Welcome to the 335th Metamorphosis Monday!
I’m so excited because I have such a treat for you today! Recently, Linda and her hubby added a three season porch to the back of their home. Linda said, “Recently, my hubby enclosed our outdoor area. Formally, this space was a raised concrete patio that had a pergola over it.”
“He always hesitated to enclose it because he didn’t want a roof overhead since that would prohibit natural sunlight from filling the family room that is adjacent to the space.”
“So, I did some research with a little help from Pinterest, and found a porch that had a roof made from clear acrylic panels. Viola! He loved the idea…and he found the Eze-breeze vinyl window/screens to make it a 3 season room. We love it and use it so much more since we don’t get eaten alive from mosquitoes while sitting out there in the early evenings!”
Linda has invited us inside for a tour, and you are going to love it! Wait until you see the view of her backyard. When I saw it through the porch windows, I couldn’t believe it was real. Okay, I’m giving too much away, let’s go inside before I spill all the beans!
Such a gorgeous porch! I love the big windows that can magically disappear and I love the soft color scheme Linda chose for the fabrics and trim. Notice the windows straight ahead–now you see them…
…now you don’t! It’s magic! 🙂 Nothing left but screens to keep out the annoying mosquitoes! Linda went with the finest grade screens available to get the clearest view possible.
Don’t you love her ceiling fan! I’ll share more about it in just a sec. You can see the clear roof in the picture above and below. When I first saw pictures of Linda’s porch, the first thing I thought of was a conservatory with its big beautiful windows and see-through ceiling.
Let’s go check out the seating area on the other side.
I asked Linda about her beautiful furniture here on the porch and she said, “In regards to the furniture…all of it was purchased prior to us enclosing the room. The dining set was from Wal-Mart, their Better Homes and Gardens line–probably 10 years ago. I’ve only replaced the cushions once. It’s powered coated aluminum and has never rusted considering in its early life it sat outside in humid, rainy weather.” The wicker settee and chairs were from Sears. They are outdoor wicker and weather resistant.
Before Linda turned her patio into a porch, the furniture was outside and exposed to the elements. Linda said, “All the furniture had to be put away in storage at the end of each summer and carried back out around Memorial Day (after the pollen subsided). Also, I had to always be on alert for rain so that all the cushions were put away after each use!”
Linda said, “The iron, chippy table (with the model ship on it) was purchased a year ago from (believe it or not) The Christmas Tree Shop! The table lamp is a piece of Rowe pottery from Wisconsin. I have a close friend who 26 years ago, owned a gift shop. She ordered it for me and it sat in our family room for many years until I started slowly re-decorating from country to a more traditional style.
The black rocker is from Lowes and a new purchase this spring where I rock my new grandson, (7 months old, Kellen). It’s a calming place to sit because outside behind it is a small pond and waterfall. I guess you can say I decorate on a budget!”
Remember the backyard view I promised, isn’t this absolutely beautiful! When I first saw it, I couldn’t believe it was real. It’s so beautiful, it looks like one of those pretend “sets” you see sometimes in the background on TV. The white picket fence and the dovecote just make it over-the-top perfect! This is pretty much my dream backyard!
Forcing myself back to reality, 🙂 I asked Linda for a bit more information about her wonderful porch. Linda said, “Our family room is adjacent to the porch. My hubby never wanted a typical type porch on the raised concrete patio for fear of it darkening the family room. However, about 12 years ago, he built a pergola over it purely for aesthetic purposes and to quiet me!
Then, my world changed as I discovered Pinterest! I showed him a pic from Pinterest where a clear roof was substituted for a regular one on a sunroom. That picture directed us to Home Depot where they sold poly-carbonate corrugated roofing panels.”
You can see the clear roof of Linda’s three-season porch in the photo below.
Linda continued, “In the meantime, a friend had replaced the screens on an existing porch with a new product my husband was intrigued with…Eze-breeze vinyl windows with screen panels. The windows aren’t real windows …they are crystal clear vinyl and have held up fine with three dogs the pass 2 years. Each panel has 4 window sashes that slide one behind the other when you put them down in order to expose the screened panel.”
In the picture below you can see how they stack behind each other when lowered. So Linda can turn her porch into a screened-in porch in just seconds!
I love Linda’s porch fan and asked her for the name of the manufacturer.
