The material costs of slate aren't that cheap unless you are buying the box store stuff that has about a 40%-50% cull rate. And the installation costs for slate are a LOT higher than almost any other natural stone, which is in turn higher than any porcelain. Because even gauged slate will vary a lot, slate is a lot of work to get set correctly without a lot of lippage. It's best set in an old fashioned mud bed rather than with conventional thin set, and there simply aren't a lot of people out there that have the skills to do that anymore. Plus, it takes up more thickness for the floor, and you have to account for that from the beginning of the design if you want flush transitions. If this is to be a completely covered 3 or 4 season room, then I'd recommend some type of porcelain, even a faux slate if you like the look, together with underfloor electric heating cables, or hydrionic if you're doing a boiler. Electric won't soley heat the room in winter, but if you are using a woodstove, it will help keep your feet warm. If you do the PEX for the water, it will provide a toasty warm and comfortable environment for the winter months if you also use good quality windows. If you're not up for putting in high dollar windows, then forget heating the space int he winter and have a 3 season rather than 4 season room. You should make sure that your slab is insulated properly from the surrounding soil regardless of if you choose in floor heating or not if you want to use this in the colder months.

Yes, I love the painting, too, that's why I was so taken with the museum banner from Los Angeles that advertised the traveling impressionist exhibit. The size fits nicely on the back of the bump out (fireplace on the other side of the wall). I have not heard back from the distributor yet, eg3, so I don't know what the shipping will be. I love the woven bistro chairs and the price is not really a deterrent, I am just afraid they will make everything too busy. If the clearance chairs don't work I can always use them as extra outdoor chairs for parties, so I don't mind ordering them without seeing or sitting in them. mtnredux, that diagonal gives off such a 70's vibe... I don't understand why it was installed that way!

I will definitely be putting: string lights, an outdoor rug, some curtains, etc. I already have that mosaic table, and a colorful banner. Now, they already put a clear sealant on the wood. The color isn't my favorite but I may leave it that color for now and see if I can live with it. I do like the red color of the wood they used for the trim. I may paint the roof blue. And possibly stain the concrete. Am also thinking of a gel pad under the rug (the kind sold for where people stand a lot) for an exercise/aerobics area. Concrete by itself is a bit too hard on my knees. And maybe a small water garden or feature. This post was edited by Violet.West on Sun, Feb 2, 14 at 15:47

Hi Amy, my porch is 13' x 13' and I've got two couches, a coffee table, and a small bistro set for two out there. There isn't a good spot to hang a tv, so we have a small 30 or 40" tv we carry out and put on the coffee table to watch football games on nice days. I did a little mock-up of how ours is arranged (definitely not to scale!). We're around 400 miles from you where it's also incredibly humid and I'd say in Charleston, you could easily use yours year round with a ceiling fan in summer and some blankets in winter. Our couches can comfortably fit two adults with room for personal space in-between, three if everyone's cuddly and/or not overly beefy. The coffee table in the middle of a walkway is normally a dumb idea, but it's not as close to the door as the pic shows and there's room enough to navigate on both sides. Everything can also be be pushed around or moved more to one side if we need to drag something bigger through the middle. I typically keep the couch backs pulled out a foot or so from the porch sides to keep them from getting wet when it rains (with the big storms though, water comes all the way into the middle sometimes). Pushing them back out allows for more walkway room if people are over. As for height, mine is a 9' flat ceiling, and while something vaulted or higher would feel airier, it would also be a pain to reach to clean (especially when the pollen coats EVERYTHING in spring). It's nice to just need a stepladder to clean the ceiling fan or the ceiling itself. One thing I would add is extra electrical outlets and definitely more lighting. The ceiling fan light isn't enough, so if you think you'd like to read out there in the evening or be able to see the people you're talking to at night, add some extra lighting. A swinging chair might fit in the 35" space below next to the bottom couch with some extra inches too from the couch pushed right more. I think you can make it work if you forego a sectional maybe? Or have two couches in an L with a swinging chair in the corner where they meet, depending on your setup and doorways. If you made it this far, hope it helps some for ideas and helps make up for some of those intial unhelpful comments. Excited for you and you'll have to show us pics of the porch when it's done!