wanted a mix of the two concepts (as happened 95% of the time with my Havenly clients) and we ended up with something that was really what we were looking for!
Originally we had this idea of a full size outdoor sofa here (as shown below) but that ended up being way too tight and restricting (albeit "cozy") - we saved this idea for the back outdoor space. We opted for the West Elm bench instead (that's not longer available - SAD!), which has always been a favorite.
A few things got moved around including this CB2 chair but the general vibe is still the same as we were going for. And I must say, it's as wonderful in person as you think it would be.
Here's how we originally envisioned the porch...
It's worth mentioning that this is a covered porch and she doesn't leave her pillows, etc. outside all the time, because obviously everyone would want to steal them. I mean, who wouldn't want to take all of these amazing things? I think it's better that way, to keep everything nice and clean! It's not too much of a chore to bring them out when you want to sit out there - even a couple pillows and a throw is plenty for a nice sit with a cup of coffee or glass of wine. :)
We found most of the lovely textiles from Serena & Lily, Terrain, and West Elm! The rug in the finished shot is from Dash & Albert, my go-to for indoor/outdoor and family-friendly rugs in general. They're hella cute and super durable! Almost all planters I ever find are from CB2 because they're affordable and funky, in a good way obviously.
I'm telling you, get that patio in shape if you're lucky enough to have outdoor space! You'll want to take mid-day naps there and fall asleep in the sun, and/or sip your favorite beverage there after work, watching the sunset. If you need some extra patio ideas, take a look at some of my favorites this year!
** all photos courtesy of those fine folks at Havenly!