Hey guys! By now, according to my calendar, Spring has been here for over a week. In western Maryland, Spring has been playing hard to get with us… One day it’s 70 and lovely and I am making my list for the garden center, and the next it’s 35 and windy so it “feels like -47.” That being said, I am sharing with you my Hello Spring Porch Tour with the understanding that I have purchased no new plants, hanging baskets, or flowers for my porch just yet. I don’t want to bring them home to an immediate death just for the sake of a blog tour. My green thumb has only recently developed over the last couple of years and I don’t want to shake up its confidence just yet. However, I was thrilled when Carrie at Lovely Etc. asked me to join in her Hello Spring Tour. I participated last year (you can see that tour here) and loved being on it so much, and also I have intense FOMO sometimes. (I used to stay awake in college with a good friend of mine because we were just so afraid we would miss the end of the night fun, or at least the best stories we could later use to blackmail others; I kid.). With all of that in mind, I bring you my Spring porch tour put together with things I already owned, houseplants I already owned, and lots of love (especially love of blue and green). I hope you enjoy it and please visit all of the other lovely homes on the tour listed in the linky at the bottom of this post. (I have used affiliate links throughout the post for your convenience- thank you!)
We live in cozy (ahem… small) Cape Cod style home with a large wraparound porch which was one of the major selling features of this house for us. The house sits up on a hill in a somewhat rural area, and we could just picture our kids playing in the yard as we sat on the porch, sipping wine, or eating together as a family. The porch has two entries into the house, and we’ll start today at what is the “main entry” though not the “mainly used entry.”
Similar Bench / Mexican Blanket / Similar Trunk / Similar Window Frame / Similar Bull Skull / Light Fixture
The teal bench I painted years ago fits perfectly in the nook by this door. A window frame I found a few years ago in a similar color also works as art in this space. I’ve attached a cow skull I found and for the season I gave him a little beaded boho headpiece made with a necklace I found at a yard sale a year ago.
On the bench I draped one of my Mexican blankets, just to add some color and texture, and because it’s still chilly out on the porch! Below the bench I added a pale blue trunk I painted and had at my shop for a bit. When I sold the shop, I took the trunk home with me because I knew that the blue would work with my decor. I also started bringing out some of my houseplants; these three seemed to be in particular need of sunshine, so they were a likely choice. (When the freezing temperatures are done, I start bringing out my houseplants as they thrive on the porch all spring into fall). Chris has been obsessed with finding an awesome praying mantis garden statue for some time, and the kids and I stumbled upon this guy at an arts festival last Fall. We took her home to give Chris for Christmas. “Merry Christmas, Honey! The praying mantis female kills the male after mating by biting off his head. Love you!”
One major change to this area that I did spend money on was new lighting. We’ve had the most hideous and cheap looking fixtures for the longest time. Since I recently learned how to change them, I decided it was time for an upgrade. Lamps Plus has been generous with me over the years, and I’ve always been happy with my products from them, so when it came time to purchase, I of course searcher their site first. (This is not sponsored; I just wanted to let you know I love them!) I was thrilled to find the urban barn light for under $50 and purchased two for our porch. What a difference they make! They come in a variety of colors, too.
As we leave this area, we head to the corner of the porch where the most coveted outdoor seat exists… our fringed hammock! We all love to relax here.
As we wrap around the corner, the outdoor dining area sits along the side of our home, actually adjacent to the interior dining room. It hasn’t yet been warm enough for a family meal outside, but we’re all anxiously awaiting that time. The first day it reached 60 here Emmy asked if we could eat dinner outside… It had dropped to about 45 by then so sadly we didn’t!
Hammock / Similar Tapestry / Similar Wicker Chair / Similar Pillow / String Lights
The table is draped with a worn old tapestry I got years ago when we dismantled one of our Summer window displays at J.Crew when I was a manager there. (2002). No one else wanted it and I loved it so was thrilled to take it home. Here we are 15 years later, and it has some nail polish and glue stains as well as some holes, is super fade, but I still adore it. I purchased the vintage chairs last summer at Sweet Clover. They were already those gorgeous blue and green colors you see.
On top of the table I set a concrete midcentury antelope head figure I won at an auction last year for $5 and a little pink concrete bunny I’ve had for years. I figure the bunny makes it look Springish, right?
