The answering machine hummed the usual messages as I walked into our home after work and picking up the children from school. A friend had called to say hello. My sister phoned to ask me a question. Husband called to check in. Wanda Ventling from Creative Home called. Wait a minute. Replay that message.

“Hi, we read your entry for our magazine’s porch room makeover,” she said.

Then, Wanda uttered those seven words every design-loving woman wants to hear… “We are going to decorate your room.”

While I am a somewhat out of shape middle-aged mother, this didn’t stop me from screaming, jumping and laughing. The children ran into the room and started doing the same thing until my daughter asked me “Mama, why are we jumping up and down?”

This phone message embarked my family upon a fast-paced decorating journey that culminated in the creation of an elegant and functional sunroom. Not only has this room become our favorite space, but we have also gained a greater appreciation for the virtue of making a house a home with a little bit of creativity, vision and a lot of paint.

Through a series of email exchanges, a videotape of our home and detailed description of our porch, Wanda and her team began to see the challenge before them. We had recently moved into the home of our dreams with all the right ingredients: lots of character, good location and a great backyard for the children. However, our renovation budget didn’t include the screened-in porch facing the backyard. I called it our “neglected room” and it looked like it. Old furniture that didn’t find a place in the rest of the house ended up on the porch. There was no lighting and a squeaky fan hung from the ceiling. While the rest of our home had a warm, English cottage feel, the porch looked like a cold afterthought.

In addition to structural details, Wanda inquired about our family’s wants and needs for the porch. Mike wanted comfort where he could relax while looking at the backyard. I wanted overhead lighting and anything but traditional Florida wicker. All the children wanted to know was when the magazine team was coming (waiting for three weeks is a lifetime for a nine and seven-year-old.)

Soon, boxes started arriving at our door and a sneak peek revealed Wanda not only listened to our requests, but also exceeded them. Crates of furniture, pillows and lights lined up inside our garage. This was better than Christmas. I couldn’t stop smiling. Every container held a clue to Wanda’s vision for the makeover.

When the Creative Home team arrived, Editor Wanda Ventling, Art Editor Becky Lau Ekstrand and Carpenter Andy Ventling got busy. First, they surveyed the porch they had only read about and seen in photos. They tentatively placed the furniture in the room and identified where the three chandeliers would hang.

A local electrician began wiring the ceiling for the lights and contractor Brian Vachon reinforced the roof in order to support the lighting. Meanwhile, Mike and I began cleaning the porch. Admittedly, it had been awhile since I had cleaned the aluminum ceiling. Dust and cobwebs were attacked so the space would be ready for paint.

Then, Becky, Mike and I began painting the ceiling a soothing sage color while Adam and Wanda began building a sideboard. After painting a few strokes, I realized why I had always wanted to be taller… painting a ceiling is hard work! Thankfully, six-foot-one Adam helped Mike finish the rest of the painting. So, I took my brush and followed Becky and Wanda for another painting project: the dining table and sideboard.

Wanda had brought some beautiful brown transferware china that she incorporated onto the table designed by a Des Moines artist. Quickly, the room began taking shape. Two sisal rugs hugged the brick floor. A stately boxwood topiary in an ebony porcelain urn stood next to the wall. Customized brown fabric draped the sideboard with elegant china and flowers on top. Wrought iron chairs with tailored toile cushions sat next to the dining table.

What was once an eyesore became a focal point. Wanda hung weather resistant muslin and houndstooth fabric drapes on one of the screened walls, hiding an unsightly air conditioner and creating a feeling reminiscent of the 1920s art deco period, Hollywood style. Nearby, two patina iron garden decors were hung on the wall.

The creative coup de grace was the customized chaises covered in an olive tapestry by Joe Ruggiero’s Norwalk Collection. Silk pillows completed the seating area and a pink throw indicated which chaise belonged to me, with lush brown pillows reserving a spot for Mike. Who would have thought of a “his and hers” pair of chaises in a porch? A wrought iron chandelier graced the space between them above two nesting tables. This would be a place for some serious lounging. The other amber beaded chandeliers highlighted the painted table in the dining area.

In real life, I am a college professor, but I became a student in Design 101 during Creative Home’s visit. As a teacher, I know the value of learning a few good lessons and this experience gave me several:

Lesson #1:
Paint is your friend. Don’t be afraid to add some color to a room and, yes, even a ceiling. This sets the tone for a warm ambience and can be done very inexpensively.

Lesson #2:
There is beauty in the unexpected. I would have never thought to place chandeliers and chaises in a porch, but this touch has added greatly to a feeling of comfort and warmth.

Lesson #3:
Good design doesn’t have to be expensive. As Wanda shared with me, you can choose one customized piece and accent around it with inexpensive items. Next to the chaises are nesting tables Wanda found at a fabric store. All the fabric came from a value supercenter and many of the accessories were found in local design stores on sale.

Lesson #4:
Use what you love. Wanda picked up quickly that Mike and I love traditional pieces with an Old World feeling. All of the furniture, lighting, and fabric reflect this appreciation for all things old.

Lesson #5:
Candles and flowers make a difference. On the table, store-bought roses sit inside the brown transferware beside candles in glass hurricanes. This is an easy decorating tool that allows me to change flowers according to the season. I can use clusters of red carnations for the winter holidays, pink roses for springtime and yellow daisies in the summer.

Perhaps the ultimate compliment to the Creative Home team is when friends come by to see the sunroom and comment how this space looks exactly like us. This room truly is a reflection of everything we love. Mike put it best when he said, “We are happiest when we are home.” Thanks to Creative Home Magazine, we now have a beautiful room with a view.