POLYWOOD Porch Makeover

When our Creative Team first had the idea to put together some local outdoor makeovers featuring our furniture, it was the dead of winter. With our corporate headquarters in Indiana, there wasn’t a whole lot we could do but wait until the weather warmed up.

Fast forward to spring and we thought, why not look in our own backyards? My aunt and uncle have an adorable place out in the country, about 45 minutes away from POLYWOOD. They moved to their home over 30 years ago when my aunt was expecting their oldest son. As their family grew, so did the house. Their latest addition is a wraparound porch with a gazebo that’s the perfect gathering place when the whole family gets together on Sunday afternoons.

The Furniture

When it came time to pick a furniture set to fit this space, we originally thought about our Harbour Deep Seating Collection. But, after taking in the country setting and my aunt and uncle’s existing black frame furniture, we decided to go with our Jefferson Woven Rockers.

The woven seat and back transforms the look of our Jefferson Rocker — giving it a more rustic feel — while still maintaining its all-weather and low-maintenance qualities.

With the furniture picked out and ordered, we began brainstorming how we would style the space. Woven baskets, quilts, and galvanized pots with plants were definitely at the top of the list. Luckily, we have a large props area here at POLYWOOD where we can “shop” first, then head to the store for anything we’re missing.

To make sure we had a good balance of color, we planned to incorporate a couple of weather-resistant accent pillows in a sea foam blue color called Spa. We liked the idea of adding a mid-tone color to the rockers as well with seat cushions in Sesame.

Inspiration

Once the furniture was decided, we pulled together an inspiration board with a country feel in mind:

The Final Look

Once we arrived and began setting up the furniture, we noticed an adorable church off in the distance — which we made sure made it in the “after” photo.

We planted our own container garden (tips on making your own), whipped up some delicious Sparkling Strawberry Cocktails (because, why not?), and even added in some personal accessories we found in my aunt’s house.

POLYWOOD-Porch-Makeover-AfterPhoto — That’s the adorable Kobi in the photo (he’s a natural dog model).

The end result was cozy and it really matched the rest of the home’s decor, which is just what we were going for. Our Two Shelf Side Table is the perfect height between the two rockers, plus it has the bonus shelf underneath for extra storage.

Our overall color palette is fairly neutral, warm, and earthy. There’s a great mix of textures too with the speckled galvanized pots and pitcher, woven rocker backs and basket, and straight lines of the fern above.

My aunt and uncle have been loving their new space! It’s perfect for rocking their three grandchildren (the fourth on the way!) and winding down together in the evenings.

Our cocktails didn’t turn out too shabby either thanks to Martha! Check out the full recipe below.

Delicious Sparkling Strawberry Cocktail

Ingredients

2 cups hulled strawberries
2 Tbsp. water
1/4 cup orange juice
1 bottle chilled Prosecco or other dry sparkling wine
1 orange, sliced into round
Mint sprigs, for garnish

Directions

In a blender, puree strawberries and water until smooth. In a pitcher, combine strawberry puree, orange juice, sparkling wine, and orange slices, and stir gently. Serve garnished with mint sprigs.

Recreate the Look

Add a little Southern Charm to your front porch with any of our Rocking Chairs — pair them with a couple of cushions, pillows, and plants and you’ll have the perfect cozy spot to enjoy a glass of iced tea (or a sparkling strawberry cocktail).