Has there ever been a time in your life when you were absolutely sure about something but you turned out to be wrong? Maybe it was the lunch date you were supposed have with someone, only you got there a week early. Maybe it was the directions to a place you know and have been before, but this time you got hopelessly lost. Maybe it was as simple as laying your glasses down in a safe place and then, when they go missing, blaming someone else in the house for moving them! Nope they were on your head all along. UGH!!!
Mr. OTN and I are quite alike in believing that we are right all most of the time so it often comes as a surprise when one or the other of us is proven wrong. I say often because it seems the older we get, the more often it becomes.
Now I have a new motto:
What does all that have to do with a Sleeping Porch? Well, I won’t go into details, or tell you who was in the wrong. Suffice it to say that I’m thankful that Amazon accepts returns of BIG items and hubby is thankful that I have a sense of humor 😉
Sometimes the best choice is to laugh! Share on X
Today, since the weather is feeling a bit like Summer, I’m finally sharing pictures of our Sleeping Porch. We actually started using it last Summer but I never got around to posting about it, other than on Instagram. I’ll tell ya’, you are missing out on a lot of the day-to-day excitement of my life (tee hee) if you aren’t following along on IG.
Here is a picture of our Screened Porch where we spend much of our time – Spring, Summer, and Fall.
We swapped out our love seat, and two chairs with ottomans for daybeds. This created more floor space in the room and didn’t take away any seating. What it did do was give Mr. OTN and I each our own spot to take a nap.
NOTE: I’ve included links at the end of this post to full enclosure mattress and pillow covers, similar to those I used on my porch as protection against moisture.
I recovered the old throw pillows we already had in this room with thrift store and drop cloth fabrics.
I really lucked out as our local Habitat store had huge bins of fabric samples, large enough to make pillow covers.
For back support I ordered large wedges of foam online and made washable drop cloth covers for them.
I purchased bed pillows to use in front of the bolsters and made envelope pillow covers for those too. Here is link to post I did last year that tells how to make Envelope Pillows.
They are super easy to do!
I covered the beds in fun quilts I found on sale at Stein Mart (they have the best prices on bedding and you can make purchases online) and added dust ruffles that I made from drop cloths. The bed springs are high from the ground (15″) so I can hide storage bins beneath the beds. I keep outdoor pillows and cushions here when we’re going to have a long stretch of rainy weather.
Here are a few other details of our screened porch/sleeping porch. We found this old farm table when we first moved to SC and I added a drop cloth skirt around all four sides. It hides dining supplies and other fun stuff under it’s skirt 😉
The dining table chairs have pillows to match those on the beds.
Maybe you remember these drop cloth curtains (Pollen Proofing the Screened Porch) from last year. I also did a tutorial for Quick, Easy, & Affordable Drapery Tiebacks.
We’ve hung large candles on the porch for those nights when we like to sit in the dark watching the lightening flash. We get a lot of thunder storms here in the Summer.
Since our porch is a warm weather room it has a Coastal theme going on.
Right outside the screened porch is a fountain by which we can lull ourselves to sleep. 😉
Thanks for coming along on the Sleeping Porch tour. I hope to have plenty of guests this year that will be adventurous enough to have slumber parties in the woods with me.
But for now, I do believe it’s time for a Sunday afternoon nap.
Blessings friends,
The following are links to total enclosure mattress and pillow protectors, similar to those that I purchased for my Screened Porch. A good idea for humid climates. They are not only 100% waterproof but also bed bug proof and hypoallergenic. 🙂
I’ve been known to link up to the following great parties!!!
Sunday:
TheDIYShowoff, LifeOnLakeshoreDrive, SilverPenniesSundays, RusticAndRefined, Spiritual Sundays, GiveMeGrace
Monday:
IShouldBeMoppingTheFloor, TheDedicatedHouse, Dwellings, ProjectInspired, InspireMeMonday, BetweenNapsOnThePorch, CelebrateYourStory, Making Your Home Sing Mondays, What Joy is Mine/Monday Musings, Darling Downs Diaries, The Art of Homemaking, SmallWonder, MomentsOfHope, Glimpses, SittingAmongFriends
Tuesday:
TalkOfTheTown, HomeStoriesAtoZ, AStrollThruLife, CoastalCharm, CedarHillFarmhouse, TuesdaysAtOurHome, TheWinthropChronicles, Rich Faith Rising Unite Linky, Testimony Tuesday,Cheerleaders of Faith,Tell His Story
Wednesday:
SavvySouthernStyle, Posed Perfection, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Word Filled Wednesdays, ChristianBloggerLinkup, Mom’s Morning Coffee, Women with Intention, Coffee for Your Heart, MessyMarriage, ThreeWordWednesday
Thursday:
ShareYourStyle, ImpartingGrace, EmbracingChange, HaveADailyCupOfMrsOlson, MyRepurposedLife, ADelightsomeLife, KatherinesCorner, I Choose Joy, Thought Provoking Thursday, SincerelyPaulas, ThankfulThursdays, ThoughtfulThursday, Tune-inThursday
Friday:
FrenchCountryCottage, TheCharmOfHome, RootedInThyme, TheDedicatedHouseAnythingBlueFriday, ShabbyliciousFriday, Sweet Inspiration, Faith’nFriends, Missional Women Faith Filled Fridays, Dance With Jesus FreshMarketFriday
Saturday:
FunkyJunkInteriors, OneMoreTimeEvents, SaturdaySparks, TheInspirationGallery, Make My Saturday Sweet
Love your porch and your sleeping beds! I have one similarly styled in my office, and it has a trundle mattress beneath (so not much can be hidden and stored under there!). I like all the added things you made to accommodate nice and easy living out there.
