It's done, it's done! Our front porch is now a happy, usable, colorful sitting area that (I hope you will agree) is so much nicer to look at.
Let's go back down memory lane for a moment. For almost all of the three years we've been living in this apartment, the front porch has been...well, gross. We used it to store old furniture that even FreeCycle didn't want, our poor neglected bikes, and stuff that for whatever reason never made it into our house (which was probably for the best).
After a particularly buggy summer, I was desperate for an outside space that wouldn't involve wearing a gallon of bug spray and three of those mosquito-repellant bracelets. We turned our sights to the front porch. Kristie built two screens so we'd have ventilation, we paid some guys from Craigslist $40 to get rid of the majority of our junk, and the positive changes started to happen.
The rug is Fab Habitat that I found on Amazon for $50. It's reversible and made of recycled materials. The two folding chairs are from Ikea, via Craigslist.
Check out the succulent garden DIY!
I sewed the pink pillow using fabric remnants from JoAnn's and a cushion from FreeCycle. The black and white pillow, egg-shaped vase, and pink lantern were all on sale at Target. The orange planter is from Marshall's, and the plant is from Home Depot.
I got the side table for free. The school where I work occasionally holds "FreeCycle Days," where people bring furniture and home goods they no longer want, and anybody who's interested can take them home.
The table was stained dark brown, but had good bones. I bought a turquoise paint sample from Home Depot and it easily covered two coats.
Samson really likes it out there, too!
We added one of Kristie's many vintage radios.
The string lights are also from Target. The futon mattress was in storage at my parents' house; they were happy to donate it! The futon cover is from Amazon. The wooden pallet was free from the industrial area in our town.
I think for the most part, we stuck to the inspiration board I originally created. Bright, bold colors, a relaxing atmosphere, conducive to sitting, talking, drinking. The day the porch was finished, a few college friends arrived to stay for the weekend, and we christened the porch by spending a few hours under the string lights with margaritas.
Our goal was to spend around $150 getting the porch in shape. Here's the final breakdown...
Removal of junk - $40
Fab Habitat rug via Amazon - $50
Side table - Free
Paint for side table from Home Depot - $3
Fabric for pink pillow from JoAnn Fabrics - $3 (on sale)
DIY succulent garden - $10
Futon mattress - Free
Futon cover via Amazon - $50
Black and white pillow from Target - $10 (on sale since there was only one)
Pink lantern from Target - $3 (on sale)
Egg-shaped vase from Target - $2 (on sale)
String lights from Target - $12
Ikea folding chairs via Craigslist - $10 for the pair (similar)
Orange planter from Marshall's - $5
Plant (in orange planter) from Home Depot - $6
Materials to build screens - Free (our landlord reimbursed us)
Wooden pallet - Free
So let's see...the grand total we spent is $202. Over the budget a little bit, but I'm proud of the sales we scored and how much DIY elbow grease we were able to expend. I'm calling it a success, and heading there right after work today with my Kindle and my dog!
