I don’t know about you, Gentle Readers, but I am SO ready for the school year to be over! Trying to keep track of 2 sets of graduation-related events and two post-COVID-infection teenagers making up for lost socializing time…it’s exhausting. (We’re all fine now, by the way – thank you for your well wishes!)
On the plus side, DC really got spring this year, which doesn’t always happen. So we’ve been spending a lot of time on our back porch, looking out over are postage-stamp-sized — but charming! — garden and listening to the birds. It’s been lovely.
Spending time on our porch has, however, made me acutely aware of its deficiencies — especially on the dining end. You can barely see it in the upper left corner of this picture:
You’re catching me mid-project, so I haven’t made all of the selections yet. Thanks in advance for helping me think it through ;)
Several years ago I purchased 4 great dining chairs (and a small bistro table – the perfect size for working at my laptop) from Woodard Furniture. The chairs look like caning and wood but are actually aluminum. They’re lightweight, weather-resistant, and stackable!
The collection did not, however, include a dining table. We made due with our rickety Ikea table until I got fed up this past Easter and ordered one from the site that shall not be named because Jeff Bezos isn’t giving enough money to charity. Oops. Anyway. The new dining table is the perfect size, but it’s not exactly beautiful. So…
A tablecloth to the rescue! It’s such an easy way to make an outdoor table look special. A wipeable oilcloth would have been the obvious choice,
but I wanted something pliable yet weather-resistant — nylon or polyester, say. Well, an exhaustive search yielded NOTHING I liked, so I’m simply going to buy some pretty cotton tablecloths, use them outside, not leave them in the sun to fade, and wash them often. I’m considering these:
Next, an outdoor rug to anchor the dining area. As with inside, bigger is better. Solid colors are perfectly acceptable, but stripes might be fun, too.
You can always stay neutral with a sisal-look polypropylene rug if you like.
Next on my list is lighting. The overhead porch light is harsh and unflattering (as it so often is inside). I’m tempted to put up some string lights…I know they’re all the rage these days, but sometimes things are popular because they’re good.
String lights might be too much on our tiny porch, but I’ll keep thinking about it.
What I DEFINITELY will do is get a few large hurricane candle holders. You know I’m a fan of candlelight anyway, and outside, a few large candles on a dining table can be enough.
There’s one last thing: art. Art for your large, blank outdoor walls.
You can hang an object, such as metal gates, which are everywhere (I don’t love them for that reason, but they might be better than nothing).
Framed ceramic tiles are an excellent idea.
Or you can do what I did, which, granted, is controversial. You can buy a piece of art on wood or metal and hang it outside, knowing that it will deteriorate over time. I don’t know how the artist who painted our picture would feel about it, but we love it out here.
Etsy is great for finding craftsy objects on wood or metal, but there are other sources, too.
I’ll keep plugging away at the porch, deciding on a tablecloth, debating whether or not to hang the string lights…hopefully I’ll get this finished before it gets too hot to sit out there ;)
Annie Elliott Design is based in Washington, DC, with offices in St. Michaels, Maryland and Middlebury, Vermont. Our style? Where classic and modern hang out and drink gin.