Thursday, January 10, 2013

The seven-year itch

I had my house built seven years ago, and I love everything about it. It's the right size, it's easy to clean, and it holds up to the rigors of ranch living. When I moved in, I went on a decorating/painting/window treatment frenzy and called it done. Now, seven years later, I've gotten the itch to change a few things.

Yesterday, Larry and Freddy arrived to enclose half the front porch, turning it into a sunroom.


Before their arrival, I had to do a little preparation. They will be repurposing the porch railings 
to replace the garden fence, so I dismantled the garden fence last weekend.
*In case you were wondering, these are bovine bones hanging out to dry.


God bless whomever invented the t-post puller. 
Now if someone would invent a ground-thawer, I might be able to pull out the rest of them.



Anyway, this is the requisite before picture...



...and here is how it looked after Larry and Freddy ran out of lumber and left yesterday afternoon.



The room will be about 8 feet wide x 22 feet long...



...and there will be doors at each end and windows all around.



I'll be soliciting volunteers for the decorating committee. While I've got some ideas for what I'm looking for, 
I'm guessing you all might have better ones. More on that tomorrow.

15 comments:

  1. Ooh! I am more than excited...those awesome sunsets coming thru the French doors.
    And decorating and shopping...Hell yeah!

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  2. Oh, how exciting!! I'm thrilled just to be selecting new paint colours. I can't imagine how much fun it must be to contemplate all the possibilities a new room holds. I'm looking forward to watching it progress. Your home is already so beautiful and cosy.

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  3. Wait! There's such a thing as a T-post puller?! You mean all my wiggling, and twisting and bending of posts was all for naught?

    I also zero in on the thing in your posts that is minor in comparison to the greater theme. Wonder what that says about me? :)

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  4. http://pinterest.com/pin/78531587224285587/

    Not sure if this link will go to the right place, but it is supposed to be a beautiful porch and porch swing... Pinterest, it's whats for breakfast!! Try putting in a search on there for sunroom/porches...Wendy

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  5. Be sure you make the sills wide enough for big pots, and especially for big kitties when you get to that!

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  6. anxiously awaiting pictures of the finished project...you are gonna love that sun room I bet...good luck Jeanne in SC

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  7. Look up a concept called a Trombé Wall. You have there in passive solar terms an excellent opportunity to capture the winter sun coming through the front porch. If you built up a little solar collector in say, some artistic water container or stone facing to that wall that is stucco, you could experience some nice solar gain during the day and have a comfy, toasty space as it releases slowly into your room. The sun is going to be there, get a potted lime tree for margaritas! Your guests will enjoy pollenating with a paintbrush. The Bearss can stay in a pot forever. You just shave the roots every five years and repot in the same container. I choose not to put furniture in empty rooms these days. I can always move around what I've got. You have so many nice bones, how about a candelabra?

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  8. Estella from Co.1/10/13, 7:44 AM

    Oh, Linda it's going to be just beautiful, I LOVE closed in porches, and can't wait to see all your decorating ideas. Hugs

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  9. What a great idea. Look forward to watching the progress.

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  10. That is going to be so nice! And AMEN to the t-post puller! My sis and I pulled over 100 t-posts, had done about 20 or so before the t-post puller made it's most welcome appearance. Sure makes it easier!

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  11. Fab project. This will be a nice place to relax especially during the cold winter months. Nothing better than sun streaming in during January and February and sitting in a sun porch.
    Best always, Sandra

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  12. Carol in N. Colorado1/10/13, 8:40 AM

    A small table with a couple of chairs to enjoy your morning coffee/breakfast, lunch, dinner. A couple of comfy chairs for relaxing in with a good book. Some plants to help with a little color. It would be a place that I would sleep in during the nicer months of the year. Enjoy your new porch.

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  13. It's exciting to see the walls going up. They're going to have it finished pretty quickly. Are you going to put in a ceiling fan? How is Smooch tolerating all this? Looking forward to the rest of this project.

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  14. I second the idea off big window seals!!!

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  15. Why am I so excited about a sun room I'll never sit in? Well, because you make me feel it belongs to me, dear Carson !!!!

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