Our seasonal side porch is a wonderful, awkwardly shaped space, which is lovely to spend time in three seasons of the year. Unfortunately, though, being open to the elements had taken its toll. Paint was peeling and the bottom 18″ needed to be rebuilt. The carpet was water damaged and the padding beneath it had disintegrated.
In March, we hired a painter and a carpenter to fix the room. In April and May, we hunted for indoor/outdoor carpet that still felt good underfoot. Then my husband did a great job of installing it. We bough a antique new oak chair to be at the other side of the table at Brimfield in May.
At the other end of the room, we had his and hers chairs with ottomans, where we liked to hang out together, reading or chatting. My husband has had his chair since before we were married, and loves it. However, it’s leather was cracked and broken, and it needed to be either replaced or refurbished. We decided to spring for getting it reupholstered in new leather, and it has been at the upholsterer from May until just last week. What was previously brown, is now bright teal green, which will take some getting used to, but the elderly upholsterer, who has worked in that field his whole life, said it is the most comfortable chair he’s ever sat in.
This room has multiple uses. It holds our recycling. It holds art materials I use outside when the weather is fine. It is a place to have oil paintings dry, where they are undisturbed but well ventilated. We sometimes eat or play cards out at that table, or use laptops there when we want the fresh air. If I’m downstairs when I get a work call, I can retreat onto this side porch quickly for some immediate privacy. It is also a great spot to quietly read drenched in birdsong and sunlight.
Anyway, when we started in March, I would never have imagined that it would finally come together in October. Now there are ten oil paintings drying at the end of the room, some as big as 48″x48,” in various stages of completion. I’m so grateful to have this humble space back in operation, and it is an especially lovely time of year to be out there right now.
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