When I was a little girl, the front porch was off limits to me as well as my siblings. Our front porch was basically a large square of concrete with a step or two coming off of it. The only people who ever came to the front door were salesmen. Everyone else always came to the back door. That was probably because it wouldn’t make sense to stop your car halfway up the drive in order to go to the front door. Mom never did any kind of decorating of the front porch. Actually, she didn’t do much decorating outside the house at all. When I was really younger, we had a garden and planted some flowers. Eventually, Mom decided Grandma’s garden was enough, and that area became part of the yard again.
A little history…
Nigel and I have had five houses during our marriage. We lived in our first house for almost five years. That house, which was a ranch, had a very small front porch with an aluminum awning over the top. I don’t think you could even put a chair on it because it was that narrow. We lived in our second house for about nine years. The front porch was enclosed with jalousie windows…most of which didn’t work. Nigel’s brother worked for an automotive/glass shop. He and Nigel replaced the jalousie windows with panes of glass. The enclosed porch was paneled with lovely birch paneling. But, the new panes of glass didn’t open, and that porch was unbearable in the summer! It did work wonderfully for growing plants though!
A little more…
Our next home, where we lived for 26 years, had two glorious porches! Both ran the width of the house…about 34 feet. The front, which faced west, was concrete. Originally, carved wooden posts supported the roof. Eventually, we added railing around it with carved wooden balusters. I even convinced Nigel to paint the posts and balusters in white, rose, and green. When the bottom rails began to rot (along with the bottoms of the balusters), we decided to ditch the railing. About that time, we needed a new roof and hired a nephew to do the job. The house had three dormer windows so we had him re-side them with siding that looked like cedar shakes (without the maintenance). We clad the wooden posts with aluminum columns. The back porch was a cedar deck. Originally, the deck was just large boards which we painted and stained repeatedly. Finally, we decided to replace the pine with cedar. The best thing about both porches was the shade they received. We spent mornings and afternoons on the front porch and evenings on the back deck. And, of course, I decorated them with flowers, furniture, and knick knacks!
Even more…
Our last home had a nice sized porch. You’ve seen it many, many times. The back deck was also nice, but the lighting often didn’t work out for photos. I almost always hung Boston ferns on the front porch. The last couple of years we lived there, I also hung them on the back deck. Nigel and I spent many hours on the front porch in the evenings, chatting with passing neighbors and just enjoying the weather.
A new porch…
When we began planning our new home, we decided (OK, Nigel did and I went along with it) a large front porch was not worth the expense. We decided a covered back porch was where we would spend most of our time. Our new front porch is the smallest one we’ve ever had! I was able to keep my metal bench and one small table. But, the lighting is perfect for blog photos! Well, it was the day we took photos because it was overcast. Surprisingly, sunny days do not good blog photos make! I cannot wait to decorate for fall. Christmas decorating will be a bit different because my garland holder isn’t big enough for this door. We will have to see what happens on that front (pun not quite intended)!
Kimono love…
I recently purchased this Johnny Was kimono when they had a sale on sale. I don’t buy a lot from Johnny Was as the price point is higher than I like. But, when there is a sale on sale, I sometimes jump! I featured a Johnny Was blouse in this Style Imitating Art post. My most recent Final Friday post also highlighted a Johnny Was silk top I’d modified to make it work for me. You can see another Style Imitating Art post with Johnny Was here. Would you believe I wore this kimono for hours before I realized it was reversible? I happened to notice the inside was a different print than the outside. So, when you factor that in I’ve actually got two different kimonos, the price wasn’t that bad! It was very cool when we took pictures so I wore an Old Navy luxe long sleeved tee. I swear by these tees, and they last forever! I finished the look with some Talbots jeans.
The Lewk!
I haven’t had a chance to unpack my longer necklaces. I know exactly the necklace I would have worn. You can see it here. Since I wasn’t wearing it, I went with a more rose colored amethyst pair of earrings. The L’Artiste sandals can be found here.
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Wrap it up, Marsha!
I have to tell you I am so tired of unpacking and figuring out where to put what! I had a gorgeous purple love seat we donated to Habitat for Humanity Re-Store because there was just no place to put it. I keep thinking I’ll put this in the closet only to remember there isn’t a closet! Oh, well, as Nigel keeps telling me, “Marsha, we downsized. That’s what downsizing means…getting rid of stuff.” I hated getting rid of front porch stuff though! So, can we talk? Are you a front porch kind of person? Do you enjoy hanging out on the porch, deck, patio and shooting the breeze with the neighbors? Or, are you a just give me a little patch so I don’t have to do much with it kind of person? No judgement here…we are all unique and like different things! Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk! I promise to get back to you as soon as I can!