The fan is by Bayview and it’s called, Escape. Don’t you love that name; it’s the perfect name for a porch fan! The Bayview Escape is still available here: Bayview Escape Indoor/Outdoor Ceiling Fan
I love, love, love all the natural light coming in through the windows and the ceiling!
Linda said, “Now, we can enjoy our early morning coffee out there and late afternoon and early summer evenings without the mosquito factor. In addition, the fall and early spring months are enjoyable too. And, the best part is all the furniture can stay put. I even change the decor for the seasons and have another Christmas tree out there in the winter.”
One last view from the outside of this beautiful three-season porch.
And one last view of the looks-too-beautiful-to-be-real backyard that I will forever be seeing in my dreams at night. 🙂
Before I leave you, I have to share one last picture Linda sent just as I was finishing up this post. Linda has a wonderful front porch as well and it’s all decorated for Independence Day!
Linda’s husband, along with her dad, built their home thirty years ago. Working nights and weekends, it took them 2 1/2 years to build it using plans they purchased from Country Living Magazine. The only things that were subbed out was the foundation and block work for their full basement and the insulation and drywall. So amazing and I can just imagine all the memories that have been made in this wonderful home over the past thirty years!
Thanks so much to Linda and her hubby for sharing her fabulous three-season screened porch! And thanks to Allison Anne Studio who took the beautiful photos shared in this post.
Pssst: I post almost daily to Instagram. Follow Between Naps on the Porch on Instagram here: Between Naps On The Porch.
Looking forward to all the fabulous Before and After posted 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.
oh wow. i have never seen panels like that before. the outdoor spaces are amazing and i am sure getting a lot of use. thanks for sharing!
Gorgeous! I thought it looked beautiful with just the pergola, but by creating the enclosed porch, they really did make it so much more useful and enjoyable. Just not having to worry about bringing the cushions in at the hint of rain was reason enough! Haha. And I agree with you Susan, that view of the backyard is over the top. So serene and so picturesque. Wow, I wish Linda would invite me over. And I am even jealous she has Kellen. Argh, I can’t wait to be a grandma! I’d have to sit in the rocker and hold him too. 😀 Thanks for sharing this wonderful transformation.
What a wonderful idea to use clear panels, it’s such a great space! Love those sailboats too! Thanks for the party Susan, and I hope you have a firecracker of a 4th of July!
What a gorgeous porch and living area, I’m green with envy over the back yard too! Thanks for sharing it with us Susan, those clear panels are genius 🙂
I really like Linda’s sunporch. It is designed much like ours, only ours has over 20 (heavy) Pella glass windows (which the company no longer installs or services). It’s great to see workable alternatives.
My daughter’s husband just started a reno attachment to their full-sun, walkout patio. He has mad DIY skills and accomplished so much in just one day. I can’t wait to see their end result. It’s inspiring enough to prompt me to want to post on it in the near future. 🙂
Thanks for having us, Susan. Always a fun place to be on Monday morning. Have a great week.
Rita
Oh wow – Linda’s porch is absolutely spectacular! At first I thought it was a shame to enclose an outdoor area, but it’s so much more usable and functional now. The decor is just perfect, and the view of the yard is so pretty. And those disappearing windows are amazing! Thank you Linda for sharing your beautiful backyard oasis 🙂
OH wow what a a great space! I have to say I sort of love how it looked before but they turned it into perfection!
Those vinyl windows again. You posted another porch with those, and I tried to google something about them, but couldn’t find much. I’m going to try again. What a wonderful way to add a porch without blocking the light to the interior of the house. And the view is beautiful. Thank you, Susan and Linda, for sharing this inspiration. Susan, for some reason my photo doesn’t show in the linkup. I’ll be back in a minute to see if I can fix it.
Laurie, just google “Eze-Breeze porches” and you’ll find the website. Also, you’ll find several videos on You Tube showing how they work. night.
Wow! I love Linda’s sunporch too! What a great way to make that area more functional. I would be out there reading a book every day! Thanks for hosting Susan!
P.S. My photo is there now.
Wow! What a gorgeous living space and garden! Thanks for sharing all the details and products used to create this lovely 3-season room!
That porch is so inviting and filled with great ideas. Love the decor, especially the table with the sailboat. Thanks, Linda for sharing, and send Susan photos with fall and Christmas decorations to include.
