Hummingbird’s Choice

Photo by David Dietrich.
Photo by David Dietrich.

“A porch should be a place where doing absolutely nothing at all is okay,” says Linda Constable of Ambiance Interiors. Naps and idle revelry seem the only “musts” in this romantic bower, where the top note is high mauve. Plush, subtly sophisticated fabrics play off a painted hardwood floor for a cottage-y look that never goes near “cute.”

Moreover,  a lush screen of palm, fern, ivy, and other flora make it truly an outdoor room. “You really can’t have too many plants if they are happy,” says Constable. It’s easy to spot joy in every aspect of the designer’s beloved, east-facing front porch, including examples of clever repurposing: a dining table made from an old sewing-machine base, for instance.

“The porch size doubled in size when we renovated 20 years ago — but the roof line stayed original, so it looks like it has always been there,” the designer remarks.

Here, books are preferred over electronic devices, and entertainment is free — and free-flowing. “You can watch squirrels or be entertained by dozens of hummingbirds. It’s important to connect with nature” — and a good porch, Constable says, “can always give you that.”

The look: Bohemian rustic

The luxe factor: Year-round romance, heated to help keep winter’s chill away.

RESOURCES: Interior Designer  Linda Constable, Ambiance Interiors; Willow chairs  Fiddlestix in Mars Hill (handmade by Todd Barrow/Rustic Raven); Fabrics and additional furniture  vintage finds; Paint grayed-out lilac for wicker, Benjamin Moore “Bottle of Bordeaux” for floor and trim.

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