My Favorite Spot to Relax

If you’ve visited this blog regularly, you’ve seen this spot before and probably won’t be surprised to find that my favorite spot to relax is on the screened porch of our summer cottage.

I would much rather be outside than inside so I spend a lot of time here enjoying the view.

When we built this home a few summers ago, a screened porch was an absolute must have. It was non-negotiable. The builder screened the top porch and we screened the bottom. We have found that the screen is a necessity due to mosquitos. The porches stretch across the whole width of the house, a whopping 30 feet and they are 12 feet in depth adding 360 square feet of outdoor room space to each level.
Most of my outdoor time is spent on the top level.

The settee in the corner is great for taking a nap!

The server was a $20 roadside rescue. You can read about it here. I made the lamp on the end table from a lantern and a thrift store lamp and you can read about it here. I found the mirror over the server at an antique store. I love the old convex glass in it.

The orchids thrive out here very well with little to no attention. The decorative box on the coffee table was purchased from Hobby Lobby ( with a 40% off coupon of course).

The box provides storage for a pair of binoculars and for remotes for the fans and sound system.

My favorite seat in the house may well be one of these rocking chairs. I believe that the key to comfort for these chairs is the contoured seat. I would not purchase a rocker without one.

We enjoy many meals in the dining area at the other end of the porch. The sheer panels were purchased 3 summers ago from Ikea for $4.99 a pair! I love the way they blow in the breeze and soften the corners of the porch. Because the basement porch in just over 10 feet high, I had to cut 2 feet of material from extra panels and sew it on to make these panels come all the way to the floor. They remind me of the summer sheers that my grandmother had many years ago.

The dining area on the lower porch is used more for snacks than meals and for overflow when we are entertaining since it is farther from the kitchen and from the grill.

Additional rocking chairs are on the lower porch. Both porches provide a wonderful place to relax.  After staying up all night at the hospital waiting for a special package to arrive, I have spent the day recovering here.

My niece Hannah, the special package, arrived safely at just after 5 AM!!! I am proud to say that mommy and baby are both doing fine and she was worth every minute of the wait!
Praising God from whom all blessings flow!

I’ll be linking to Rhoda’s porch party at Southern Hospitality and to Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style, to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch and to the House Party at Thrifty Decor Chick.