Drab to Colorful Screen Porch Reveal
On Monday you got a sneak peek of my stepmom’s screen porch when I showed you how to install low visibility cable railings. I can tell you now, that you “ain’t seen nothing!” This drab screen porch got an amazing colorful makeover and I can’t wait to reveal it to you!
The screen porch has been in need of a makeover and on my “want to do” list for almost two years! Having a screen porch is a top selling feature for any home in the South. Unfortunately my stepmom’s porch wasn’t much to look at with its drab decor and monotone color palette. (I may have told her that her cushions looked like the room threw up on them. Sorry Diane.) Luckily, I knew I could improve upon the view with some paint and some much needed color.
As an At Home Brand Ambassador, I knew this was the perfect project to showcase some At Home decor items. At Home graciously sponsored this project and provided me with some gift cards to purchase several of the items you’ll see. If you haven’t been to At Home yet, take a tour with me in this post.
The first task was to play with the furniture arrangement. I put the wicker sofas on the diagonal to help improve the flow and conversation area. Then I took some notes about what was needed for the porch (a few end tables, lamps, a mirror, etc.)
After snapping a few before photos, I cleared the room so I could get to work. My first desire was to lighten up the room by repainting the walls with a lighter solid stain.
You can see the original color against the new lighter color above the screens. Everything was the same color except the doors were a dark brown.
I painted the screen frames the same dark brown as the doors to help them disappear. I painted the supports the same light color (Sherwin Williams Woodscapes matched to Linen color.)
The new look is fresh and bright. Now the screens blend better into the surrounding trees giving the porch a more open feeling.
Next it was time to tackle that stained and ugly carpet. Not only was it ugly, but it was glued to the floor! UGH! Who does that?
To remove the carpeting I carefully scored the carpet at 3′ increments.
Then ripped the carpeting into strips. Luckily the glue wasn’t secured to the carpet any more.
I rolled up each strip and tied it up for disposal.
The porch looks so much better already! Except for the nasty glue residue on the flooring.
I rented a floor sander from Home Depot for a day. And it took me the ENTIRE day to sand the floor and get rid of all the glue. It was a real pain in the rear, but luckily the final result was beautiful tongue and groove flooring.
I stained the floor with Sherwin Williams Super Deck Bamboo color. The color has a yellow cast, but fits in nicely with the modern feel of the room.
I bet you’re ready to see the rest of the porch, behold the amazing Drab to Colorful Screen Porch Reveal:
The lamp and mid-century modern round table are from At Home. The brass hairpin legs don’t obstruct the view and keep it feeling light and airy.
Diane purchased new custom cushions for her wicker furniture after I told her she had to get rid of the old ones. All the accent pillows are from At Home, including the adorable zig zag pillow. Truthfully, I might just go back and buy the nubby green and velvet blue wave pillows for myself. I couldn’t stop stroking them as I passed by. The faux bamboo plant, behind the sofa, blocks a door that is never used and helps the conversation area feel more intimate.
The hexagon ottoman was also from At Home and it adds extra seating, a spot to put your feet or somewhere to put a plate of food. (The ottoman’s soft velvet fabric is another item I can’t help stroking.)
My stepmom, is Diane Chamberlain, a well known author. If you haven’t read any of her books, I have to warn you that they are addictive page-turners and might keep you up reading all night. I wanted to create an oasis for Diane to be able to sit and work on her books.
The hammered metal side table is larger and more sturdy for her to rest her laptop and food on. I was overjoyed when I found it tucked in the middle of a display shelf at At Home.
Across from her seat, I secured a metal and wood mirror to reflect the view off their deck and to increase the light on the porch.
Centered under the mirror is a beautiful zinc-topped console table I found at At Home. The “X” pattern on the legs pairs nicely with the hairpin and hammered metal side tables (without matching them exactly. I’m not a big fan of matchy-matchy stuff.)
Throughout the screen porch I had fun mixing metals. I love the silver from the mirror and table with the brass candlesticks and the gold geometric star from At Home.
The little palm is a gift to Diane from me, but she’s afraid she might kill it. Only time will tell.
I found these adorable industrial string lights at At Home and they match the nautical lights already installed in the porch ceiling.
I can’t forget the real star of the porch, the beautiful blue and green outdoor rug from At Home.
Can you believe the transformation? From drab…
…to colorful and fantastic.
You’ll definitely want to see what happened to her ugly old ceiling fan. It was replaced with the most beautiful ceiling fan I ever laid eyes on.
I’m so happy with how her screen porch turned out that I’m thinking I might need to make some changes on our screen porch. Do you have a screen porch? If so, how much time do you spend out there?
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for At Home. I was compensated for my time writing this post. At Home also provided me with a gift card to purchase items to use in this post. All ideas and words are my own. I was not told what to write.
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Brittany , oh my word! It is a “TOTAL” stunner. It went from drab to total perfection. Fabulous job as always.
What a difference color makes! Our screened in porch has very dark furniture and cushions. You have inspired me to get busy!!!
Impressive transformation! It was the right choice to remove the carpet and staining the wood floor. Also, love all the colorful cushions you added.
what did you use to hang the mirror on the wall? I’ve been trying to hang some stuff on my brick outdoor wall and couldn’t make a dent with the drill bits even the masonry kind.
I love the colors you chose and the hairpin leg table is fantastic! I cannot believe they covered up those beautiful floors with carpet!
Looks lovely. I have read many of your mom’s books — I even reviewed one a few years ago. Funny how small the world can be!
Small world indeed! Thanks for the compliment.
Brittany,
How did the porch fair after Hermine? That would have been a real test for you all. It is just beautiful.
I’ll have to check with Diane, but I didn’t hear anything so guessing all is well.
Amazing what color and some tweaking can do.
Beautiful makeover6, how did you hang that mirror on the brick house wall?
I used masonry anchors and screws. I had to drill into the mortar but that’s truly the best way to hang something on brick.
So things are evolving after the cable railings! Amazing result!
Brittany,
You’ve done a beautiful job on the sun porch. I love the green and aqua combination. The carpet is gorgeous, as is the refinished floor. Congratulations on a job well done!
Thank you Barbara.