In true Kristi fashion, I’ve gotten ahead of myself, and before finishing the foundational projects on the front porch (e.g., staining and sealing the porch boards, painting the trim, finishing the faux stone skirting, etc.), I’ve jumped ahead to the decorating.
I couldn’t help myself. My new chairs were delivered yesterday, and there’s no way I have enough self-control to keep them boxed up until those projects are done. ? Nope. As soon as I could find time, I tore into that box and put the chairs together to see what they look like on the front porch. And I love them!!
I was afraid they might be too dark, but I actually think they’re perfect. I’m still considering purchasing a 5′ x 8′ outdoor rug for this area, but I can’t seem to find one that I like. I’m open to the idea of a rug if I can find one that complements the colors I’ve used.
I also moved the plants away from the front door. Once the chairs were in place, having plants flanking the door make it look too busy, like I was just lining things up against the house. I like having that area around the door clear to give it some breathing room.
And I also got the door repainted. I kept it the same color as before because I absolutely love the color. So I just gave it a fresh coat of Benjamin Moore Bird of Paradise, and I used Aura Grand Entrance paint, which is amazing. It’s not cheap, but the quality is worth the price, in my opinion. It goes on so easily, and it gives an effortlessly beautiful finish.
But back to the chairs. Once I put them together, they really exceeded my expectations. They don’t look overly plastic. The color is beautiful. And the cushions feel like they’re great quality. The seat cushion is on the firm side, but I prefer that. And I love how thick the seat cushions are. I don’t like thin, wimpy cushions.
The chairs are also roomy without looking really big. They are quite deep, though. So a short person like myself requires an additional back cushion.
And look at these pillows that I found at Lowe’s! Are these not the most perfect pillows for me? I mean…BIRDS! And the birds just so happen to be the color of the front door! It’s like these were custom made for my front porch.
One thing I will say about these chairs is that they were a real pain to put together. Each chair is put together with a total of ten screws. It took about seven minutes to get the first nine screws in, and then took 30 minutes to get the last one in because the screw wouldn’t line up with the screw hole.
I was so frustrated putting the first one together, and thought for sure that it was just that particular chair. But nope. The second chair was exactly the same way. And I’ve put furniture together enough to know what I’m doing. I know that you put the screws in without tightening them until all the screws are in, and then go back and tighten them. But even with that, I had a heck of a time with that last screw on both chairs. Talk about frustrating!
But after almost 40 minutes spent putting together each chair, I finally got them assembled. And I’m so glad I stuck with it, because once assembled, I give these a solid five stars out of five. (While I was putting them together, I was a solid 0 out of five stars, but that passed once they were finally together and in place. ? )
So the big remaining question was what they would look like from inside the house. For about two seconds, I was like, “Ugh…I don’t like that they’re so visible.“
But that’s kind of silly. Seeing those chairs on the front porch is no different than looking into another interior room of the house, like the music room, and seeing the furniture through the glass. That doesn’t bother me, so why should this bother me? I’m just seeing the furniture in another (outdoor) room of the house. And I actually really love seeing the fern through the window.
So it took a minute or two to get used to it, but I’m fine with it now. I actually love it, and even more than the way it looks, I love that I now have another usable space. I sat out there by myself for about half an hour last night, and thoroughly enjoyed the cool night air and the quiet of the neighborhood. So if you ever drive by my house, and see me sitting on my front porch by myself, there’s a chair for you! Come join me! ?
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
I hope you’ll join me on my DIY and decorating journey! If you want to follow my projects and progress, you can subscribe below and have each new post delivered to your email inbox. That way you’ll never miss a thing!
