Exterior
Decorative reminders of agrarian life. Decor like a vintage tobacco-drying basket (on the wall at right); coiled sweetgrass baskets, initially made by the Gullah-Geechee to winnow rice; and a cotton wreath evoke the region’s agricultural past. So would pillow covers and table linens dyed in indigo, whose production French-born textile artist Caroline Harper is working to revive in South Carolina.
Daybed swings with a bright future. Daybed swings are giving other porch perches a run for their money these days, perhaps because they combine the swaying of rockers and the roominess of hammocks with the comfort of sofas. Their popularity has produced a cottage industry in the Charleston area, where manufacturers include Bulls Bay Bed, Carolina Hanging Beds, Lowcountry Swing Beds, Original Charleston Bedswing and Vintage Porch Swings. Swing: Original Charleston Bedswing; browse porch swings
Rocking chairs’ endurance. The rocking chair is as American as apple pie, gracing porches around the country in Shaker, Mission, bentwood, wicker and more contemporary styles. The rocking chairs on this wraparound screened porch are made in North Carolina by Troutman Chair, which mills local logs at its own sawmill and uses Shaker construction techniques. Mississippian Greg Harkins selects and fells the trees for his handcrafted rocking chairs, which he has made for, among others, five U.S. presidents and a pope.
Haint blue paint and an old superstition. It’s common to see the ceilings of Southern porches painted what’s known as haint blue — again, not a specific color, but rather any number of soft, pale blues, from aqua to periwinkle. The name is said to have originated with enslaved Africans living on the coast and coastal islands of the Southeast. (They’re known as Gullah in the Carolinas and Geechee in Georgia and Florida.) In their folklore, evil spirits called haints can’t cross water, and painting porch ceilings and doorways the color of water was a way of tricking the spirits into leaving the house alone. As time went on, the color also took on the reputation of being able to repel wasps and mosquitoes, perhaps because paint back then sometimes contained lime or indigo, known insect repellents. In any case, painting a porch ceiling sky blue is a charming way of blending the indoors and out. Max Crosby Construction of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, used Sherwin-William’s Piazza Blue for this ceiling. It has been discontinued, but other Max Crosby haint blue favorites are Sherwin-Williams’ Atmospheric and Blue Horizon.
Charleston green paint and a small act of rebellion. A green so deep that it appears in many lights to be black is a popular color for exterior trim and outdoor furniture in Charleston and beyond. Legend has it that the U.S. government sent gallons of basic black paint to help the city rebuild after the Civil War, but rather than use it as it was, the proud residents added a touch of yellow or green to make it their own. The formulas vary, but most paint companies offer a version of Charleston green. Sherwin-Williams, for example, offers Greenblack. On this porch, Charleston green paint coats the shutters and handrail. The ceiling, handrail and two-by-two pickets are cypress, a wood native to the Southeast that’s moisture- and insect-resistant. The floor is tongue-and-groove ipe.
Problems securing French doors
Stones in Cottage Gardens Stones can play key roles in cottage gardens. Houzz user ciderhillfarm repurposed these stones from an old dug-out barn foundation on the property. The spectacular color palette in this garden reminds me of the garden color theories presented by iconic garden designer Gertrude Jekyll. The planting plan includes California poppies, corn poppies, delphiniums, salvias, daylilies, catmint and snow-in-summer daisies.
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