By Dave and Mary

Front Porch Appeal - Enjoy the Dog Days of Summer on Your Porch

Issue #68 July 2015

July - hot humid days, sprinklers, afternoon thunder storms, summer vacation trips, and kids riding bikes (or playing lots of video games hopefully on the porch). July is also for porch sitting and taking time to watch the world go by.

It's the perfect time to celebrate porches and Mary and I have a special offer for you. We've teamed up with our friend Leisa Collins, a renowned watercolor artist who is giving away a special gift (details below) that will be treasured for years to come.


summer porch with wicker furniture and pink cusions
Summer porch splendor in pink
We'll also share our latest porchfest pictures from Westhaven in Franklin, Tennessee. You never know just how much fun a porchfest can until you attend one; Amy Grant was one of the artists who sang from a porch!

Check out the schedule below to see if a porchfest will be playing near you this summer or fall.

Fairfield Illinois held a porch decorating contest and we are delighted to share some photos.

Building a house soon? Check out these latest house plans online for lots of ideas and wonderful home plans.




Celebrate Summer by Entering Our Pleasant Summer Porch Contest

You could win a free water color portrait of your home by renowned watercolor artist Leisa Collins.


collage of watercolor portraits by leisa collins
A painting to be greatly appreciated A Leisa Collins
All we need is a photo of your porch; it's that easy to possibly win a custom watercolor portrait of your home.

Our rules are simple:
  • Three independent judges will choose one winner based upon an appealing summer porch whether that be via your furnishings, landscaping or colors! The winner will receive a handcrafted watercolor painting of their porch or home by Artist Leisa Collins.
  • You must be at least 18 to enter
  • Contest runs from Wednesday July 15th through Friday July 31, 2015 Don't delay - take your porch photo today!
  • Please only submit photos of your own porch
  • You may enter up to three photographs of your summertime porch. For example two close-ups and one that shows your house in the photo. Show off your porch however you like. Please send original photos.
  • No people pictures please



watercolor portrait by leisa collins
A gift that would be greatly appreciated A Leisa Collins watercolor house portrait
Whether you enter the contest or not, would you like a house portrait of your childhood home, the church in which you were married, or perhaps your parent's home as an anniversary gift? See samples of Leisa's work and contact her for a custom house portrait.

Build Your Dream House with Plans Online

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. If you make a purchase through affiliate links on our site, we earn a commission at no cost to you. See our disclosure policy.

Thinking of building a house this year or remodeling your existing home? You can get amazing ideas from viewing house plans online.

From exterior elevations (showing wonderful porches) to the latest interior layouts, these plans are ideal for anyone contemplating building their dream home, transitional home, screened room, and other structures as well.


country home with wrap around front porch plan from familyhomeplans.com
Country porch home Plan 75102 by Family Home Plans
country home interior schematic drawing by familyhomeplans.com
Country Home Interior Schematic 75102 by Family Home Plans
craftsman style home built from plan by familyhomeplans.com
Craftsman Style Home Built from Plan 65800 by Family Home Plans
Check out the interior layout of this beautiful home design!


10 Planning Factors to Consider in
Your Screen Porch Design

Thinking of building a screened porch this summer or fall? Now's the time to start planning your special outdoor space.


interior of spacious and beautiful screened porch
Spacious screen porch interior (photo courtesy of JA101)
decorated screen porch by The Porch Company
Luxurious screen porch by The Porch Company
Before you begin, learn how wind, geography, and even your HOA can affect your new structure. Check out our 10 planning factors that will definitely help make your porch project enjoyable for years to come.


Screen Porch Options

Screen Porch DIY Kit

You might want to consider a screen porch kit. They come in a variety of options and styles that you can easily install yourself. Prolong your outdoor time with a screen porch kit like the one below from Screen-House.com.


screen porch kit by screen-house.com


Screen Porch Plan

Another option is to build your screen porch from a plan like the ones we found at Family Home Plans. If you have basic carpentry skills and the time, this may be just right for you.


screen porch plan by familyhomeplans.com


Porch Design Idea

Know what the enclosed balustrade (railings) on a porch is called (answer at bottom of page)? We are often asked that question and thought we'd share two photos of those we've spotted from across the country.


stone kneewall in California
Beautiful stone "balustrade" in California



unique kneewall design in Florida
Aesthetically pleasing "balustrade" design in Florida
See more photos in our porch railings design section.


Porch Events Across the Country

From jumping off porches to playing music on them, porches are popular places for all kinds of events.

Porchfests

Mary and I attended a porchfest near us a few weeks ago and wanted to share a few photos.


collage of porchfests


westhaven franklin tennessee porchfest 2015
Neighbors enjoying Westhaven Tennessee Porchfest 2015



neighbors enjoying westhaven franklin tennessee porchfest 2015
Everyone enjoys porchfest!



people watching westhaven franklin tennessee porchfest 2015
Sit back and listen to the music



Pretty Up Your Porch

The folks in Fairfield, IL recently held a porch contest that they aptly named "Pretty Up Your Porch Contest". And we are happy we can share their pictures with you.

As you can see, they take a lot of pride in their porches. Here are just a few and we'll share more later.


White wicker furniture on this pretty porch


Black rocking chairs and gorgeous flowers on this wraparound porch


Wide porch with two conversation areas

We love the fact that Fairfield had their first porch contest. We heard from them that they were inspired by the porch contests held in Brigham City, UT. How nice is that!


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You're invited to be part of our Facebook community. We share ideas with one another for decorating and using our porches. We are blessed with over 17,000 followers and would love to count you among them.


Mary and Dave Please enjoy browsing past issues of our newsletters right here. Take a few moments of chill time.

Happy porch sitting from your friends,

Mary and Dave


Life is short. Enjoy your porch.



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Mary and Dave, Founders of Front Porch Ideas and More
Hi! We're Mary and Dave, lifelong DIYers, high school sweethearts, and we both love porches. You've come to the right place for thousands of porch ideas.

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Mary and Dave, Founders of Front Porch Ideas and More
Hi! We're Mary and Dave, lifelong DIYers, high school sweethearts, and we both love porches. You've come to the right place for thousands of porch ideas.


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At no extra cost to you, we earn a commission by referring you to some products on merchant sites. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. As an Amazon Influencer, we earn from qualifying purchases. See our disclosure policy.
We, Front Porch Ideas and More, confirm, as stated on our privacy policy, that we do not sell personal information.

All content here is solely for presenting ideas. We recommend consulting with a licensed, experienced contractor before you begin your project.
We make no guarantees of accuracy or completeness of information on our site or any links to other websites contained here.


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