Welcome to the 334th Metamorphosis Monday!
Shortly after Anne and her husband, Mike, moved to Birmingham, Alabama, they decided to renovate their screened-in porch and deck. The original porch and deck were smaller than what they wanted for their home. When completed, the renovation ended up doubling the size of their porch and deck!
Construction began and in the photo below you can see the footprint of the new porch. The roof of the old porch was still visible so you can really see how much larger the new porch was going to be.
The new deck was designed to wrap around the end of the porch, visible below. Notice the three windows on the right–those are part of the master bedroom and they are going to change in this renovation, as well.
Let’s get to those awesome “After” photos!
AFTER:
The completed porch measures 35 feet long and 14 feet deep, more than double the size of the previous porch. The new deck is 50 feet long and 8 feet deep. Indoor/outdoor carpeting was added over the deck floor of the porch to keep mosquitoes from sneaking through.
Anne said, “One of my favorite parts of the porch is the rope lighting which gives wonderful ambiance at night. We have seen other homes that show the actual rope lighting but ours is behind the valance so what you actually see is the light from the rope lights, but not the actual rope lights.
We also really like the remote-controlled, multi-speed fans with dimmable lights and the stained glass table lamps. Mike found the fan lights on Costco.com, but I don’t know if they are still available there. However, he looked online today and found them on www.atgstores.com (Litex E-KM52ABZ5LKRCI) 52″ 5-blade and 3-light Knightsbridge ceiling fan for $340.20 with free shipping (List price $472.50). We paid about $159.00 each at Costco in 2009.”
Anne and Mike included a fireplace in the design of their porch, Anne said, “We do spend a lot of time out here in the summer, but the fireplace does help add the number of days, especially for some spring evenings and into late fall. We had it on earlier this week when the evening temperature dropped into the low 50’s.”
I asked Anne if they make special TVs for outdoor covered porches or if a regular TV works okay for a porch. Anne said, “The TV is not rated for outdoor use, but has been on the porch year round for 5 years and we’ve never had any issues. Also we had cable for about 6 years and now have Direct TV – also without any humidity issues. Seems electronics are being built to withstand the rigors of outdoor (covered of course) living.”
Entertaining on the Porch
Anne’s porch is large enough, she can bring the table that’s normally on the deck, inside when needed for larger groups. For a recent summer party, dining space was needed for 10. Anne said, “We do love to entertain and the porch works really well. Even we were surprised how comfortably we were able to fit both tables into the porch for the evening. Our neighborhood has a monthly TGIF which we have hosted a few times…many of the guests really like hanging out on the porch and we bring out extra chairs for seating on the deck.”
Remember the three Master Bedroom windows that were visible on the right in an earlier photo? They were changed to doors so Anne and Mike now have easy access to their porch in the morning or evening. Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy the fireplace each evening in the spring and fall before turning in for the night!
Anne recently updated the cushions on her porch furniture. Anne said,”We updated the porch last season. We got all new cushions on our sofa and living area chairs as well as 2 area rugs, one under the dining table and one for the living area.”
“For additional seating on the fireplace, we have cushions that fit perfectly on the hearth area, making that whole area very cozy. ”
Notice the beautiful stained glass panels running around the perimeter of the porch. Anne said, “My husband Mike, had the vision and wanted to have the porch built around the stained glass pieces. They were my creation for our porch in Nashville which we added on as part of a house we bought new in 1999.
The first one took me about 2 months to make and the last one took only a couple of weeks…LOL. When we moved to Chicago, the panels lived in the basement, so when we moved to Birmingham, we were both anxious to get the panels hung up again.”
Because Anne and Mike’s screened porch is surrounded by their deck, they are able to easily reach the screens to cover them in the spring when pollen season hits. Anne said, “Because of the huge amount of pollen here and because we have woods behind us which adds to the pollen, we wrap the entire area of the outside of the porch in heavy-duty plastic each spring which makes cleaning the porch a lot easier for the season especially since we have carpet on the floor.
We originally had solar lights on the posts of the deck…they were fine for a few years, but last year Mike took those out and installed low voltage down lights on the railings which is a much better and more permanent choice.”
Anne has some future changes in mind for the outside deck area. She said, “The only major update still planned for the porch is to replace the deck with Trex flooring and the railings with wrought iron.”
