My life is to make everything around me beautiful.

Friday, February 1, 2008

Porches and Conservatories

Is this cute or what?! I love that porch swing and can't remember ever seeing one like before. A vintage piece for sure. But the porch itself is wonderful also with its ancient teacart and pillows, birdcage. stone floor, rug and flowers jutting out of an old vase. But the unique thing I find about this porch is the stripes painted over the header. Those aren't common to any porch I've ever seen. A person could sit here and look at that view for hours with those comfy old cushions.


Imagine the fabric it took for this lovely "room." But I don't think I'd want to clean them! It gives it a tent feel and just so warm to relax here. It it quite large for porches but I can envision it enclosed with glass for year round use. The fabric is blue as is the floor not covered with the large rug. Just lovely.

The enclosed room above reminds me of my friend, Sharon, who lives in Florida. She paints the tiniest most beautiful heart charms and loves victorian things and antiques and is NOT one bit afraid of color. You should see her house! But this seems like something Sharon would like because of the deep colors and the furnishings in this room. I especially like the drapery added across the opening to more garden area.

Simple is the only way to describe this darling vignette. Two vintage chairs with pillows, an antique tea cart and tricycle between 2 windows on a weathered shingle house. The bleeding heart hanging from the porch adds a bit of cheer to the scene. Tea anyone?!

This room is a bit more whimsical in its colors scheme - bright yellow, bright bold colors and fabrics. Plus the brick floor adds flair to the room. It looks tropical but it could be in any climate with the glass enclosure and heat running to it.


Golden sun beats down on this front porch leaving a glorious warm glow on the wood floor and the settee cushions. This is the perfect example of an old fashioned porch in any part of the U.S. - ionic columns supporting pink geraniums, pots of hydrangeas spread around with more foliage, baskets of more flowers, wicker seating, warm colored pillows and a beautifully old fashioned porch light. Of course the green shutters makes the white siding just pop out at you.


Somehow this is reminiscent of classical greeks - the statues, the columns and the fabric coverings on the entries onto this beauty. Purple and blue are favorites also. A jewel of a hammock stuffed with flowered pillows along with the chairs. The ceiling is painted with the vines and echoes the lushness of the yard beyond and within this room.

What wouldn't each of us give to have an old english conservatory like this one?! It looks like a greenhouse attached to the back of a home. Tropically lush with a trellis highlighting a golden back wall. The lacy grillwork adds much to the ambiance of the room and the glass roof lets the sunlight come through to warm it but there are also beams from which to hang pots of flowers.

Same home, different view. Looking out over the gardens from the dining area of this room is the vintage folding chairs looking like they are straight out of a Lawrence of Arabia movie. The delicately lacy pot stands holding lovely pink blooms.


A close up look at a vintage chaise lounge with a downy like cushion, wicker basket to hold your tomes and magazines a tiered planter to have your fragrant flowers near you and vines and flowers climbing the trellis adding even more lusciousness. Then a gnarly tree table near by for drinks and a sun bonnet in case the sun gets too bright. The stone would warm up to keep you toasty on a less than warm day also.
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