You say porch, I say deck

Rob said, "What is our next house project?"  I said, "Refreshing the porch!"  Rob said, "We have a porch?"  "The deck!  The deck!'  After months of Between Naps on the Porch viewing, I have come to think of our Southern California deck, as a Southern Porch.  Nonetheless, it is time to refresh the deck/porch.  So on January 23, I took before pictures.  The deck has seen better days.

January 23, 2011: Began Refreshing the Backyard Deck

The plan:
• Clean, clean, clean!
• Recover the cushions
• Replace the muslin drapes with bamboo shades
• Take down the gazebo Christmas lights
• Replace the gazebo light missing glass
• Replace the house lights
• Replace the door mat
• Replace the rug - buy three rattan rugs that match (perhaps)
• Purchase a table (temporary ok until after summer sales)
• Frame the outside windows with white or black shutters or something else wonderful
• Replant pots
• Move the potting bench
• Scrub the tile table
• Spray all furniture and CLEAN
• Lightly sand wood to get rid of splinters
• Purchase great table

A plan began to evolve!  I love this stage of dreaming and action.

Refreshing the deck includes finding the perfect table. I know what I want - a rectangular, aluminum table with either a tile or lattice top. I don't want glass since our Southern California deck needs to weather 110+ degrees in the summertime. But I haven't found it yet.  It is early in the patio furniture offerings and even earlier in the sales. Perhaps I should wait for the after season sales and find something as a transition table.  Sort of like a table with training wheels as I prepare for PERFECTION.

SO, yesterday while at the end of the month sale at the Salvation Army (1/2 Off EVERYTHING - and it's a donation!), I found a glass patio table for $25 - that's $12.50 with the 1/2 off sale if you're doing the math!  Of course I bought it.  Now I can continue my deck refresh, planning with a table that I can use until I officially fall in love with table perfection.

Welcome home, Salvation table. On the deck waiting to be loved and refreshed.

Today I will clean, clean, clean the Salvation table, and spray paint the base and sides to match my other furniture.

 Deck gazebo piled with deck furniture waiting to be cleaned.  Note the canvas drapes desperate to be replaced with bamboo shades.

 Base scrubbed into submission.

 Glass table top among other deck furniture waiting to be scrubbed with OXYCLEAN.

 OXYCLEAN to the rescue.  This is a green product that won't cause havoc on the aviaries that are below our deck.  We practice green cleaning and gardening as much as possible ..... backyard registered as a National Wildlife Habitat.

 Rub-a-dub-dub on the deck!  We keep it natural wood for lots of reasons but also try to keep it clean and mildew free. 

 Progress made!

 After a good Oxyclean and steel-wool massage, Salvation table received two coatings of Satin Chocolate Brown Spray Paint. 

 I'm so pretty!

 While the paint dried, we hung the new bamboo Roman blinds, needed to keep the bright sun off the deck and allow for privacy when needed.

 Newly scrubbed tile table hosts bird eggs and nesting box.

 Felt a tablescape coming on...grabbed my Pier 1 bird dishes and flowers from last weeks table for a quick photo op.

Love the yellow, greens and pinks in the late afternoon January light.

 Sun beginning to set on a day and project progressed but not yet finished. 

 Potting bench acting in the role of backstage prop table.

 Stage set for tomorrow's potting and snacking.

 The gazebo begins to sleep....Ruby is way ahead on the napping.

As Shakespeare wrote, "To sleep, perchance to dream."  Sleep well sweet Ruby and dream of deck delights to come. Thank you for keeping us company today, dear girl.

P.S.  Sunday morning, we awoke to gentle raindrops but enough resolve to put the table back together.  I'd say my husband did a great job on metamorphising this Salvation table! She will see us through for a while ... until we meet Table Perfection.