Make my porch


Last week my job from my vacation house ran in Aftonbladet Härligt Hemma.

I was on the porch, cup cake in my hand, the photographer Angelica clicking away when I tought about how much it felt like a Pippi Longstocking porch. I had just a moment to think we should have a horse up here when my neighbourg Maja where riding by with the Lilla Gubben look-a-like Blixt! We where so happy and Blixt is such a star!

I showed you the drawings with the ideas for this entrance before. I chose a real hand crafted door “the Leksand” from the local company Leksandsdörren. They painted it with Falu Svart cause I wanted it to match the other old doors on our other houses. I love this old kind of paint. It is really matte and the black is sort of red, brown blackish. Very beautiful.

The hanging baskets with flowers it’s a tradition from my mother in laws mum. Every summer she hanged them on that spot so I feel I have to continue this tradition! Look at the rombs in the door- such a fine job – the wood is brushed for extra patina!

This is what the house has been looking like since the 70’s when they did a big renovation. Because of the small windows and the closed door it was really dark in there – and you couldn’t see anything from what was going on in the garden – such a pity.

This is what the house looked like some 100 years ago. This is my husbands family. My kids are the 6th generation in this house. I like beeing here because of the history. Look at all the big lovely windows and the panel is horizontal – I love it!

So I got inspired of the old windows that used to be in the house and I put in another door just for the light. I think I will paint the porch but I’ll have to wait until next year since the wood needs to dry first.

If you want to build your own porch I have some tips:

Use some  flour to mark where you want it to be. Also you can do other cool stuff with flour in your garden like this.

Rent the machines that you don’t own or borrow from a neighbour. We had to get rid of the top of this old stairs. Renting a good machine for it saved us so much time, muscle ache and it didn’t cost much.

Do a good job with the ground. Clear the layer of grass, cover the ground with mark cloth. If you buy blocks in stead of making them yourself (they need around a months time to burn) – there are some with adjustable fittings wich are great! And make sure to level both the blocks and the first frame of wood.



This is how we did the frames with the studs. There are never more than 60 cm in between a stud where the floor is going to rest on and it’s not more than 120 cm between each concrete block. All the wood and the floor comes from Karl Hedin. On this image you can also see how the floor looked like. It was dark brown but allready lost a lot of color.


Another tought is to make the porch larger than you think you need, if just by some centimeters. Somehow you often tend to make it too small and with all the hard work you better make it right the first time!

I wish there was more sun this summer so I could enjoy the porch even more!

All the top 3 images and the after-image are taken by lovely Angelica Söderberg!

15 Comments

Join the discussion and tell us your opinion.

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Silvia
July 25, 2012 at 12:59

It looks so nice & colorful!

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Melissa@Julia’s Bookbag
July 25, 2012 at 16:39

FASCINATING. Loved the old pix! So wonderful that there is so much family history in this house! Beautiful black paint color.

My house does not have a porch and it is my greatest sadness about the house — I’m going to figure out if I can tack one one on some day, I think I can…:)

My mother used to have the most wonderful porch, but her current house just has a really large patio – lovely but not the same as that porch, there was just something about it….

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Melissa@Julia’s Bookbag
July 25, 2012 at 16:41
– In reply to: Melissa@Julia's Bookbag

and THE HORSE! So very Pippi! And I’m reading it to my daughter right now for the very 1st time!

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Jennifer
July 25, 2012 at 16:40

It looks lovely! I’m just wondering though why they blocked the windows that you see in the oldest photo…

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Jenny at dos family
July 25, 2012 at 17:45

Great job!!

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Kicki
July 25, 2012 at 20:53

Vilken helt ljuvlig dörr!

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Katja of Skimbaco
July 25, 2012 at 22:48

Looks absolutely fantastic and I love the Pippi Longstockingish photo shoot with the dotted horse :)

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Sofiahedvigpr
July 26, 2012 at 00:13

Nice! You always look so happy and wonderful colorful:) Where do you get your energy from? / Tired mom of three…

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Maria Pardali
July 26, 2012 at 22:28

Hello there from Greece!!!
I just love you and your family!!! you always give me energy with your power to move on and I realy realy love so much!!!!
please tell us your secret about energy we need it……
kisses!!!!

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patricia
July 28, 2012 at 00:58

wow this is unbelievable! cheers to your new porch! Your home is an authentic inspiration!

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Elisa
July 29, 2012 at 13:55

Love your porch and all the little details you added! That door is fantastic.

The photoshoot is gorgeous!

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Elisa
July 29, 2012 at 13:57

I love your new porch and all the little details you added! The door is fantastic.

The photoshoot looks gorgeous!

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Elina
July 31, 2012 at 21:58

Vilka härligt fina bilder!!!

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Marlene
February 25, 2013 at 23:12

I love this! When I saw the thumbnail my first thought was “Pippi?!” She is not a bad character to emulate. :) Your porch is beautiful!

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Isabelle McAllister
February 25, 2013 at 23:18
– In reply to: Marlene

Thank you marlene! Yes she was my inspiration” and when i saw the horse i told my neighbour – come in here!