Screened Porch Tour: HGTV Green Home 2009

The screened porch of HGTV Green Home 2009 should come with a warning: Don’t get too comfortable on a sunny afternoon or you may just doze off. The L-shaped space is the perfect spot to kick back, relax and enjoy the sound of the tropical breezes rustling through the leaves of the palm trees. One could very well call it hypnotizing.

“It’s really an extension of the great room,” observes interior designer Linda Woodrum, who chose a tropical blue, cream and tan color palette and sisal-style outdoor carpeting for this romantic space, which can be viewed from the lounge, living room, master bedroom, kitchen and dining room.

The living area consists of a luxurious outdoor daybed with canopy crafted by carpenter David Brown. It’s dressed in a tan cushion with aqua blue and neutral zigzag print pillows, plus larger aqua-blue lumbar pillows. Two resin faux-bois end tables keep cool drinks within close reach and dendrobium orchids and fresh fruit find a place to rest on a metal pouf-style table. “You need a little shine in every room and that was perfect in that spot,” adds Woodrum. A cozy love seat mirrors the dressings of the daybed and is flanked by potted elephant-ear plants and oversized wicker baskets used in this instance as wall decor. Tortoiseshell ceiling fans with walnut blades hover overhead, guaranteeing cool breezes even on the steamiest Florida day.

Additional seating is provided by a low Asian-style, reclaimed-cypress plank table and benches, also crafted by Brown. Weather Wicker end chairs by Ebel offer a cushioned spot to relax after a day in the sun. “I didn’t want to put a dining-sized table on the patio because there already is a formal dining table connected to the outside,” adds Woodrum. “So that is more of a casual coffee-in-the-morning, cocktails-in-the-afternoon dining space.”

The winning features of this relaxation room? It’s all about comfort and convenience. Easy access to the hall bathroom via a patio door makes trips indoors unnecessary. A remote-controlled screen can be lowered to keep bugs and debris from putting a damper on outdoor entertaining and all-weather, Bali-blue drapes can be drawn when a light rain or wind disrupts outdoor gatherings or when complete privacy is required.

“Sometimes it is a screened porch but with the push of a button the screens are up and you are on a covered porch,” adds Woodrum. “You really can have it all in this wonderful space.”