Behind the table sits a chippy blue dresser I painted that I also took home with me when I sold my shop. I knew it would be perfect for our porch! As you can see, several of my house plants surround this piece adding lush green life.
On top of the dresser I added a little garden fairy I’ve had since Emmy was a baby, a modern vase filled with draping forsythia (we keep our forsythia a little wild because the chickens like to hide under its branches all year long), and a vintage planter I found last year, soon to be filled with plant life.
To the left of the dresser I brought out my Serena & Lily inspired wood slice table and am using it as a plant stand for a spider plant. (You can find the original S&L version here.)
To the right of the dresser sits my fiddle leaf fig which over the last few years has finally grown thanks to the tip to put it outside in the summer. Before that it was touch and go and I thought it would never survive, let alone thrive. On the other side of that sits a vintage peacock chair I thrifted with a pillow I took home from my shop but were found from this shop on etsy originally. I’m honestly not much of a crab person, but since I was cleaning out my shop I took it home, and we do live in Maryland so it’s a little nod to our state.
As we pass this dining area, the side entry which is the most commonly used and leads into the kitchen is next. Below you can see it peeking out from behind the dining area. You can also see one of the holes I was talking about in the tapestry!
One of these days, I would really love to have our home painted (yellow and brown are not my jam!), but last Spring I discovered these cobalt blue planters at Costco (they have them again this year!) and knew it was the perfect color to help make the porch a little more “me.”
As you can see, the other new light fixture is over here, and I truly cannot get over the impact this little inexpensive change made. A friend was getting rid of some “junk” a couple years ago and gave me this wall basket. I brought it out for Spring and added a little pothos that needs some serious outside time after a long winter indoors that has reeked havoc on its vines. I can’t wait to see the difference that will be between now and the end of summer!
The cobalt planters still feature some evergreen plants I put in for the winter. Those might change later– but you know, they are still alive so there’s really no need. Emmy’s muck boots add a little touch of color. 😉 
To the right of the door, we have a little seating area. I’ve draped a Mexican blanket in blue on the love seat to bring in that touch of color and boho vibe.
In front of the loveseat sits an antique farm bench that functions as a coffee table.
Love seat / Similar Bench / Similar Blanket Similar Planter / Light Fixture
Across from this love seat sits a pair of chairs from the same set (The Target Belvedere collection).
Belvedere Collection Resin Wicker / Similar Pillows
Last year we used this cobalt blue color you see throughout the porch when we painted our DIY chicken coop, and you can see how it all works together here. We keep the door to the coop open all day so the chickens can pop in and drop eggs at any time. And with recent circumstances, Chris and I like to joke about what healthy eggs our chickens have, so we’re glad someone around here does! (We make it through life laughing at ourselves while holding on to one another. 😉 )
Speaking of the chickens, I’ve got some photoshoot outtakes to share with you from the porch. Inside the house, I work around photobombing dogs, but outside, I work around fence-hopping chickens. We let them roam where they like in our yard though, because honestly if you saw the effort they exude just to fly to the top of the fence, you would let them, too… Fly, chicken, fly!
Squeakers is our Rhode Island Red and she was the one who started it all…
Her motto is, “I do what I want” and she can be found wherever she darn well pleases in our yard or on the porch. Note to self: Wash that tablecloth before using.
With her adventures, the other girls have become braver and I often find them outside the fence. Here Friendly makes herself at home on the love seat. Knock on wood, they have only pooped in the plants.
I have one more little outtake for you today. We have this frisbee that we adore using… when we have fire pit nights, we often play as they sun sets and evening falls. However, last fall it ended up on the roof, and there it stays. But it is cobalt blue so it fits right in!
Above you might also notice what looks like a stack of blocks. My parents introduced us to an awesome yard game called Kubb. At Christmas time they gave us each gift cards to Amazon, and we decided to each contribute to buying a set for our family. It’s a great outdoor game that doesn’t require running, but does require throwing accuracy. We love it because it’s great for all abilities and ages. I wanted to share it with you today because before last Summer I had never heard of it but it quickly became a favorite.
That is all I have for you! Be sure to visit all of the other awesome homes on this tour below. Happy Spring, my friends!
