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Sunday

The Cedar Porch

Here in Minnesota if you have a 3 season porch, for the 4th season it becomes a walk in cooler.  Great cold food storage when you host a holiday - I never have to make room in my fridge for a turkey.  The porch doesn't get used from November to April, unless you have a warm March like right now.  All the bugs freeze and drop dead in wait of the thaw for spring cleaning.  The cleaning came early this year, due to the Route 66 cabinet redo.  That cabinet holds summer towels and lives in the cedar porch.  Once it was painted I had to clean the porch - just in time too, we had unseasonably warm weather.  It's not the summer kitchen I was dreaming of like here at the SavvyCityFarmer but I am going to take a couple ideas from her porch yet for mine, like the tin awning where the stuffed trophy fish is/was.  Bet you wish you had a stuffed trophy fish.

BEFORE
He's been hanging there for a long time.  I hate him, but if used as the pillow he was intended to be, it works pretty good for an afternoon nap.  The picture is of a cart with flowers - so faded all the colors are the same.  The porch has needed - and I have wanted - a redo for years, but it needs new windows so I told myself when that happens we will freshen it up.  It still needs the windows; not in the budget.

BEFORE


The furniture is 25 years old.  The cushions are still firm and the frames perfect but everything out there was the same wood color so it got sprayed espresso to change them up.  The ticking fabric needs to go... that isn't in the budget either but I actually like how it looks with the dark stain.  We didn't spend one cent in this room, and that IS in the budget!


We changed the arrangement to allow for a path from the deck door to inside without cutting through the sitting area.  Works much better and everyone can put their feet up on the table now, not just those taller than 5'2".  I gave the wheelbarrow a coat of AS dark wax and it made a big difference.  I think I'm going to paint "flowers" on the side.  Brawn made it years ago when he caught me looking at one in a catalog that cost a couple hundred dollars.  Thank goodness he never knew how much the furniture cost 25 years ago, but I'd say we have got our money's worth out of it.  The cushions have been ticking for at least 15 years and the valance is ticking and fabric with little porch chairs. No... not in the budget and I can't sew anyway.  My favorite part of the room is the old milk jug table, I love it.  I think I even love it more than my Route 66 cabinet.
Inside of the Wheelbarrow

I love what the dark wax did for the finish


I sponged a checkerboard on the top of the ice cream table, dark waxed it and sanded.  I couldn't find any checkers so if you want to play you have to use chess pieces.   We won't talk about the math it took for me to line that part up.  In fact we won't talk about if it is lined up either.

The table sits below the chalkboard now

I used ASCP in old white on the pine frame and painted chalkboard paint right over the glass.  It came from Pottery Barn.  Tuff.

Each window has a roman shade that I never use.  The dinner gong says come and get it, and clangs just like when the cook would call everyone for chow.  The idea was when the kids were little I could alert them to lunch being done if they were swimming.  It was easier to just yell LUNCH!!

Don't forget to enter my first giveaway..... RamSign going on here at my lil 'ol blog.

Linked the transformed from pine to espresso chair at

Linked the chalkboard to:
Sunday stop @ Joy2Journey 
Furniture to:
Nifty Thrifty @ Coastal Charm

35 comments :

  1. Bliss~ very nice! I love the wheelbarrow--can Brawn make me one? (Actually, I think probably DL can do it if I show him a picture. He's good about stuff like that!)

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  2. I would love to have a porch like that! Great look! We have a deck...I use that term loosely. It's just not the same.

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  3. What a great porch! It looked pretty charming "before" too, but I do like the darker stain on the furniture.

    I also use our back porch as a fridge in winter, especially at the holidays when there's just so much food. This winter in northern Illinois, though, was almost too warm for my walk-out cooler!

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  4. LOVE your cozy porch...and LOVE this crazy spring we are getting :) Agree, the milk can table is adorable...and the coffee table is fun too! Chat soon, Laurel

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  5. Love the changes you made to your porch. It looks great! I wish I had a three seasons porch! Love that little table Brawn made! So darling!

    Holly

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  6. Wonderful! So inviting! I am SO far behind here because it warmed up so soon! I have unfinished furniture on my porch...Yikes! I need to get to work!
    Lorraine

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  7. I love what the espresso stain did for the furniture. Nice re-do!!!

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  8. Love this! The espresso finish is beautiful. The whole thing just feels so inviting! I might need to come for a visit soon. And that wheelbarrow? Swoon...

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  9. What a beautiful porch! Brawn did an amazing job on that table and I'm loving the other one too! You have awesome taste, girlfriend!