What a gorgeous porch!! She has great taste and her husband did a great job building the porch. We have the Ezbreeze panels on our porch in Indiana and love them. They keep,the bugs and bad weather out and let the good weather in. And they are so easy to clean.
Linda and her hubby are very talented. I agree with hubby – I require light. Looks like Linda found a perfect solution. Good job Linda! I can just imagine morning coffee on the porch, lunch with the girls, or a party with friends.
I love this! I am curious though as to what state they live in and how the roof and the windows hold up during winter months if they live in a snowy area. It’s so beautiful. We have been in our home for two years now and considering enclosing our screened porch into a nice looking three season porch. BUT, we have had heavy snows the past two winters in our area of Virginia, so need to know what their winter weather is like… xo
Hi Diane,
We live in New Jersey. From time to time, like the past two winters, we do get a lot of snow. As a result, my husband is very cautious not to let huge amounts of snow lay on the panels for too long. He usually leans out the second story window and uses either a long handled push broom or a leaf blower to lighten the load. Thanks for your interest.
Susan, thank you for hosting!
What a beautiful space! I know they must really enjoy it! Thanks for much for sharing it, Susan! Hugs…Debbie
Fabulous porch, Susan! Thanks for hosting!
Susan, thanks so much for hosting this huge party! That porch looks amazing! I have tried to link up the last few weeks and its keeps saying there is no back link despite me putting one in:). I finally submitted it and clicked the little error box. Sorry to bother you about it I would love to be a part of the party:) Thanks so much and have a great week!
Tara, check your post to see if the link you have in your post back to the party is a live link. I’ll see if I can tell what’s going on, too.
Thanks!
Umm, looks okay to me. I’ll ask InLinkz to take a look and see why it’s not letting it post when you do have a link back. So strange that’s it doing that. Thanks, Tara!
Susan thanks so much I am sure you are really busy with all these links I really appreciate you taking the time to check into it:).
I just emailed InLinkz because it held yours and two others that clearly had links back to the party. Hopefully he’ll figure it out for us. I approved those links so they should be posted now. So glad you let me know it was doing that! Thanks, Tara!
WOW- what a perfect solution! Her porches are awesome!
You know how many years I have wanted a back porch……have youngest daughter getting married in August, then it is my turn, haha.
Love this inspiration, thanks, Susan! (And Linda!)
I have a friend who will be VERY excited to know about these panels.m
Thank you Susan!
This is absolutely stunning. I love the neutral colors with pops of blue. But I want/need one of those clear roof. Thank you for sharing and thank you for hosting Metamorphosis Monday!
Lori
Absolutely love what Linda and her hubby accomplished with the porch! Those windows and see-thru ceiling are the bomb. I love her adorable back yard also. Vikki in VA
Wow, such beautiful porches and garden. Linda is one lucky lady! Thanks for hosting each week! Hope you have a wonderful Fourth of July!
My mother-in-law has had these vinyl windows since the early ’90s. They have been wonderful! We had a roof like hers on our patio back in the ’70s but it colored with age. I had forgotten how nice it was when it was clear. I’m planning a new porch and these are two items on my wish list. Thanks for sharing.
I was wondering if you find the porch out front darkens the front rooms. I want to add a porch to my front but that is what is concerning me.
Ann,
Truth be told…the front porch is adjacent to our dining room, center hall/foyer and a library/sitting room and these rooms are considerably darker, depending on the time of day. We initially had a solid, 6 panel wood door as our front door. But several years ago, we changed it to the current one that has an oval, leaded glass window allowing some sunlight to filter into the foyer.
Thanks for your interest.
Linda
Ann,
Yes. The front porch is adjacent to our library/sitting room, the foyer (center hallway), and our dining room, and those rooms are considerably darker, depending on the time of day. At one time our front door was a solid, 6 panel wood door. But, several years ago we swapped it out for the current door that has an oval, leaded glass window that allows some sunlight to filter into the foyer.
Thanks for you interest.
Linda
Wow! Love this and the view is perfect! I wonder if it’s hard to keep cool with so much sun exposure. Either way it’s perfect.
I think I have just developed a serious case of porch envy! Wow! I am so impressed that the look of the pergola was preserved while making the space so much more livable. The garden view is stunning and the three season interior of the pergola must be such a pleasure for entertaining and dining.
