Turning a Porch into a Welcoming Retreat

I'm sick of dragging my old, white wicker sofa and mismatched planters out to the front porch for the summer season. I need to freshen things up without spending a bundle. Last year I hung a pretty, multi-colored welcome flag and wreath, but it doesn't do the trick. What do you suggest?

-Ellen B. from Branford

Your porch is the entrance to your home-it should sparkle. We all want to relax outside when the weather is warm. The best way to create a space you'll love and use is to think about the five senses and incorporate them all in your design.

Sight: Put together a color scheme and head down to the paint store for some fabulous, bright, new spray-paint colors. Hot pinks, oranges, and periwinkles replace the blahs of the old white, black, and red spray-can palette. Zap the tired plant containers with a coat of fresh color. Link your furniture and accessories with two pretty colors-for example, periwinkle and sage. Pick deep purple annuals to set off the sage planters.

For lighting, go up to the attic to find some unused lamps and old end tables or scout them out at a tag sale or consignment shop. Spray them the "signature color" and put the lamps on the freshly painted tables-what a difference low lighting makes. (You can have the lamps rewired for outdoor use).

Get rid of the silly flag. The best flag to hang is "Old Faithful," in scale with your home. Toss the dusty, dated wreath. A meaningful addition to the door décor would be a beautiful new street-address tile or plaque-functional and important looking.

Sound: Set the mood. A simple CD player in a closet comes out and sends cool jazz notes floating around your retreat. Music adds so much in the background, suggesting romance and happiness. Wind chimes are another good choice to really add some musical fun. And bubbling water is a soothing sound you can add with all the inexpensive fountains that are now available. You'll need outlets for the fountain and CD player, which are easy to install.

Touch: Upholstery says comfort. A wicker sofa, spray-painted in your signature color, with indoor/outdoor fabrics, plus new pillows and throws, adds the soft, relaxing feel that makes a porch a magnet. Dig out some old mismatched chairs, repaint them in your new color scheme, and toss on comfy chair cushions that say, "Sit here."

Smell: Flowers, of course, create wonderful aromas. Annuals will stay fresh all season. Try hibiscus or mandevilla with big, pink or white blossoms. They climb quickly and add a fanciful island ambience. Choose low, medium, and high plants as in nature where carpets of green lead up to canopies of tree branches. Use fragrant herbs, like rosemary and lavender, for the low plants; ferns or geraniums on stands as the medium plants; and ficus trees or hibiscus climbers to complete the interior landscape. The added novelty of the climbers is that they lead the eye up to your masterpiece-the porch ceiling in a fresh coat of Nantucket blue.

Scented candles, in a variety of sizes, are also perfect for aromatherapy and romantic light.

Taste: Besides aroma, small pots of herbs will add an epicurean flavor to summer meals. But the best taste will be the fresh-brewed coffee, sipped while relaxing on your sparkling new porch retreat.

Jennifer Walker is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers ASID). Her design/consultation business is located in Stony Creek (203-

488-6856; www.walkerinteriors.com). Email your design dilemmas and questions to jennifer.walker@snet.net for publication in the column.

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