Here’s a view showing how the design of the stairs off the deck. I like how they are tucked down here at the end instead of taking up space in the center of the backyard, a problem I used to have with my old deck.
One of the questions folks most often have about adding on a porch is regarding the cost. Anne generously shared information regarding the cost of her own porch makeover saying, “We contracted to have the demolition and the new porch built for $21,000 including the change out of the master bedroom windows to a walkout.
In addition to the 21K we bought the ceiling fans, fireplace stone and fireplace insert, ceiling speakers and carpeting, but the contractor installed all as part of their pricing. The we added the ceiling fans, the rope lighting, and deck lighting. We helped with some of the demolition and finished and sealed the fireplace.”
Here’s a view of how the new porch and deck looks across the back of Anne and Mike’s beautiful home. Looks like it has always been there, doesn’t it. It fits the home perfectly!
Thanks so much to Anne and Mike for sharing information and pictures of their wonderful porch and deck transformation. I know this will greatly inspire and help others who are designing and planning a screened porch addition to their own home.
Looking forward to all the fabulous Before and Afters for this Met Monday!
Metamorphosis Monday
If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday, please link up using the “permalink” to your MM post and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top of your blog, into the “url” box for InLinkz.
In order to link up, you’ll need to include a link in your MM post back to the party so the other participants will have an opportunity to receive visits from your wonderful blog readers.
Please observe these few rules:
Only link up Before and After posts that are home, gardening, crafting, painting, sewing, cooking, DIY related.
Do not link up if you’re doing so to promote a website or product.
Do not link up a post that was just linked last week since a lot of readers will have already seen that post.
That porch is worth every penny and that fireplace? Wow!
That’s a fabulous transformation. The screened in porch is wonderful. We’d love to do that mainly because of mosquitos! Love the new cushions and rug she chose. The stained glass panels she made a wonderful- and how nice they found a way to include them in this new area.
Lovely! As you said when you featured that back photo, it really does look as though it’s always been there. I’m sure the house looks more interesting architecturally with the new porch than the old. And the price seems like a bargain, considering how well it turned out and how often they use it. Anne, I noticed your stained glass panels right away. Very pretty. Susan, I am getting a kick out of all these folks building these screened porches. Did you start something? Lol.
Beautiful. Thanks to Anne and Mike for sharing.
Thanks so much for the party!! Fantastic porch!!
Hugs,
Deb
You and Ann make me want to get moving quickly on the addition of a screened porch. We have so many mosquitoes here that we really need one. Ann has done a beautiful job with her addition. Love the stained glass pieces, and what an interesting ceiling. Thanks, Susan and Ann, for sharing this great inspiration.
Wow! That is a lot of the porch for the money. (I am thinking what ours cost and it is not nearly that big) I wonder if Anne would share exactly how or what they use to cover the screens to keep out pollen. We have had a major cleanup every year since we built ours a little over two years ago.
What a fabulous space! It does look like it is original to the house, much better than the before porch which looked like a last minute tack on. Thanks for the great way to start the week Susan!
Thanks for hosting, Susan! Have a lovely week. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse
Ohmygoodness do you just hate those things that make you /one ‘drool’…well you get the picture. Parts of this redo just grab hold and bring a tiny bit of envy to the surface…actually it just makes me want to jump up, run to my small screened in porch and the back of the house deck and get to work. Maybe that will erase the ugly vision of an old lady sitting at the computer drooling..beautiful, spacious, crowd accommodating, and cozy but “not really cozy”..[small]
Beautiful! I love the fireplace! Thanks for hosting, Susan! Hugs…Debbie
Wow, that is so fabulous! I would live out there! The fireplace just takes it over the top!
Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen such a magnificent porch and deck!!! It’s stunning!!! Love the red colors she chose and the rug…..not to mention the fireplace……..It’s like living in a tree house…….enjoy!!!!
Great party! and after seeing that wonderful outdoor living space now I m contemplating if I need one!
Especially with a fireplace. lol Thanks for hosting, have a good day!
What a most gorgeous porch and deck renovation….I can see many great parties happening outdoors…such a large yet very cozy space!!!..Thanks for sharing Ann and Mike’s renovation and I think the price was extremely reasonable!
Susan, that porch/deck renovation is magnificent…I am sure that they are enjoying many moments and activities in the porch and deck..Love the fireplace and the cost of the renovation was very reasonable!!…Thanks for sharing Ann and Mike’s beautiful screened porch and deck…Thanks for hosting Susan!! Have a great week!
