Steven Tyler hamming it up for the camera.
Author: Jill Krafsig
The Porch That Started it All
Here’s a photo of the front porch on my first home. It was a pint-sized porch, but there was still enough room for me to squeeze in a comfy reading spot where I could sit back and have a cup of coffee or enjoy my little garden, which I packed with as much color and as many flowers as possible. The rocking chair in this photo is still in use on my porch today–only now it’s painted a sunny yellow.
If you have a small porch like this one it doesn’t take a lot of time or money to create a lovely outdoor space. All that’s needed is a chair with a comfy cushion and a colorful pillow or two, a cheery wreath for the front door, some colorful accessories, and a few hanging pots of flowers.
Delphiniums
Watercolors on Acquarello Artistico 100% cotton paper by Fabriano. This is my variation of a painting by Wendy Tait.
My daughter, Greta, joined in on the painting session and produced this lovely version of the same painting using watercolors and Pigma micron pens:
Want to try your hand at watercolors? Pick up a copy Watercolor Flowers by Wendy Tait.
The Yellow Porch
Here are a few pictures of my spring porch makeover. I just completed it today. What a gorgeous day to be outside working on my front porch. My hands are absolutely covered with yellow paint even after several thorough washings. It looks like I’ll be sporting yellow hands at work tomorrow.
My inspiration for this project was the adorable tulip themed rug from Grandinroad.com; I couldn’t resist those bright colors. I purchased the pillows, chair cushions, and accessories at Pier1Imports. The white bistro table is from Target. It will make a fine place to sip a cup of coffee or work on the computer. I purchased the flowers for the wreath at Michael’s Craft Store; the orange polka-dotted flowers and ribbon were too fun to pass up.
It took me three days to complete this project–one day of shopping and two days of painting.
Sleeping Beauties
Dexter getting ready to take a nap with his bunny.
Piggy ready for bed.
Steve after a hard day of play.
Work in Progress–The Yellow Porch
I spent the day painting my porch furniture yellow, white, and tangerine but ran out of paint before I could complete the job. I really underestimated how much paint it takes to cover purple paint with yellow. I purchased two cans of paint for each piece of furniture. Normally that would be more than enough to achieve a nice, even finish. But not this time.
I ran out to buy a few more cans of paint but the hardware store was closed. So tonight my porch is sporting a strange mixture of purple, green, yellow, white, and tangerine furniture. This evening my mother and I will be working on a matching wreath for the front door; not only is she my muse, but she has mad wreath design skills.
Here are some pictures of my porch makeover in progress. Stop by tomorrow to see the completed design.
A Colorful Spring Vignette
I also put together this colorful spring vignette today to showcase some flowers my sister gave me. This time I chose a fun red and white stripped pitcher. I love how this arrangement looks when placed on a bold blue bistro table. Thank you for the flowers, sissy. Photo styling by Greta Krafsig, Sr.
Lovely Little Spring Vignette
I put together this lovely little spring vignette today to showcase some beautiful flowers my mother gave me. I just love how they look when placed on a simple green bistro table. Thank you for the flowers, Mom. Photo styling by Greta Krafsig, Sr. (aka “my muse”).
That Concludes the Tour–But Wait, There’s More….
What if I kept the high-contrast color scheme that I love so much but simply inverted the palette? What kind of results would I get? What if I changed the white furniture to black and replaced the highly saturated wall colors with less saturated hues?
Oh, yes, we’re going there next. And it’s going to be another colorful ride. Stop in next week to see the results. You know you want to look….
Color Changes Everything–Chocolate Brown Bedroom Makeover
The last stop on the tour is my chocolate brown bedroom. To punch up the color scheme in this room I added aqua and white into the mix. It’s an unusual combination of colors, but I’m pleased with the results. The headboard, nightstands, quilt, and curtains are from Pottery Barn. The cute white and aqua lamp, grass bedskirt, and pillows are from Target. The paint color is Clinton Brown by Benjamin Moore Paints.