Year Round Southern Outdoor Porch Entertaining

How to add more usable square footage to your home, with a four season room or porch. Tour this beautiful all season covered porch—fitted with Phantom retractable screens and vinyl, for cool air-conditioned days and warm, bug free nights! This space is overflowing with vintage charm, an outdoor kitchen & grilling station, sit down dining for 6 and a custom made hanging bed swing! 

Hello my friends! As promised, I’m back to share the grand finale of the Southern Romance house with you! The piece de la resistance… the back porch. Talk about the perfect place to entertain (or nap)! Just wait until you see it. If you missed the tour of the inside of the home from yesterday [click here] and go catch up.

In yesterdays tour we left off in the kitchen, about to head out to the porch.

As you can see, the kitchen window (original to the home) looks out over the porch, and them out further, into the backyard. 

Don’t you love that you can see through the front door of the home… all the way into the back yard? This home is not overly large, but it’s laid out perfectly. Today’s builders could take notes.

The triple set of vintage French doors boasts a working set of two, and one fixed, or stationary door. The color is divine!! It’s just the right shade of soft, faded watery blue. It’s very authentic the period of the home.

Here is where we get to the four season part of the porch. The entire porch is wrapped in Phantom retractable screens!

They are almost imperceptible, but the hidden motorized screens have been lowered in the shot above and below. These screens have a UV factor, keep out bugs & leaves… all while never hindering the view, or those blissful breezes! 

The very important breezes.

Along the side wall an outdoor kitchen was installed, and it boasts a sink, mini fridge and a built in grill! With plenty of counter space for prep and serving.

The outdoor dining table was constructed from one of the original interior doors from the house. Along with the painted floors… it adds such a great level of charm to the porch.

We had Phantom screens in our last house, and I love, really love that when you are not using them, you’d never know they were there. The versatility and ease of use is stellar. My favorite location was having them on the front door, because the screening never took away from the looks of the actual door when not in use. It’s super for aesthetics. 

You can see how on a double door, they meet perfectly in the middle. 

And again, on the exit from the porch, to the backyard. 

The porch is divided into a cooking and dining area to the right, and a relaxing and lounging area to the left.

I was lucky enough to get a few minutes on this daybed swing… and yeah, I want one! But I need this porch to go with it. That’s not too much to ask for is it? haha

This is the fireplace that was removed from the master bedroom, and wonderfully relocated to the porch. You’ll see those same tiles in the “secret room” in the house too! The space is air conditioned, and there is an electric heater as well, so it’s truly a four season porch! 

Looking out over the newly landscaped back yard. The raised flower beds are full of pansies and everything is getting ready to burst with all the rain.

In fact, there was a tornado close by, just the night before! The West Coast girl was not feeling it. Give me an earthquake any day.

The accent brick and the backing for the lions head was discovered buried on the property, and was incorporated into the final design.

They even got crafty with a stenciled style art project on the side of the garage, framing it with some character filled wood. You can read more about the homes beginnings and the Morgan and Ford families [by clicking here]

The little fountain was happily bubbling away… and when night fell, the lights were so pretty. (Sorry, night photography is way beyond my skill set)

In the shot below, you can just catch the reflection that lets you know the vinyl screens are lowered.

These things are crazy energy efficient, and make use of the porch year round a comfortable reality. The vinyl screens are capable of capturing both heating & cooling, which add more usable square footage to the home.

And then, they disappear like magic up into the headers and you’d never know they were there. We all know how important air conditioning and heating can be for comfortable everyday living for your family and when you’re entertaining guests. You want a comfortable temperature in order to fully relax and enjoy your spaces.

I’ll close with a pretty shot of the house, at night. Taken by a professional. 

Enjoy.

And with that, my Southern Romance journey has come to an end. I will be forever changed, having had the opportunity to travel to South.

To learn about the home, it’s occupants and some of it’s history and story, and to meet the real life people behind Phantom Screens. Esther, the CEO and her team, comprised of Paul, Richard, Sierra (and Kristina for part one). They may not be from the South, but they have got the hospitality thing down. (They could probably give lessons.) Talk about “good people”… they are all just stellar human beings.

I’m always torn traveling. I kind of feel like this…

On The Web | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

All About Phantom Screens [click here]

All About The Southern Romance Idea House [click here]

(includes videos, cool before & after slider photos, and lots of details and story telling!)

Special thanks to Phantom Screens for the opportunity to travel to Mobile and tour the home. It was a trip to remember and one I will never forget!

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