Have a great week, Patti.
Thank you dear Rita. It is summer living at it’s best!
I am in LOVE with your sleeping porch! I have always wanted one and now I want one even more!
~Trisha
I want one for you Trisha! Save and plan. It will be worth it!
Beautiful!!! Wonderful place to have a nice relaxing rest I love it.
Blessings
Candy
Thank you so much Candy.
Beautiful!!! I love it Patti! You are so creative and have great ideas!!
I so badly want to come visit you. And after we have talked for a while, curl up and take a nap out there. And then let the thunder storms wake us us up!!
That would be so much fun. Make lot’s of money on your new job so you can come for a visit!
Hi, Great idea! You have such a beautiful porch. May I ask about the mattresses? How do you keep them from becoming moisture filled/moldy? Thank you Denise
Oh no, I almost forgot the most important part of the entire post! I purchased full enclosure mattress and pillow covers that are 100% waterproof, bedbug proof and hypoallergenic. I went back into my post and shared a link at the very end. Thank you for the reminder 😉
I think we ALL do that with the “Where is it?” and blame somebody else. LOL My teen can’t find something that is right in front of her nose, and when I go over and say “HERE it is.” (like…”DUH, it’s right in front of you”) she gets mad. LOL
Gotta love the sleeping porch! I have plans (in my head) for one… here in NJ. I always wanted a hanging swing that turns into a bed! I plan on having it one day! Since we have a front screened porch, we are going to “window in” the back porch when we build it. LOTS of windows with screens to open in nice weather, and CLOSE when it’s not so nice…whether it be too cold or too hot….or just too POLLEN-Y! ha! I will have a portable A/C out there and will look into some sort of heating as well. Gotta have a tv as well. I want to enjoy it year round. The sunset from that room is going to be AWESOME. For now I will continue to look at it from the sliding doors in the DR.
You have some fantastic plans there Robin and I’m sure you are going to love your space when you create it. You are smart to plan for removable windows to make it a true four-season room. That is especially important in colder climates. Thank you the comments.
This is just wonderful! I love that you’ve embraced the southern lifestyle so much. You are a shining example!
I wouldn’t live anywhere else Stacey . . . unless God told me I had to move of course. I love it here though and really feel like I am a Southerner for life. Thank you my friend.
Oh, I love it all!
Patti: I love your sleeping porch. You have it decorated to perfection! Having the daybeds for napping is a great idea. Have a great week! Joanie
I love a good nap but honestly, I don’t get one often enough. Summertime is the time for slowing down in the South though so I look forward to naps ahead. Thank you Joanie.
Lovely post with great ideas. Wishing you many happy times and good memories made on that beautiful porch.
Thank you so much Sandra. I’ll take it!
What a lovely sleeping porch and a wonderful place to watch storms! I love everything about it….even the fountain bubbling outside. It must be a heavenly place to rest.
The storms are the BEST Cher! Thank you for commenting on my post 😉
Hi Patti, As soon as I saw your first picture I was sure you were the one with the pollen curtains! ha! I was so interested in how they were going to work for you last year. How are you liking them?
I have been scouring Craigslist and yard sale sites for a daybed for our porch. but no luck yet.
Your porch looks great! Love the bedding. And the table skirt.
🙂 gwingal
The pollen curtains did help a lot but didn’t keep out all the pollen, especially during the times we forgot to close them. LOL! Also, our roof is peeked and the upper windows triangle shaped. I didn’t make curtains for that area. Even so, it was MUCH better.
I have those triangle shaped tops too. And I think thats why I was wondering. I think I’ll give it a shot and put me some up too! 🙂
Do it! It helps so much. I may have to figure out a way to cover the end with the triangle opening just for pollen season.
I love how this looks! So comfy and cozy! I love the colors and coastal accents you used too! Pinning!
Thank you for the comment and also for pinning Pamela. I appreciate it so much.
I love that you sew too! I love to house sew! And, dropcloths? One of my favorite go-to’s! I’ve made drapes, chair cushions, etc. Love them. This was a fun post and I pinned several photos to share with my daughter.
Oh Susan, I’ve done a lot of sewing in my life but my favorite is creating things for my home, and drop cloths are fantastic aren’t they? I’ve made so many things from drop cloths that I need to do a post on my fav drop cloth projects. Thanks my friend for taking a peek at my sleeping porch 😉
Love it, Miz Patti! I admire….I would say envy, but we’re not supposed to be envious, right? LOL, but I seriously do admire all that you accomplish! And it is so nice that Mr OTN appreciates your sense of humor! Hoping your screened porch encounters many fun and entertaining events this year.
