Porches & Decks

A Beautiful Mosaic Planter for the Front Porch

June 8, 2012 by Susan 38 Comments

Moving a blog is a lot like moving in real life. Do you remember the last time you moved? You know it's going to be a big job but you really don't know how big until you are in the thick of it. And while in the midst of it, you probably think to yourself, "I'll never do this again." Once you're all settled in your new home, you're happy you did it. I'm not quite to the happy stage, but I'm getting … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gardening & Birding, Home Tours, In the Garden, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: Front Porch Decor, Mosaic Planter

Springtime Means Porch Time: Answers to Your Most FAQs

May 9, 2012 by Susan 49 Comments

Now that spring has arrived and I'm using and posting more about the porch and decks, I've been getting a good many questions about the porch lately regarding its construction and furniture, so today I'm posting some of the most frequently asked questions along with three new pics of the porch during construction. Hope you find this information helpful...here goes. Q. What size is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks

A Garden Seat for the Porch

April 21, 2012 by Susan 24 Comments

When I last left you I had purchased this cute little garden seat for the screened-in porch. That was the plan. Well, you know what they say about "best laid plans." Once I brought it upstairs... And tried it out as a little side table for this reading corner in the guest room, I didn't want to take it away. I really, really liked how it looked here. So … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bedroom (Guest Room), Before & After, Blue & White Design & Decor, Gardening & Birding, In the Garden, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: Ceramic Garden Seat, Ceramic Garden Stool, Porch Decor

Garden Seat, So Versatile for the Home or Garden

April 17, 2012 by Susan 33 Comments

As the years pass things wear out, my ideas for a room in my home may change, or I find something better for a space than what's currently there. Does that happen in your home, too? It gives us an opportunity to "freshen up" and revive our rooms, giving them new life. A while back, just for fun, I created a "wish list" board at Pinterest. It's a virtual pin board where I can store a picture or idea … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bedroom (Guest Room), Blue & White Design & Decor, Gardening & Birding, In the Garden, Living Room/Bonus (Upstairs), My Nest, Nature, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: Ceramic Garden Seats, Garden Stools

Wake Up the Porch & Decks for Spring

April 9, 2012 by Susan 53 Comments

Welcome to the 168th Metamorphosis Monday! Preparing the Porch and Decks for Spring: Cleaning and Planting At the start of this past winter, I decided to try something new. Instead of tossing the big geranium that lives all summer on the porch, and the three smaller ones visible behind this summer table setting below, I tucked them all away in my garage for the winter. Amazingly, they lived. They … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Garden, Gardening & Birding, Home Tours, In the Garden, My Nest, Nature, Porches, Porches & Decks, Seasonal Decor Tagged With: Decks, Geraniums, Plants for the Deck and Porch, Porch, Screened-in Porch, Spring Cleaning on the Decks and Po, Spring Planting, wintering over geraniums

Autumn Comes to the Porch

October 18, 2011 by Susan 74 Comments

I've been playing outside today, bringing a little fall to the porch. During the summer it looks something like this Because the porch is all white (for the most part) it's a blank slate for anything you can dream up. For the 4th of July, it looked like this. (4th of July porch can be viewed here: Porch Decorated For the 4th of July) It was time to add a little fall to the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks, Seasonal Decor, Thanksgiving Decor, Thanksgiving Holiday Home Tagged With: A Fall Porch, Decorating for Autumn, Decorating for the Seasons, Porch Decorated for Autumn

Warming Up on the Porch

October 6, 2011 by Susan 55 Comments

Welcome the the 163rd Tablescape Thursday! Cool fall nights are perfect for hot chocolate out on the porch. Where would you like to sit? How about on the swing? There's a soft, warm blanket to keep you warm and a great book awaits. The late afternoon sun is so wonderful streaming in across the porch. The evening breeze carries the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fall Tablescapes, Halloween Decor, Halloween Holiday Home, Halloween Table Settings, Halloween Tablescapes, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks, Seasonal Tablescapes, Tables for Two, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, Thanksgiving Decor, Thanksgiving Holiday Home Tagged With: autumn table setting, Autumn Table Settings, autumn tablescape, Decorating with Acorns, Fall Decorating, fall table setting, Fall Tablescape, Fall Tablescapes, Hot Chocolate on a Fall Porch, Porch Dining, Tablescape Thursday, Warming up the Porch for Winter

Pressure Washing the House and Porch

July 20, 2011 by Susan 20 Comments

On your last visit to the porch, it looked like this... All decorated for the 4th. Today it looks like this... And this. Stripped down...no cushions. The view out the breakfast window... The view from the office. So, that's what color the pergola really is. Clean and shiny! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home Tours, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: Cleaning the Decks, Cleaning the Pergola, Cleaning the Porch, Pressure Washing