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  10. The room is delightful! Love the handmade wheelbarrow--so cool! You have such a great knack for decorating. The milk jug table is terrific, too.

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  11. Anonymous3/19/2012

    This is so inviting! I love the chalkboard! I didn't realize you could paint over glass! Thanks for sharing this! Your table is awesome too! Love it all!

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  12. You've been busy - I love Brawn's wheelbarrow table and the milk can one as well.
    I need to find me a farm - not that I've got any room for more furniture.
    So what did you do with the fish - did he go back up ?

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  13. What a gorgeous porch/room. I love the wheelbarrow coffee table, just a great idea.

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  14. it looks so good in there! so cozy! and i love the "summer is coming" on the chalkboard! :)

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  15. Very impressive makeover and you came in on budget. I love your wagon coffee table and the chalkboard was a clever redo of the print. Even that darn fish is a keeper! It must be nice to have an enclosed porch. I love it.

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  16. What a great room! I would never have guessed the stuffed fish was that large until I saw it on your sofa. I bet your grandkids have some fun with him! And the chalkboard, too.

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  17. Love love love your porch. What a perfect place in the summer. And all your 'old' stuff looks pretty darn good to me. You've done a great job with sprucing it all up with the waxes/ stains etc. And I can honestly say you are a heck of a lot better than Martha at doing these things! She hires her all to be done anyway. Very impressive. Now I want a screened porch!!!

    Nann

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  18. What an awesome space! I love cedar and the porch is gorgeous! The new color on the chairs really looks great. You have such cool collectibles! Going over to enter the giveaway now. Sweet!

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  19. Bliss that porch is awesome! I've never wished I were a turkey before...

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  20. Looks very inviting. The stain did wonders for the seating, good job Brawn! And just as was reading I was thinking, "I love the milk jug table" and then I read you do too. Great minds!

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  21. Love the warm weather but make sure that you stay safe tonight with the storm fast approaching! Love the 3 season porch and you are right about the fridge in the winter. I like that I can shop and not worry about something melting while I do other errands. And what about the coke that will not melt if you leave it in the car but will become a slushie. :) Gotta LOVE Minnesota :)
    Hugs,
    Bj

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  22. What an awesome porch, Bliss! I love what the Expresso stain did for those gorgeous chairs (so rich and elegant looking) and the room (so much cozier!). Great job! :)

    xoxo laurie

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  23. Hi Bliss,

    Your cedar porch looks fantastic. I love everything you did. The wicker looks so much more updated now. It's a beautiful room indeed. Love It!!!

    Dee

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  24. Beautiful! I love the wheelbarrow with the plants in it. And I EXTRA love you for not calling it a "wheelbarrel."

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  25. Minnesota is my home town, so I am well aware of the seasons, I live in Orlando now, I heard from my brother that it was 80 one day last week, he said it broke 100 year old weather record, I don't ever remember warm weather in March...What a treat! Your sun room is fabulous, I remember how fun it was to open the sun room, spring had officially sprung! Thank you so much for pinning my curio cabinet, that is so sweet of you!

    Carol

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  26. What an awesome space Bliss! You guys must spend all your time out here in the warmer months. We had a 3season room in our old house that we added on and we loved it! LOVE the furniture stained darker!

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  27. Bliss, I LOVE your cedar porch and that wheelbarrow! I have wicker furniture that is in desperate need of a make-over on my front porch. I was thinking of taking it to the dump but maybe not after seeing yours. It looks great! Enjoy your day, Gail

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  28. Oh how I would love that cedar porch. SO charming Bliss...Loves it! Cool wheelbarrow. Thanks for joining me. Hope I am coming up now on your blog roll.
    You are finally on my new one LOL!

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  29. What I most loved about visiting our friends in Waconia was their porch and the beautiful lake.

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  30. Anonymous3/21/2012

    Now this is a room where you can sit back and relax! Bring on the iced tea and sun :)

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  31. Love your porch! It looks so comfy. The chalk board is great but it isn't even spring yet...opps, I am wrong about that, technically it is. We just had snow again! Loved the post.

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  32. that makeover is great! Best part...the budget! Craziness! And the wheelbarrow idea is great...might need to steal that!

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  33. I mean the idea...not the actual wheelbarrow :).

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  34. Love the coffee table. I just came across your blog and am one of your new followers and hope you will visit me.

    Looks like a very relaxing room!

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  35. I just LOVE the wagon table! And the Diner gong! My brother and I were just talking about oe the other day. He said he will try to find some copper to make me one to go with my copper collection.

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