Posted by bumblebeez (My Page) on Fri, Mar 18, 11 at 17:00 "We have a screened in porch that I have decorated and each spring, when pollen is winding down, I bring in a hose through the front door and hose everything down. It works like a charm and is clean in several minutes. Now, this would deeply distress dh so I always do it while he is at work. But I've been doing it for 10 years so somethings right :-) I might do it twice during the pollen season. And I always pick a warm, sunny day and start early in the morning so everything will dry out. " I do a 4 step process that is similar. First, I put on a mask and take the leaf blower to the porch. Then, I pull the central vac outdoors through a window (reminds me that I need to have the vac guys come add an outlet closer to this window.) Next, I bring in the hose and water down every surface from windows to floor. I don't touch the ceiling because it is wood, but do knock down the cobwebs. Luckily, we have a waterspout near the porch and do not have to come through the front door with the hose. :) Lastly, I wash the windows, glass tables, etc. with window cleaner.

We were mulling over the same question a few years ago. We started out thinking screened porch but then realized how much we needed a 4-season gathering space when we entertained. Friends who had gone the 3-season route told us they were essentially 'no season' rooms because they were too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter (you know Minnesota extremes). So we decided to ante up for a 4-season room and we are so glad we did! We went 16'x24', put in 2 sliding glass patio doors to the deck, plus 8 good-sized windows, and a double French door to the dining room. It is a room of light all year round! We followed our furnace guy's recommendation to put in a gas fireplace for heat and a ductless minisplit for air conditioning. They both work splendidly and we can just turn them off and shut the door to the rest of the house when we're not using the room. We love the room in all seasons. With the help and advice of some very skilled siblings, we did almost all the work ourselves and it cost around $40,000.

Thanks Renee. It might not show up well in the photos, but the stonework around the porch has a lot of grey in it. And the door is a gray-toned blue. We also have a lot of rocks in the landscaping. So I guess I was wondering if I should play off those. I don't mind the brown, but just wondered if breaking it up would be better. I also questioned if a dark brown porch would be "too much" with the roof and the mulch.

Patricia Colwell Consulting: Floor, Mannington "Century Pebble" LVT, needed to be rigid core. Looks like terrazzo, light gray/tan. Thanks for reminder about "stuff". We are wanting to keep the space fresh. Getting new furniture, decor is taking weeks, even months these days. Only piece I'm emotionally attached to is table from family but that will get update. The space out door will have a deck, then be integrated into green space, plantings of perennials (pinks/whites), trees, bird baths/feeders, open country, sunsets. New fire pit. Privacy isn't a huge issue but will want to have an option. It's also NORTH exposure/back yard, gets mid to late afternoon sun. Trees and distance to the neighbors. Room is for relaxing, decompressing, restoring, staving off winter blues, enjoying a meal with nature. I want to read/art/music, my guy wants tv (I don't but I won't win that battle). It will have a Tiara II Heat N Glo direct vent gas stove in the corner. It is very comfortable.