Before & After: Porch gets cozy

Key accessories help transform an uninviting three-season porch into a cozy getaway.

August 31, 2010 at 9:27PM
After: The porch is now an inviting retreat
After: The porch is now an inviting retreat (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

THE CHALLENGE: Turn a dark, underused porch into a comfortable place to unwind

The designers: Randy Heinrich and Liz Schultz of Heinrich+Schultz, Edina, 952-920-2258, www.heinrichschultz.com.

Porch project: Heidi Martinson said her family rarely used the three-season porch in their Medina home because it felt dark, cold and unfinished. "It doesn't get a lot of sunlight," she said. "We wanted Randy and Liz to add their special touches to make it feel brighter and warmer."

The room's generous size and two-story vaulted ceiling made it seem cold and uninviting, said designer Liz Schultz. "It needed warm colors, texture and natural elements." The design team started by integrating existing furnishings, including an area rug, a sofa, two chairs and wrought iron chandelier into the makeover plan.

Mirror, mirror on the wall: Schultz and Heinrich hung an oil-bronzed mirror with metal bird accents above the natural stone fireplace to draw the eye to the room's best feature. It also complements the bronze metal sconces on each side. "The reflection of the chandelier in the mirror gives the room movement and life," Heinrich said.

Design trick: A large floor lamp beside the sofa. "It's unexpected to have a big floor lamp in a porch, but it fills out the space, provides light and draws your eye down from the tall ceiling," Schultz said.

Splashes of color: Heinrich and Schultz used pillows and accessories to infuse bright orange, gray and white hues into the existing neutral palette.

Appealing accents: The preserved boxwood accents add texture and greenery without requiring water. Cocktail table accents include a recycled tire tray for magazines and a white ceramic pear to draw out the white in the pillows. An iron motif is repeated in the candleholders, chandelier, sconces and mirror frame.

Simple finishing touch: A neatly stacked pile of logs on each side of the fireplace.

The result: "It's a soft contemporary space with glass, metal, stone and color," said Schultz. "All these pieces complement each other and complete the room." Martinson said now the family relaxes in the restyled porch and takes in the changing seasons. "It's cozy and you can wrap in a blanket and read a book or have a glass of wine," she said.

Before: The underused porch was dark.
Before: The underused porch was dark. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Randy Heinrich and Liz Schultz, of the Edina design firm Heinrich + Schultz, redecorated the porch.
Randy Heinrich and Liz Schultz, of the Edina design firm Heinrich + Schultz, redecorated the porch. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

Lynn Underwood

Reporter

Lynn Underwood is a reporter for the Star Tribune's Home & Garden section covering remodeling, design, trends, new housing, architecture and gardening. She also writes for the Variety section.  

See More