Thank you!
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Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, My Bijou LIfe, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, The Grey Brunette, and Away from the Blue. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, Being a Wordsmith, and Mummabstylish. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I’m a co-host on the Weekend Traffic Jam (here). I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I also host Final Friday Print Mixing on the last Friday of the month. I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
That kimono is beautiful! Our front porch isn’t big enough for a chair but we do sit out on both our back deck and our patio often in the spring and summer but within the next week or two we’ll start packing all the furniture away for winter and loading up the patio with fire wood for the woodstove all winter long.
Thanks, Joanne! I really love it! Our middle house was ideal with big porches in the front and back. We had a woodstove at our first house. I remember lugging firewood up to the house (and even cutting it)!
One of my life goals is to have a front porch; I have never had one and desperately want one to decorate, sit on, and enjoy. My kids laugh but I tell them if it doesn’t happen for me to be sure they put me in a nursing home with one!
I don’t own any Johnny Was but the pieces are all stunning. Your kimono is a work of art and looks so good with those colorful sandals!
xo,
Kellyann
Thanks so much, Kellyann! It was hard to give up a front porch, but the cost was higher than I thought it would be worth. Instead we enlarged other rooms. I think, in the long run, that’s the best thing. I love Johnny Was, but it is so expensive. I wish there was a store close by (or do I)!
Yay for being in the new house! It’s a cute front porch. Love this kimono! The colors and print are stunning. Can’t wait to see the rest of the house!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thanks, Kathrine! I will show the rest of the house eventually I imagine. It’s still a work in progress!
Our front porch is narrow and fits a little table and 2 chairs and is conducive to blog pictures when I am looking for shade. I do my live on one of our two backporches, the one with the egg chair, outdoor bar height dining table and my littel bistro set. Coffee, blog workout, book reading and more happen there as it is next to the flower garden, has good shade and a view of the woods.
Loving your new kimono! The print is beautiful and I should have guessed that your sandals were from L’artiste! Gorgeous!
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Thanks, Mireille! I do have a thing for L’Artiste!! I envy you having two back porches…I also envy you for having mature trees!!
First…reversible is the best and that kimono is absolutely gorgeous Marsha.
We have a good size front and back porch but only hang out in the back. The front faces a relatively busy road, so it’s not amendable for hanging out.
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Thanks, Jodie! I couldn’t believe it was reversible…I didn’t expect it. But, it’s right there in the item description! I do wish we had a bigger front porch as it faces the east and will be cooler. It will be better in the long run to have more square feet in the house (another give/take situation) than to have a big front porch!
I’m glad to see your new front porch! I just have some steps and not much room for decorating either. But at least you have room for a bench! That is good! Your kimono is absolutely stunning! Love the bright colors!
Thanks, Laura! I was sad to give up the front porch though what the builder does as a front porch is nothing to write home about. I was just happy to have a large enough space for the bench!
Isn’t the kimono amazing? I was so glad to get it in the sale on sale!
One of the many things I’ve always loved about houses in the States is they often have the most beautiful front porches! And I particularly love it when you guys decorate them so beautifully. It’s something I’ve never done, sadly. The only time we ever decorate is Christmas time, and even then, the front door area is neglected. Perhaps when our new house is finally built, things might change. Although, we’re not having much of a porch…and it’s not going to be anywhere that the neighbours can see lol! I do love the idea of having somewhere to sit where we can talk to passing neighbours though!
You look fabulous, Marsha. I love that reversible kimono, and your hair is looking gorgeous too!
Big hugs
Suzy xx
You know…I never realized how decorating varies from country to country. Many years ago, we hosted a group from Australia. One of the girls remarked on how many pictures were on the walls…very few, actually. She said they just didn’t decorate like that! I tend to go overboard on decorating (you could tell if you counted the tubs of decor in the garage right now)! But, I feel like the outside of my home should be inviting and just as pretty on the outside as the inside. I would like to create another sitting area in the front yard because that’s where all of the neighbors would be. Our back patio does look directly into the screened in porch of our next door neighbor so I have to be careful of my attire when I’m sitting out there!
Thanks so much, Suzy! You are gorgeous, too, so I take that as a huge compliment!!
Love the kimono and your front porch is beautiful.
Annie,
Annies Food Diary
Thank you so very much, Annie!
First off, I LOVE this look! You know what a fan I am of l’artiste, and that kimono is amazing!
Ahhh, the joys of moving! I think I had to reorganize some things 42 times before I got things in the best places (although I am eying a reorganization of the quilting room….). I think when choosing a house, it’s difficult to get everything you want unless money is no object. We wanted a big wrap around porch, but it is the one thing we had to forego. We do have a lovely back patio. And a small front deck. It works. I did put planters of flowers on both.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
Thanks, Michelle! I cannot believe I completely missed it was reversible!!
