Decorating & Design
See How A Screened Porch Is Transformed Into A Welcoming Retreat
Updated on November 28, 2023
It’s hard to believe that this charming screened porch in the Kawarthas was once used for storing wood and little else. One of the challenges was the original wraparound bench. Though a good idea in theory, it was too shallow to offer comfortable seating and made furniture placement difficult. “It forced everyone to the edges of the room,” says designer Cynthia Ferguson. “It felt like a hockey locker room with all of the players lined up along the bench.”
Scroll down to see how Cynthia transformed the space with color, vintage finds and woven furniture!
Enlisted by the homeowners to create the kind of lush, indoor-outdoor living rooms they’d experienced in their travels, Cynthia first removed the bench and continued the board-and-batten wall panelling down to the floor. The walls and ceiling were then painted in Benjamin Moore’s Arborcoat Premium Exterior stain, custom-matched to Farrow & Ball’s Railings, an immersive blue-black.
The dramatic shade worked to recede into the setting, drawing in the greenery beyond the screens. “Using the same color on the walls, ceiling and bar cabinet created a streamlined backdrop for the soft brown and blond tones we added in the space,” says Cynthia. “We weren’t spending money on enlarging the windows, so this was a way to bring in the outside, create impact and let Mother Nature do her thing.”
Different paint finishes — a semitransparent stain for the walls and ceiling and a matte finish on the bar cabinet — highlight the varying materials and add subtle shifts in tone.
For an easy DIY project, here’s how to get the look of this painted chest!
What You Need:
DryDex, 150-grit sandpaper or sanding sponge, vacuum, primer, 600-grit sandpaper, Farrow & Ball’s Estate Emulsion paint in Railings (31) and urethane (optional).
Instructions:
1. Remove the interior shelving and all of the cabinet hardware.
2. If you’re changing the hardware, fill in any holes with DryDex.
3. Lightly sand the cabinet with 150-grit sandpaper, inside and out, to help the primer adhere and to address minor imperfections.
4. Vacuum the surfaces of the cabinet, inside and out.
5. Apply a coat of primer. When dry, lightly sand the surface with 600-grit sandpaper to create a smooth surface.
6. Paint the cabinet and shelves with two coats of Railings in the Estate Emulsion, one of the brand’s matte finishes, and set aside to cure for two days.
7. Reinstall the shelving and apply a clear coat of urethane, if desired. Install the cabinet hardware.
There’s no heating system and no glass on the windows so, aside from a few vintage pieces and accessories, the furniture is rated for outdoor use.
Vintage blankets were selected in a mix of fabrics, from lightweight cotton to wool, to capture all of the seasons. “Blankets are one of those things we layer in to make sure everyone feels right in the space,” says Cynthia.
High-performance fabrics are easy-care and durable, including the preppy striped drapes which stay up year-round. Beyond good looks, the drapes also provide a sheltering effect, helping mitigate light and temperature. “I’m using drapes in exterior spaces all over the place now,” says Cynthia. “The thing I really like is how they keep the warmth of the day on the porch during cooler nights. Close them around 4 p.m. and you can still feel the warmth at 7 p.m.”
Cynthia used a mix of woven furniture, vintage finds and gallons of paint to inject new life into the space.
Light and dark, old and new, the porch is now the centerpiece of the owners’ outdoor cottage lifestyle, a place to read, sip cocktails and, above all, linger — a missed opportunity no longer. Says Cynthia: “They live out there until the snow flies.”
Donna Griffith
House & Home May 2022
Cynthia Ferguson