Patriotic Porch for the 4th of July

July 4, 2011 by Susan 115 Comments

Welcome to the 128th Metamorphosis Monday! Happy Independence Day weekend! Hope your weekend has been going great! I'm having a little cookout tomorrow so I've been busy with preparations. Did you already have your 4th of July celebration or will you be celebrating tomorrow? I'm excited to share big changes I've made out on the porch over the last week. I've been busting to decorate the porch in a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, Independence Day Decor, Independence Day Holiday Home, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks, The Holiday Home Tagged With: 4th of July Porch, Before and After Porch, Decorating in Red, Metamorphosis Monday, Patriotic Porch, Porch Makeover, Porch Makeover for Independence Day, Screened-in Porches, White and Blue

9 Great Features For Your Screened Porch

April 26, 2011 by Susan 119 Comments

A little over three years ago I was faced with a big decision. I had a badly deteriorating deck and I knew if I didn't replace it then, I would surely have to replace it before I ever listed my home to sell it one day. How often do we do that--wait until it's time to move before we fix things or make improvements we've dreamed of for years? Then it's the next homeowner who gets to enjoy our hard work. If … [Read more...]

Filed Under: My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: Building a Screened-in Porch, Deck and Porch Additions, Great Porch Features, Must Haves for a Porch, Porch Addition, Porch Dining, Porch Fans, Porch Furniture, Porch Outlets, Porch Swing, Screened-in Porch

A New Market Umbrella for the Deck

April 19, 2011 by Susan 60 Comments

It's that time of year--the time when we go outside, look around and take stock. Mother Nature has a way of taking her toll on our outdoor furniture and my green market umbrella had definitely seen better days. When I first bought this huge, 9-ft umbrella for my patio furniture, I was so proud of it I never left it outside. Back then the deck wasn't a very fun place to entertain or to spend any time. The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home Tours, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: Deck Umbrella, Market Umbrella, Outdoor Umbrella

Candlelier Silhouetted Against a Blue Hour Sky

March 22, 2011 by Susan 25 Comments

From time to time I've shared this deck that's located to the left of the screened-in porch. This deck area is underneath a pergola and has a large candlelier hanging above. I really love this outdoor fixture. I bought it right after I added the porch and decks HERE a few years ago. It came from a store (Smith & Hawken) that has unfortunately gone out of business. You can still buy some of their … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY Photography, Home Tours, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: Blue Hour Photographer, candelier, Pergola

Spring Sprucing on the Porch

March 21, 2011 by Susan 87 Comments

Welcome to the 113th Metamorphosis Monday! Greetings! Hope your weekend was fabulous! I had plans to start working on the walls in the office, sanding and patching, sanding and more patching. But Mr. Max had other plans. I couldn't get him to abandon his perch on the desk and I don't think sanding while he's in the room would be such a great idea. Tomorrow, I'll try again and I may have to just lock him … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks, Seasonal Decor Tagged With: Porch Seasonal Decorating, Seasonal Decor Changes

Decorate Your Porch for Christmas

December 6, 2010 by Susan 109 Comments

Welcome to our Deck the Halls party and the 98th Metamorphosis Monday! I can't wait to see all the wonderful holiday decorating you've been doing in your home! A couple of weeks ago, I shared a Pottery Barn hack where I made and decorated my porch columns in garland very much like the PB ornament garland, but for less than half the price. (You can read that post HERE and you'll find the tutorial to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Home Tours, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Christmas Decorating, Exterior Christmas Decorating, Lantern Decorated for Christmas, Mantel Decorated for Christmas, Porch Decorated for Christmas, Traditional Christmas Decorating

Update to Autumn Basket

September 29, 2010 by Susan 19 Comments

My Fall Basket: Well, I took everyone's combined advice and I: 1. Decided to keep the fall basket on the door since most of you liked it. I made it taller and skinner so I think it looks much better...less wide and overwhelming on the door. And 2. I cut the whiter flowers off the bunch of sunflowers they were attached to. I dispersed them throughout the arrangement. For some reason, they looked … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks, Seasonal Decor Tagged With: Decorating for Autumn, Fall Basket for the Front Door, Seasonal Front Door Decoration

An Autumn Basket for the Front Door

September 26, 2010 by Susan 127 Comments

Welcome to the 89th Metamorphosis Monday! I need your help today...I can't see the forest for the trees, so tell me what you think. I have a pretty fall wreath I sometimes place on my door...but this year I thought I'd try a basket instead. Here's how my front door has looked all summer. Nice, but time to put this look away and welcome in the fall season... I found this large basket … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks, Seasonal Decor, Thanksgiving Decor, Thanksgiving Holiday Home Tagged With: Decorate Porch for Fall, Decorating for Autumn, Fall Basket for the Front Door, Fall Florals

Cleaning and Staining Decks

May 24, 2010 by Susan 70 Comments

Welcome to the 71st Metamorphosis Monday! A few Met Mondays back, I shared this blue hour pic showing a candelier that hangs from a pergola over one of the decks off the porch. Well, something got ticked off with me and decided to take it out on my candelier. I've been bringing in the bird feeder that hangs off this deck area because something cleans it out every single night. And apparently, something … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY Repairs and Fixes, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: Cleaning and Staining a Deck, Raccoon Damage