Any chance we might get to see the inside of Linda’s home? Ever in our lifetimes? (PS I’m loving all of your posts on porches; never get tired of them.) 🙂
What a lovely porch from which to view the outstanding back yard. Such a pretty house! I am most intrigued with those windows.
Oh my goodness! How beautiful! We would like to put a pergola over deck. I showed my husband the clear corrugated roof panels. His question is would these panels stand up to a snow load, as we live in Northeast PA. We would angle the pergola pretty much the same way they did, instead of making it flat.
Yes! So far so good. We live in New Jersey. We have had considerable snow the past couple of years. So, my hubby is very cautious not to let the snow pile up on the panels…he periodically will lean out the second floor winter and use either a long handled push broom or leaf blower to lighten the load.
Oh Susan what a beautiful space that is! I love the huge sailboat.
Oh wow Susan, what an awesome space. Loved taking a tour of Linda’s beautiful porch (and her front porch is pretty fabulous too). Thanks so much for sharing these porch spaces and for hosting every week. Hope you have a great week.
Wow that is a wonderful space! I’d be out there a lot! I love that table with the sailboat on it- looks fabulous inside and out! Those are very interesting windows. I remember finding some architects drawings in the back of the Country Living magazine many years ago too. There was one called Donald Gardner that we loved. They had a lot of plans with porches.
Susan, what a most beautiful all seasons porch….We turned a very large screened porch in one of our former homes into a all seasons porch and we certainly used it all year round. Laura’s porch is so beautifully decorated…thanks for sharing this with us and thanks for hosting Susan. Have a great week!
Susan, I forgot to ask – what is the concept behind the stacking windows? I don’t understand why there are are many ‘panes.’ Is each window really 4 panes deep? I’m confused, lol. Thanks.
Because the windows are really tall, when you start at the top (or bottom) and start lowering or raising them, they slide section by section and each section is on a different track. So once you lower them all down to the bottom or raise them all up, they end up stacked behind each other. Check out this video and you can see that in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=564qQaJ3NDc
Ahh .. okay. I get it now. Thanks. 😀
Susan, I saw this cute, “Welcome to the Porch,” mat and thought of you right away. Sharing in case you are interested.
http://www.sturbridgeyankee.com/welcome-to-the-porch-mat.html
Aww, that is so cute! Love it!
Thanks so much for hosting another awesome party! Such a fun event to look forward to each week!
What a lovely porch. Living in Florida, we certainly couldn’t live with that clear paneled roof, but elsewhere, it would make me swoon. When I was back in high school (a very long time ago) I worked for a company that made reinforced fiberglass panels and I am very familiar with there many uses. My parents have those same stacking windows on their porch here in Florida and they are great. Theirs have held up just fine for nearly 15 years. They are a great and economical alternative. Now, what I really want to know from her is where her sailboat model came from. The only really large one I have found is from Williams Sonoma and I am not sure it is the one I want for my new home! I will keep shopping! Thanks for sharing this beautiful porch.
Chloe,
Thank you for your compliments. Glad to hear the positive report on the Eze breeze windows. As for the sail boat, I purchased it several years ago in a shop in St. Michaels, Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay. I don’t remember the shop’s name but if you ever get a chance to vacation there it’s a great little town.
Linda
I am concerned as to how often you have to clean the roof panels. I have seen colored ones that discolor and get very dirty. It is so hard to have beauty and practicality. Looks like you may have done it! Beautiful.
I always see these gorgeous outdoor rooms with cushion furniture and wonder who keeps the dust and dirt off them.
Hi Peggy,
You are correct…the clear panels do require some maintenance as compared to a regular roof. In the fall, we lean out the second floor window and use a leaf blower to remove fallen debris maybe twice during the season. In winter, we do the same or sometimes use a long handled broom to remove the snow load. And, after Memorial Day when the pollen has subsided, we hose it down the windex cleaner that attaches to a garden hose. It’s not too big of a price to pay for the beauty of having natural light fill the space.
Linda
Hi,
What are the roof panels made of?
Thank you!
Linda;
In reference to the question and your answers above about the maintenance of the roof, I was wondering if you only have to use the windex solution to remove the pollen or does other dirt and grime become an issue? We have a pergola over our deck (just north of Atlanta) and have looked at these coverings as well but have never been happy with how dirty they become. Our pergola is right outside our bedroom windows (3 side by side windows) so reaching it is not an issue close to the house but all the way at the end is 2 storys up.