One of the things I gave up with the downsizing was my sewing area (even though it was just a corner in the basement) and my craft room. It’s funny how big the house seems, yet when it comes to storing things…not so much! I’ve actually been quite ruthless in getting rid of things. The biggest thing is where to donate as I really don’t like donating to Goodwill. And, none of my family has the same aesthetic as me!
I truly do miss the wonderful porches we had on our house we lived in for 25+ years. We spent so much time outside on both of them. The backyard was fenced in and very private. I had such fun planting all kinds of things over the years…changing out plants and bushes as they died or became overgrown. Oh, see, you can definitely tell how much I miss that! Now, I have a postcard sized yard. I’ll have to make the most of container gardening and planting the mound behind us.
the kimono looks beautiful and the sandals caught my eye in the first picture!
Thanks, Mira! I do love L’Artiste shoes and highly recommend them!
That’s a stunning kimono! I live in an apartment but I have a balcony overlooking the Mississippi River so I’m quite content with my “porch” situation.
Thanks, Sally! Oh, a balcony would be wonderful…overlooking the Mississippi would be even better!
Your kimono is beautiful, and the sandals are cute. It’s so lovely to see your porch.
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Thank you so much, Lovely!
That top is so pretty and goes well with the pale blue jeans.
In the UK we don’t do front porch living. Our housing stock is old and we are a small country so a lot of our housing is terraced (as in joined together) for space I guess, and front doors often open straight onto the road! There are a lot of those front doors that face onto the roads in Lewes which is a very old town. What we do though is usually we have gardens at the back so we sit out on a patio, or just the garden but not a porch, again we don’t really do those at the back. I do see the porch as the very epitome of the American style of living!
Thanks, Penny! I do remember driving through the countryside near Basingstoke (my husband frequently worked out of that town) and seeing how close the homes were to the roads. But, you do have such lovely gardens! I realize Bath is a little on the out there side of flowers, but I will never forget how gorgeous the flowers were there!
Your front porch is so gracious and inviting — a lovely way to welcome guests (not just door-to-door salesmen). That kimono is gorgeous! I’d never heard of Johnny Was, I checked out their website, and the prices are out of my range. But — I’ll follow your advice and watch for sales. Love the artsy sandals, too!
Carol
http://www.scribblingboomer.com
Thanks, Carol! I think front porches are just the best place to show your neighborly side! I do wish ours was bigger, but I realized the money we spent was better on more square footage in the house itself.
Oh, Johnny Was has gorgeous clothes, but the prices…yikes!! Sales are the only way I can afford them!
Oh, Marsha, this kimono and your sandals are brilliant! How cool that the kimono is reversible! And your new front porch is lovely! My mother always dreamed of having a large covered wrap around porch which she never got. But growing up we had a covered front porch that was the whole width of the house. We spent lots of time out there. Then we moved to house when I was teenager that only had a front and a side stoop. No porch at all. Our first house in NY also only had a front stoop but it had a gorgeous back deck. The deck was not covered and it often got too hot to enjoy it though and there were always yellow jacket and wasp nests all over the wooded back yard of that house which essentially destroyed any enjoyment of that space. Now we have a covered front porch which I love. We sit out often and generally always end up in lovely conversations with our neighbors. We have a lot of front porch sitters in my neighborhood! But I would love to have a back porch as well because the privacy is nice sometimes, too! Fun post!
Shelbee
Thanks, Shelbee! I couldn’t believe it I didn’t even know it was reversible!! Oh, to have a large wrap around porch…that would be amazing! It’s funny because we never sat around on the porch when I was a kid…probably because they were just big old hunks of concrete! But, I don’t think we sat around outside anyway. If we were outside, we were playing or working in the yard. But, I loved my porches on my second to last house. We spent so much time on them. The backyard was partially fenced in so we had so much privacy. I suppose I will get used to having no front porch in time. The people in our new neighborhood tend to sit in their garages if they don’t have a porch. I’m hoping we don’t get to that spot…I just remember our old (as in age) neighbors would do that. Come to think of it, they were probably my age when we first moved there! We have very little privacy on our new back porch. Our next door neighbor is a delightful (I think at this point) older lady. She sits out on her enclosed porch quite often. It is within speaking distance of our porch. And, we now have neighbors behind us which is something we haven’t had in almost 40 years…lots of changes, I guess!
For some of us, having a porch is like a luxury. That said, with the descriptions of your past porches it would be neat to see photos of them if you have them 🙂 I also would have missed that kimonos are reversible!
Thanks, Priti! I will have to dig through my photos some time. I’m sure they’re around somewhere.