Muah to you!
Thank you sweet Sharon 🙂
Muah!
Aren’t sleeping porches the best?! When I was a kid, we had one in our second house on Oahu. Our lanai was set up with a daybed, a Federal style planter on legs which had a gold eagle splayed across the side of it, and really was a playroom and a catch-all for us kids. It was my favorite place to take a nap. Yours is beautifully decorated! I love the beds and their simple, colorful bedding.
Thanks for the fun memories.
Barb 🙂
Okay Barbara, now I’m jealous. A second house in Oahu? That must’ve been fantastic. I do love our porch though. Thank you for the compliment and for stopping by to leave a comment.
I can see why you spend so much time here. This is a lovely retreat and it looks very comfortable.
Thank you Sandra. It is my favorite room!
What a gorgeous porch! I’ve always wanted one, but I guess I’ll have to wait until we move at some point. There would be no good place to build one on to our current home.
Thank you Rosanna. I had to wait many, many years for my porch and it was on my “must have” list when we searched for our home. I’m sure you’ll have one some day too and you’ll love it when you do.
I am totally moving in with you! 😉 I have wanted a screened in porch forever. I can’t wait until we can actually put one together. Yours is gorgeous. I would never leave it. Thanks for all the how-tos. Bookmarking for when I get mine! 🙂
You are so funny Kelly! Come on down and we’ll find a place for you. Thank you for the compliments and I hope you get to build your porch soon. It is my peaceful place 🙂
Oh my! I crawled into these pictures and savored them! I’ve always said I wanted a sleeping porch, but in New England, it would only be in use two months tops a year. lol. I just LOVE being outside all the time and I especially love the nighttime smells in spring and summer, and the sounds of the tree frogs and later on the crickets and of course the moonlight.
The views from your porch looks so peaceful, and you decorated it beautifully.
Thanks for giving us a glimpse into the home God has blessed you with. 🙂
Thank you for all the sweet compliments Karen. I always wanted a sleeping porch too but until we moved to South Carolina a couple of years ago there was no way it would’ve been worth having. When we came to view this house for the first time the previous owners didn’t answer the door and there wasn’t a lock box so our realtor took us through the side gate and there they were, sitting on the screened porch. It is the first part of the house we saw and it is what made us decide that this was the house. Like you, I love the nighttime smells and sounds, even the cicadas which some people are annoyed by. I’m glad you enjoyed the tour and thank you so much for leaving a comment.
Patti, Lovely!!!! I have two screened in porches but they are very narrow. We spend a lot of our time out there though! And the curtains for pollen protectors! I never thought of that! I may have to try to make some! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Leslie. I’m sure you saw the link with the tutorial. They have been great!
I love your porch! We, too, have a large screened porch and have a day bed on it. It’s been great when we have a lot of family visit because some of them love to sleep out there. And, of course, it’s the perfect nap spot. My problem has been that when we have a party and are on the porch, it’s not a comfortable place to sit. If you scoot back to all the pillows I have on it, you look like Edith Ann (showing my age). Thank you for sharing this because I never thought of that wedge idea. I’m definitely going to add that. Great idea!
Thank you for the comment Virginia. I’m so glad you are going to use the idea of the wedge pillows. Two pillows per couch fit perfectly and it really has made sitting on the couches so much more comfortable. They are still a little high off the floor (we wanted that for storage) but we encourage our guests to kick off their shoes and put their feet up!
DREAMY! Love your bedding.
Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
Blessings,
Cindy
Thanks Cindy!
Love this sleeping porch! I can see why it is your favorite room. So many pretty details…you have great style and are very talented. We have a screened porch but it faces west and when it rains, half of the porch gets wet. The only sleeping done in this room is Chihuahuas snoozing…they have a little bed out there for napping when they get tired of chasing squirrels…ha!
Thank you so much Donna. I really appreciate all of the positive affirmation. We are lucky that our porch stays pretty dry, unless an unusually windy storm kicks up. We’ve had a couple of times that I’ve pulled all the furniture to the center of the room. Funny about your Chihuahuas! We have plenty of squirrels for our dogs too.
I am so excited to come visit ! Do I get to sit on one of the beds ? will you share? how much fun is this – it looks so great – can it be the end of May already?!? LOL Thanks for linking up with #TuneInThursday this past week.
Of course I’ll share! We’ll kick Kelly off his bed, LOL! I’m so excited that you’ll be here in a few short weeks. Looking forward to lots of down time at the lake 🙂
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!
Personally Patti, I’d love to lay out on your porch on those gorgeous day beds…. just listening to the fountain. What a fabulous room you have created. Have pinned!!
Thanks for sharing at Create, Bake, Grow & Gather this week.
Hugs, Kerryanne
Thank you Kerryanne. I love coming to your party. There is always so much inspiration for creating a beautiful home. I especially love your DIY Mother’s Day gift ideas this week. Happy Mom’s Day to you!