Your porch is lovely and yes, not having to retrieve porch cushions would be delightful!!
Such a beautiful and relaxing space! I would be afraid it would get hot like a greenhouse where I live on the Gulf Coast, but for some reason, I’m sure it works out perfectly!
I love everything but even more the function of the design. I have to admit that I visualized Linda rocking her baby grandson. It melted my heart! http://injinnyous.com
Hi Linda! LOVE LOVE LOVE what you did to your porch! Mine looks very similar as it is a deck with a pergola! May I ask where you purchased the screens for the roof of the pergola? That is exactly what I need! Like everyone else, tired of running cushions in and out due to weather! Thanks so much.
I saw this and thought it was perfect for what I wanted. I love that you can have it closed and cozy but also open and breezy! I wanted a pergola style patio cover and an enclosed porch was trying to decide between the two. With this you don’t have too because you can have both! I would like to know the size of the enclosed porch. I have a southern expose and it is not only sunny but very hot in the summer so would need to make some changes to get a good balance of sun and shade. I live in Colorado.
I’ve been looking around for some ideas for covering a backyard patio and came across this gem. To get a better idea, how big is the covered patio (LxWxH)? And also, about how much would you say it cost just for the structure, frame, windows, doors, etc. (not including furniture and decorations)? Ball park figure would be fine. Thanks so much in advance!
Hi KC,
The dimensions of the space are 20 feet long by 12 feet wide… The Eze Breeze window/screen units ran around $2,500 …all the lumber and acrylic panels for ceiling were about another $1,000. The new pella screen door was about $200. The extra trim and misc. around $500. Hope this is helpful. The labor was free since I have a very handy hubby!
I also live in NJ and would like to know where you went to purchase these Eze Breeze windows.
Janet, here’s their website. You may want to call them to see who sells them in your area. http://pgtezebreeze.com/products/eze-breeze/all
What great peice you did on this post. how do we get in touch with Linda regarding her roof & window supplier. This is how I found your site looking into doing a similar patio with clear roofing.
Thanks, Anna! Hope it helps!
Beautiful. I have never seen panels like that where did you find them? We live in Ct. with rough winter snow I don’t know if they would withstand the heavy weight of wet snow and ice. We have a purgula and would love to make a three season room, we also have a very high roof line.
Hi Melissa, The panels are by Eze-breeze. Here’s their website. You may want to contact them to see if they can share who sells or installs them in your area: http://pgtezebreeze.com/products/eze-breeze/all
I love the light on your porch!!! Can you tell me if the roof panels make your porch extra hot in the summer? I’m trying to decide if I’d be adding an “oven” to the back of my house. We have a good bit of shade but there is a fair amount of morning sun. Thanks for any input you can offer.
The panels don’t make it any hotter but of course there is no shade, so it is like sitting at the beach without an umbrella! We don’t sit out there mid day on really hot July and August days especially when the sun is at it’s peek…early morning and late afternoon is fine. Early evenings are great because typically that’s when mosquitoes abound but now because it’s screened in we can enjoy it. The clear roof panels do require some maintenance….we wash them with mild soap and a hose in the spring after the pollen subsides.
This is absolutely gorgeous! My husband and I want to rebuild a failing pressure treated pergola and are wondering what kind of material you used for the actual pergola. Thank you for sharing!
Question: Was the top of the original pergola (the “roof”) flat like the unenclosed pergola next to it? Did your husband change it to a slant for water run off ?
How has this held up over the past few years? Have you had to replace any of the vinyl/screens? Any discoloration or roof panels or leaks?
Bethany, I don’t think Linda saw your comment but from following her on Instagram, her porch appears to have held up quite well over the years. I know they still love it and enjoy it throughout the year!
I live in hardiness zone 6a, and some winters we receive more snow than others. Even subzero temps at times. I wonder how this roofing material would stand up to snow, wind, and rain?
I love reading your post, so I was going through some of your old post. I found this one dated June 2015 and fell in love. What a gorgeous 3 season porch and pergola! I would imagine her whole house is gorgeous. Thank you for making my days brighter with gorgeous pictures and ideas and family stories.