Welcome to the 540th Metamorphosis Monday!
This weekend was a busy one! I tend to be a home-body and will often spend my weekends at home unless a friend calls to lure me out. On Saturday, a friend picked up tickets to The Secrets Gardens of Avondale and off we went on a wonderful garden tour. That was followed by seeing Henry VIII at the Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse on Sunday with another group of friends. If you live in the Atlanta area, I very much recommend an evening out at the Shakespeare Tavern. We are so fortunate to have this wonderful playhouse here in Atlanta.
During the last few weeks, we’ve been having August weather in May. I wonder if we’ll have May weather, come August? That would be nice! Thankfully, the temps finally cooled down a bit over the last few days so the weather was absolutely perfect for our garden tour.
We saw a lot of beautiful gardens but my favorite was the first one we visited on the tour. I love a garden filled with surprises around every corner and this garden didn’t disappoint. There were so many lovely outdoor rooms and spaces perfect for dining or entertaining, but my favorite was this screened gazebo tucked away in the back of this secret garden.
The moment I stepped inside, it captured my heart! Have you ever noticed how very different a round room feels, compared to a square or rectangular one? I’m not sure I’ve ever been inside a round room and I found myself turning and turning to take in all the views and lovely vignettes.
This summer house was furnished with vintage wicker in the prettiest shade of green. Each screened window was accented with a beautiful, hand-painted, glass window. I especially loved this window featuring six beautiful owls in various outdoor scenes.
Do you have owls in your yard? I love them and often hear them late at night hooting to each other in my backyard.
One of my favorite discoveries in this outdoor room was the use of this wonderful potting bench inside to display lovely garden vignettes. Doesn’t it look wonderful here in this cozy, summer house? If I had space on my screened porch, I would love to use a potting bench there. So charming!
There were so many pretties to enjoy, including several stained glass windows.
I can just imagine how wonderful the summer breezes must feel flowing through all the windows, especially now that the weather has cooled down a bit.
When designing a garden space, consider adding a summer house to your garden. They are truly magical places to read, nap and just hide out for some quiet time.
What was your favorite feature or spot in this enchanting, summer house?
Do you have a garden tour planned for this spring or summer?
Looking forward to all the fabulous Before and Afters linked for this week’s Metamorphosis Monday!
Pssst: Subscribe for email notifications (it’s free!) when a new post is available at Between Naps On The Porch here: Subscribe.
You’ll find Between Naps on the Porch on Instagram here: Between Naps On The Porch on Instagram and on Facebook here: Between Naps On The Porch on Facebook.
Metamorphosis Monday
Metamorphosis Monday is a party that’s all about Before and Afters. If you are participating in Met 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 when prompted.
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.
Feel free to link up Before and After posts that are home, gardening, decorating, crafting, painting, sewing, cooking, fashion, travel or DIY related. Please do not link up to the party if you’re only doing so to promote/sell a product.
To those linking up, if you notice a shop or online store linking up to sell products (yes, unfortunately, that happens) please let me know so I can remove their link and block them from participating in future parties. No one wants to visit a link expecting a Before and After, only to find a spam link to an online business/store.
This party has ended, click button below for the links to all who participated.
What a beautiful post and hard to believe the interior of the gazebo feels so big with a lovely art and nature view.
Avondale estates is a wonderful close knit community. So many adult children return to live there where they grew up.
You posting a blog about another tour you attended in Avondale back in 2010 is how I found you and made a wonderful friend.
PS A dear friend in Avondale will be on the Christmas tour of homes. Lets plan to go!
It really did feel spacious…great size!
That’s right! I was thinking about then when I was writing this post. So glad I wrote that post so long ago! 🙂
Yes! Let’s definitely do that tour…would love that!
This would be a dream She Shed for me!! Thanks so much for sharing!! Love it!!!
Hugs,
Debbie
She shed…love it! I hadn’t heard that phrase until today . Thanks, Debbie!
There is an insurance commercial that refers to a she shed. I thought for the longest time they were saying shoe shed. LOL
Oh.My.Gosh. This summer house is so adorable! I love the colors and the whimsical decor. I would never leave.
I know, I felt the same way. Everyone on the tour lingered in this magical space…no one wanted to leave it!
I love the idea of a Garden gazebo like this one. My must have would be a window with the bunnies! So cute and inquisitive ! Love seeing all the different window designs very attractive.
Ohhh, yes much have bunnies in a garden house! Love that! Thanks, Cindy! XXX
I can just imagine curling up on the couch to read with a cup of tea! If it was during a light summer rain, it would be perfect. I only worry about the stain glass treasures if a strong, sudden wind came up but since this is the perfect spot, that would not ever happen. Just light cooling breezes allowed. BTW….you have wonderful friends!
