It’s been such a strange summer in the NorthEastern United States: super rainy, dotted with various lengthy heat waves. So I know I’m not alone when I say I’m eager for some more temperate fall weather. I love those ‘in between times’ of year, when the temperatures are cool and the moderate weather lends itself to spending quality time outdoors with family & friends.

Earlier this summer, I completed work on some fun outdoor projects for one of my interior design clients. She has the sweetest cottage in suburban Philadelphia and it has two lovely outdoor spaces: a long narrow front porch and a small but private back deck. Here are some before pictures of the front porch when my client first requested my help.

The colorful orange front door and handsome stone were two of the things my client loved about her front entry. So of course rusts and oranges along with earthy neutrals will feature prominently in my design choices when I’m selecting furniture for the space.

The space is a long, narrow front porch with a lovely stone floor and wood railings. Originally, this space felt a little cold and devoid of color.

The simple rockers were a nice feature, yet didn’t provide the welcoming pulled-together outdoor living space my client craved.

I’d like to share our design process with you before revealing the final AFTER photos. Naturally, the very first thing I did was take accurate measurents and create a floor plan so I could choose appropriately scaled furniture for the space.

The footprint of this front porch is long and narrow. Comfy seating was the main request from my client. We envisioned a space to curl up with a good book and a glass of cold lemonade. A true outdoor living room!

The next step was selecting furniture to fit the space. I sourced items for two distinct floor plans: one with an outdoor sectional and another with two chairs and a sofa.

An outdoor sectional could cozy up to the far corner of the front porch, creating a welcoming spot to lounge.

Here’s the virtual design board with the selected furnishings included. You’ll notice I used a large copper finished side table near the front door as a space to drop packages as well as a spot to rest your drink when sitting on the sofa. There’s also an outdoor area rug featuring the same orangey-red of the front door, The rug not only contains the main seating area, it also helps create a cohesive color scheme for the front porch.

Another floor plan option features a more traditional pair of outdoor club chairs and a comfy outdoor sofa to fill the space.

And here are the featured sofa and chairs on a virtual design board for the client’s review. These boards are so helpful for seeing everything in one place. They really help to visualize the finished design!

So, which floor plan do you prefer? Are you team sectional, or is the sofa and chairs more to your liking? Let me know in the comments section. I’m curious if you’re on the same page as my client on this one…

I’ll wait until next time to tell you which floor plan the client chose and then we’ll talk about how things evolved from there!

Until next time, make sure to like Robinson Interiors on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter, and DO stay tuned for future posts about my work, travels, and design inspirations, not to mention tips and ideas for updating your own home!

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