...because home doesn't happen overnight.

Check out my guest post on Wayfair today! I recently made over a corner of my dad and bonus mom’s wraparound porch. It was a lot of fun. Two teaser words for you: porch couch.

Since you know I like to keep things real, I thought it would be fun to take you behind the shoot and share the nitty gritty details. I’ve always thought the ‘how’ is just as interesting as the ‘what.’

My dad and stepmom were gone for the day when the makeover took place. HH took the boys for the day and Mabrey came with me to the shoot. Luckily, she took a good nap and I was able to style everything, take shots and clean up all while she was sleeping. I lugged my camera and the accessories over in my car. Most of the decor came from our attic. I bought four outdoor pillows from Home Depot on clearance for $6 each. They’re the patterned coral ones. After the shoot, I returned them. Is that bad?

The wraparound porch is attached to the home I lived in from the age of 14 until I moved out for college. My dad built the house and porch with his own two hands. DIY. It’s in my blood. The part of the porch I made over is a corner bump out. It’s sort of like a gazebo + porch in one. I’ve always loved it.

Hummingbirds love it too. There are about a half dozen hummingbird feeders hung around the porch that have to be refilled every few days. At any given point in time, you can spot eight or more birds at one feeder.

Fun fact #1: The side table is actually an outdoor table. It used to live in the master bedroom of our previous home. It’s come full circle.

I brought the raisin bread and coffee mug from my house. They spurred the ‘breakfast on the porch’ idea. The coffee is actually root beer that I found in my dad’s fridge. I shot the makeover in the early afternoon so it was too late for real coffee. After I finished the shoot, I ate all the raisin bread and drank the root beer.

Fun fact #2: When I was little I would fill a coffee mug with RC Cola, no ice, and pretend I was drinking coffee on a soap opera.

I clipped the greenery in the vase from my dad’s flower bed. I think it’s a dappled willow.

I felt cheesy taking a picture of myself on the porch couch. I had on no makeup, didn’t fix my hair and the dress I’m wearing is really a swimsuit coverup from Target.

Fun fact #3: I don’t read the newspaper. I find it too depressing.

My childhood home overlooks an Ohio valley. The view is even better in person. Especially during fall. It’s almost here!

To see the full story, hop on over to Wayfair!

Check to see who won the D. Lawless Hardware giveaway here.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

17 Comments

14.September.2012

I love it! :)
Beautiful job setting everything up!

14.September.2012

Looking good, Dana. I especially love the coral pillows and the white side table. Great job. Hmm…raisin bread.

14.September.2012

i love your fun facts–cracked me up!

14.September.2012

I am looking for a simple inexpensive black pendant light for over my kitchen sink. I do not live near an ikea. Any suggestions?

14.September.2012

What a beautiful place and I like the makeover. That’s funny about taking the pillows back. I think people do that a lot! I have a friend that needed a pediatric blood pressure cuff for one person for one time, went to walgreen’s, bought it, used it, returned it. I felt slightly shocked at first, but I guess whatevs!! Doesn’t really harm anyone and particularly nice clean pillows that “just somehow weren’t quite right” can got right back on the shelf. Or in the case of Home Depot, back into those weird wire holders. You must be having a blast with all the branching out you are doing. Congratulations!!

14.September.2012

Have you found a good quality fake fiddle leaf tree? It is not practicle for me to have a live one in my home.

14.September.2012

Love It! Thanks for keeping it real!!

14.September.2012

The fun facts are hysterical.

15.September.2012

Beautiful makeover Dana.. I especially like the couch and the view is gorgeous..
Those coral pillows just add the right pop of color..Why did you return them, were your parents not happy with the color? The price was sure right!

15.September.2012

Gorgeous! I miss big porches and views of the beautiful Ohio Valley (& its hills!) now that I’m living in Chicago.

16.September.2012

I just love the reddish/pinkish/orangish pillows. Adore.

16.September.2012

I purchased them just for the photo shoot. My parents never saw the finished product until the Wayfair post! They did like it.

17.September.2012

Hi Dana!! I love your parents beautiful porch and I love that you call her your bonus mom!!!:)

17.September.2012

Hi! I love everything you style! I visit your site daily for inspiration and just to look at all the pics of your beautiful home! I had a couple questions: where is the white outdoor side table from? Also, you posted months ago about a round floral rug you purchased from Overstock that you had planned to put in the nursery but then you put another rug in there. Where did you end up putting the floral rug? Just curious!

17.September.2012

I love the behind the scenes “stage magic” confessions here :) Reminds me of the time I read an interview with a teen model in Seventeen who said the jeans she wore in the photo were cut open down the backside to make them fit her.

17.September.2012

The outdoor table was a Frontgate outlet find. I’m telling you, I find way too many deals off I-75, Exit 19. There’s an IKEA, Ballard Designs outlet, Grandin Road outlet and Frontgate outlet all within a mile of each other!

Good eye on the nursery rug! The floral rug ended up being too small for the room. But it took me a while to accept that fact because I loved the print so much. That’s a lesson learned there. I won’t be buying anything else I love unless I know it will work. I guess the other lesson is not to be afraid to try something else if your first try isn’t cutting it. For now, the rug is rolled up in Mabrey’s closet. I have a few relatives interested in it, so it’s not a lost cause!

18.September.2012

The shoot looks beautiful! Great job :)