Just perfect! All who see this will want to be on that porch. I love the detail of the rope lighting reflecting, not being visible. The porch is a lovely living space, thanks so much for sharing. I think they got a great deal for what they payed 🙂
1-QUESTION: I looked for mosquito repellent spray lines on the porch structure, couldn’t see any. Wondering what they might use? Since we’ve had the unusual rain in our part of Oklahoma this spring, our humidity is more like the southeast right now and the mosquitos are looking like baby wasps, they are huge. We generally use tiki torches and the repellent candles. Now we feel like those have become the signal for mosquitos to gather…”the humans are outside, pass the word!!!”
What a lovely porch. I especially like the stained glass windows and the fireplace, so cozy.
Thanks for sharing.
I meant to add, that I was born in Birmingham in England. Guess that’s our sister town.
What an amazing renovation! Gorgeous space! Thanks so much for hosting another great party. Have a great week!
Beautiful transformation! Thanks for sharing Anne & Mike’s project with us, Susan, and for hosting us once again.
Rita
What a wonderful porch! As you well know, a screened-in porch in the South is a real blessing. I am itching to screen in ours. And that’s a pun now isn’t it??? Thanks for another great party!
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
What a wonderful porch! Thanks for party, Susan, and I hope you have a super week. 🙂
Wow, it’s been so long since I’ve had something to post to a party, so thank you for hosting and making me happy to join in today!
What a beautiful porch your friends have!
Hi all……thank you for all the wonderful comments about our screened porch. I hate being stuck inside even in the hot and humid weather, so I love spending time on the porch.
Regarding Ellen’s question of what we use to cover the porch for pollen season….we got a roll of very heavy duty plastic from Home Depot or Lowe’s and put grommet holes at the top….put small hooks in the upper part of the outside of the porch and cut a piece the entire length of the porch, doing the same around the corner on each side of the fireplace outside. The plastic was long enough for the bottom to sit on the porch, so placed our heavy flower containers or rocks on the plastic to keep it in place. The first year took time to measure and place the hooks correctly, but subsequent years have been quite quick in getting the plastic put on the hooks. Looking outside from our family room, it looks like white out conditions for about 6 weeks, but makes a HUGE difference in getting the porch ready for the season.
In response to Kathleen’s question about mosquito spray lines, I’m not sure what that is…..maybe something to look into since those buggers like me and the reason why I love being on our porch.
Thank you all for your wonderful comments about our porch. We love being out there and entertaining. We are currently out of town, but would be glad to answer any questions when we can find Internet connections…..
Very ingenious idea to use the plastic and even better than you made grommet holes and placed hooks on which to hang it. I will have to remember that when we get our screened porch. Thanks, Anne.
That is a wonderful porch/deck. I would love to have something just like it. The fireplace is wonderful and brings it up to another level.
WELL DONE!!! It is just wonderful!! (luv the forthcoming wrought iron railings, etc. – that’s what we did, too!!)
What a great porch! Great place for family and for entertaining.
Thanks for hosting the party!! I’m a new blogger and I appreciate the opportunity to link up with these great blogs.
What a beautiful transformation. Thanks for sharing. We are considering doing such a project if we purchase a town house that has an large deck off the back. We want a screened in porch for year round living. Love the idea of adding a fireplace.
Beautiful porch…thanks so much for sharing Susan and for hosting. Hope you have a great week.
Beautiful porch and deck. I love those ceiling fans and the fireplace. Thanks for hosting.
My grandparents had a sunroom added to their home when I was little. They had plastic windows added that could be put on and held in place to keep rain and I guess pollen out too. In the summer if you kept them up it made it so hot in there which was good for the winter. (I grew up in Los Angeles so I guess the winters weren’t as bad as they are here in VA). I am just wondering how big of a plastic sheet they use to cover the porch from the pollen.
What a wonderful project, it has turned out so beautiful, Im sure you will enjoy for years to come!!
Thanks for hosting, would love to have you stop by and share posts on my #OMHGWW this week!!
Have a great week!
Karren
Love this screen porch, I am going to cover mine with plastic next pollen season, thanks for the tip, Anne.
Absolutely gorgeous! This is the stuff dreams are made of! Many thanks to you and Ann for sharing this.