Exactly…only light cooling breezes! 🙂
Thanks, Alyce! ♥
Susan, I love everything about this summer house. It looks so inviting and I would love to sit and read with a tall glass of iced tea!
I know, this would be the perfect spot for that! Thanks, Pam!
I liked that it wasn’t matchy-matchy even though I tend to not be like that myself.
I like that, too! I love rooms that just look like they naturally came together over time.
Oh Susan, this is so dreamy! And so lovely furnished and decorated! Love all those bunnies and birds and birdhouses! ♥
Susan, I don’t know if I am the only one, and I know this is not really ‘summerish’, but I think I’d enjoy such a cozy gazebo on rainy, ‘fallish’ days more … then you would find me sitting on that chair next to that bakers rack, just listening to the soothing sound of the rain and relaxing. I think I’d only leave when the winter ends. Maybe… 🙂
That would be wonderful, Cecilia…listening to the rain. We have been needing rain lately and we finally did get some last night. Thanks, Cecilia! XXX
@Susan: Thank you for the delightful tour, Susan. Now you said ‘you have been needing rain’. Wish I could send some of ours to you as that is about all we’ve been having with so many areas flooding which is very unusual for us regardless it is Spring. Also our temperatures have been more like that in the Fall being so cold. All said; its hard to believe that Summer is officially seventeen days away .. lol … so needless to say I envy you. ☺ -Brenda-
I love the gazebo, I’ve always wanted one…I like your thought about May weather in August, it is awfully hot early this year! Thanks Susan
I know, we sorta skipped May and went straight to August. Finally cooling down a bit and getting back to more normal temps now. Have a great week, Jenna! XXX
That green wicker is amazing. What an adorable space. Thanks for hosting.
Susan, this is a charming structure! I love the shape, but mostly I love the vintage wicker. Vintage and antique wicker has been a love of mine since I furnished my first apartment. We still have most of the pieces I acquired early one, but had to part with a few pieces when we moved to this home in 1995. Antique bamboo is my right up there with antique wicker! We have a screened in porch, but I think a gazabo would be delightful. One of our neighbors has a tea house they put in their back yard. It too is lovely!
Sarah, I so agree! I fell in love antique bamboo reading Charles Faudree books years ago. He had some of prettiest pieces. I remember he had a few pieces that he said he would never part with and he always kept those, taking them with him whenever he moved and decorated a new home. One ended up in the mountain cabin he decorated and I loved that piece. I think that home was shared in Traditional Home magazine…think that’s where I remember seeing it. A tea house sounds so cute! I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a tea house or maybe I did and just didn’t know what it was called.
Oh what a beautiful screened in garden room!!!!
Love all of it. I want to nap on the couch. And I adore the Tiffany lamp…
Gentle hugs…
So glad you enjoyed the tour! ♥
I love that the green wicker furniture is worn and not perfect.
I loved that, too! Bunny Williams taught me to appreciate furniture that has history and looks well loved. I remember a well-worn sofa in her book, An Affair with a House. I loved that she was still using and enjoying it, appreciating its original upholstery.
Oh my goodness, this is one cozy and beautiful space. I love it. You have done such a beautifully job. TFS
I loved this cozy summer house when I saw on the garden tour, knew I had to share it! So glad you enjoyed it, Clearissa! XXX
Love the cozy room. Love wicker. Looks like at least six people could comfortably hang out and if only one, what a spot to relax in!
The furniture was placed where it really did create a nice seating group. I guess the shape of a gazebo lends itself nicely to that type of arrangement. Love that!
What a great room! So great that your friend got you out to of the house for that great tour and play! Yes, feels like August here too! Have a great week Susan and thanks for hosting!
Thanks, Shirley! I know, I’m glad they do that, too! I love being home so much, I’m terrible about not making plans unless someone calls me and suggests something. I think I’m a bit of an introvert that way. lol
540! What dedication you have
Favorite part about the round room- how they filled it with a lot of items, floor to ceiling, yet kept the room cozy not cluttery . Real skill to do that successful
Thanks, Gail! So true, it didn’t feel cluttered at all, just right! XXX
Well, we have had a roller coaster of temps here: and today was FALL like! High 60’s and windy!!! Crazy as we have had 90’s too. Love this screened in gazebo! Wish we had built one at the old house. Not allowed to do one here. Thanks for hosting, Susan!!!
I love your screened in porch which takes first place in my heart, but this lovely garden gazebo has second place. So nicely furnished and just the right amount of quaint-ness. The bunnies and stained glass windows are perfect for this awesome room and the tiffany lamp adds a special warmth. My favorite piece is the potting table with the cute shelf. I feel in love with gazebos as a child seeing The Sound of Music and Liesel (not sure of the spelling of her name) dancing in it. (*sigh*) .
Love everything about the gazebo!