We have our 4th of July buntings up! They look so good I was inspired to take some FAQs from yall about these patriotic decorations and our summer time front porch.
A 4th of July Bunting and Our Porch
Before I get to the questions, aren’t these buntings so festive? I have wanted to do this for years, but in our last house there just wasn’t the right spot.
I hung these 4th of July buntings up the other morning before it got too hot out- they are worth every penny and only took a minute to set up.
large red white and blue pleated fans / small pleated fans
I actually think I could have put these patriotic buntings up over Memorial Day and just left them through July 4th holiday.
But enough about these 4th of July buntings. On Instagram last week I said I was going to be answering some of the questions and just talking about our porch in general.
Q: Are you afraid of your white brick getting dirty and what do you do to maintain that?
As far as the brick on the house, after our second spring here I started noticing parts of the brick (closer to the ground) where mud had splashed and left stains. Especially by my son’s basketball goal. The soil here is red, which is a huge contrast obviously.
We waited until pollen season was over and had the house power washed (on a low setting for the brick) and the brick was looking bright white again. I don’t know if anyone else would notice the difference, but I’m always paying attention to the brick. I think if you’re going to have a white house it’s just part of the cost… power washing every few years would be good enough for the average homeowner I would guess!
As far as white brick on the steps and the border around the porch, the white steps get dirty. I take a hose with a power nozzle to the steps when they get muddy. The brick porch floor was painted with a whitewash effect on it and it hides some dirt.
I wrote about owning a house with white brick and all the maintenance, read it here!
Q: How Did You Hang Your 4th of July Bunting Up?
I don’t know if there is a proper way, but I just grabbed a few larger white command hooks and stuck them on the side of the porch directly under the ceiling. I slid the hole in the buntings up over the hooks, and then secured it all with a ziptie. Easy!
Q: Where is your door mat from and how big is it?
I love our oversized Hello doormat I found on Wayfair! I bought this on mega sale on Way Day. It’s huge- 3’ x 6’, but comes in standard and smaller sizes too. Perfect size for double doors, but it could also be centered in front of one door if you have the space on the sides.
Q: What is that wood called on your porch ceiling?
It is called a tongue and groove ceiling. It was already in the plans so I don’t really know much more than what it’s called and that it is one of the most common things people comment on. You can find tongue and groove material for sale at Home Depot.
Q: What plants do you have out that are real?
I have a gardenia that is doing okay so far. I’m crossing my fingers because they are fickle plants to keep in a pot.
I couldn’t resist trying because I love the shape! If you are looking for a lifelike faux tree I really like this one from Crate and Barrel. It comes with a heavy price tag, but if you’re in it for the long haul it might be a good commitment. It’s a nice faux looking tree.
Besides the gardenia, I have this short and wide pot with hydrangeas in them. We have a ton of deer here (they eat hydrangeas), but knock on wood so far they don’t come up on the porch at night.
The wreaths on the door are not real.
Q: How do you keep your wreaths stuck to the door?
We use the biggest command hooks you can find. Theses are big and stick to the glass. They hide fairly well behind our wreaths.
Q: Do you leave your chairs out year round? What about the cushions- do they get mildewy?
Rocking chairs are essential to a southern front porch! But no, we don’t bring our rocking chairs in in the winter but that is only because our winters are mild. The cushions don’t get mildewy (probably because they are Sunbrella fabric) and we shake the dust off them. The blue stripe pillows are new this season from Target and we will see how they hold up. They’re a fun touch.
I was nervous to order the rocking chairs without actually seeing them first, but they are holding up well for us. It helps that they are in a covered area. They were easy for my husband to assemble and I’m relieved I didn’t go with something cheaper!
The seat itself is roomy to sit in, because I always have little people crawling into my lap. Our chairs are covered under the roof so I am sure that keeps them in better condition than if they were exposed, but after 1.5 years in they are doing great.
Q: Where is the black bench you sit on while talking on stories a lot?
This little black bench is on the side of our house, not the porch! I am crazy about this bench. I always watch the kids play with their garage toys and have to stand or perch on the step inside the garage.
This outdoor bench is such a great price and now I have a nice place to sit while watching them. Highly recommend this bench! It’s a perfect size!
Q: How long do the batteries last on the lanterns you have on your steps? Have they run out yet?
I have these white lanterns and these navy lanterns out there and they pretty filthy right now. But the automatic flameless candles inside the lanterns have been awesome. (Make sure the size you buy fits the lantern!) I have a total of 5 candles out there. I believe I have had them out on the porch for roughly two months now. Each lantern takes a few batteries.
These candles turn on and off by themselves for 5 hour increments each night- I have them set to light up at 7pm, and then they go off at midnight! I love that I don’t have to think about that.
Q: I know you must love all the light from the glass doors, but does the lack of privacy bother you?
So, I thought it might. We actually meant to go with seeded glass but forgot to do anything about that until it was too late. When we moved in, I realized even if we had a solid front door it would make no difference for privacy because we have windows everywhere.
This style of glass door is pretty common in our neighborhood. A few of our neighbors have the seeded glass doors (they blur everything looking in/out) and they seem to let just as much light in. But clearly I’m a sucker for light so… no, no regrets although it was not intentional. I can see how it could be bothersome if your living spaces are towards the front of the house.
I hope you enjoyed hearing about our 4th of July bunting and everything else on the porch!
You will also like our blue living room, or take a peek at all of my home tour posts here!