Knock-out Roses, Just in Time for Mother’s Day

May 8, 2010 by Susan 41 Comments

I've planted pink Knock-out Roses in tall urns on my deck. I've been using hibiscus here for the past two summers, but the squirrels tip-toe onto the deck...yes, they tip-toe, they know they are doing a bad thing...and they completely strip off all the leaves on my hibiscus. After two summers in a row of that nonsense, it was time to try something new. So, this year, it's Knock-out Roses...and these … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Garden, Gardening & Birding, In the Garden, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: Knockout Roses, Topiaries

Hiding Ugly Swing Chains

April 26, 2010 by Susan 97 Comments

Welcome to the 67th Metamorphosis Monday! Metamorphosis Monday: I don't have anything dramatic to share this week for Met Monday, but I thought I would show you some of the spring fluffing I've been doing out on the porch. A couple of weeks ago, I took the swing chain covers off the swing, tossed them into the hand wash basket of my ancient GE washing machine, poured in a smidgen of bleach and gave … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY, DIY Decorating, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: Hide Metal Swing Chains

Front Door Decoration to Welcome Guests

July 22, 2009 by Susan 98 Comments

A couple of weeks ago I shared a sweet metamorphosis that was happening out on my front porch. right down here inside the basket of flowers on my front door. Remember these sweet babies...little house finches newly hatched. Well, I'm happy to report they grew up big and strong and flew the coop to do little birdie things. Some of you guys left comments on that post that had me a bit … [Read more...]

Filed Under: My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks, Seasonal Decor Tagged With: Front Door Basket, Front Door Decoration, Spring Decoration for Front Door

A Photo Tour of the Porch and Decks…

May 24, 2009 by Susan 123 Comments

I've been doing some fluffing on the porch today...even got out the froggy fountain. Thought I'd share some some of the little details. So just make yourself at home. Deck with pergola... Lit up at night... More details back on the porch... Here's your tea. It's so nice out...why … [Read more...]

Filed Under: My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: Deck and Porch Additions, Decks, Frog Fountain, Porch Books, Porch Dining, Porch Furniture, Porch Swing, Screened-in Porch, Screened-in Porches, Wicker Furniture

Deck Transformation, Winter to Spring

May 5, 2009 by Susan 70 Comments

Since most everyone who visits Between Naps on the Porch has seen my two porches, I thought I'd share a different area today. There are decks off either side of my screened-in porch and one of those decks has a cozy little corner over near the grill. It's the perfect spot to sit if you want to be near the grill while you are cooking out. This is the winter view...pretty blah. And here's the summer … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Gardening & Birding, In the Garden, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: Deck Makeover for Spring

Front Porch Addition

March 2, 2009 by Susan 126 Comments

Welcome to the 7th Metamorphosis Monday! For many years I carried around a page I'd torn from an old issue of Southern Homes Magazine. The page showed a picture of a front porch I really, really liked. Periodically, I pulled it out, gazed lovingly upon it, then carefully tucked it back into my "someday" notebook. "Someday" finally arrived in October 2007 and construction began on the front porch. My front … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: Adding a Front Porch, Front Porch Addition, Gainesway Farms, Herringbone Brick Pattern for Porch Floor, Porch with Columns

Adding Curtains or Sheers to Your Porch

February 2, 2009 by Susan 60 Comments

Welcome to the 3rd Metamorphosis Monday! Not long after the screened-in porch was completed, I made a simple change that had a large impact on both the appearance and the "feel" of the porch. The total cost for this change was only around $100. Here's a pic of the porch before the change... And here's after...do you see the change? :-) Another before... And … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: Screened-in Porch, Sheer curtains for the porch

Painting Furniture: A China Hutch Transformation

January 26, 2009 by Susan 103 Comments

When my screened-in porch was nearing completion, I happened across a little hutch for a great price: $95. It was just what I had in mind for storing dishes for dining out on the porch. After getting it home, I got down to work. This was B.B. (Before Blogging) so taking pictures almost didn't happen. Somewhere in the midst of sanding the piece, it dawned on me that it might be nice to take a "before" … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY, DIY Decorating, DIY Organization and Storage, DIY Repairs and Fixes, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: China Cabinet Hutch Makeover, China Storage, Painted Furniture, Painting furniture, Painting Stained Furniture, Porch Furniture

Building a Screened-in Porch

January 19, 2009 by Susan 95 Comments

Welcome to the very first Metamorphosis Monday! When I moved into my home 18 years ago, I knew one day I would want to redo my deck. The previous homeowners had never properly cared for the existing deck, and it was in a sad state. I tried cleaning it with an incredibly strong deck cleaner and "painting" it with a solid color stain for decks, but the solid stain didn't hold up well. It was time to make a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: Deck Renovation, DG Porches, Porch Addition, Screened-in Porch

Welcome to the Porch!

January 7, 2009 by Susan 182 Comments

Today I thought I'd share a little about the porch that is the namesake for this blog, Between Naps on the Porch. First, take a look at the "Before" picture. The deck shown below is what used to be, where the porch is now. It was an original deck that had been added onto by a previous homeowner. Unfortunately, the addition wasn't done properly and many more supports were used underneath than … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: Before and After, Deck Renovation, Porch, Screened-in Porch