I’ll start with a confession: when we finished the kitchen porch last fall, I resented it. “Resent” is a strong word for a porch, but the timing around the renovation made me have mixed feelings. The good news is I don’t feel that way anymore. Over the past year we added several practical elements and now the porch is one of the parts of our smaller home I’m most grateful for.
I love this space so much I’m writing this post from it right now. Call it Method Blogging—fully immersed in the setting I’m describing.
A Kitchen Porch Renovation Recap
Briefly: this porch used to be accessed from our bedroom, which originally had eight glass doors leading outside. We closed two of those doors to create a wall for our bed, replaced a black window with a new door, and connected the porch to the kitchen. That small change transformed an underused bedroom porch into a highly functional kitchen porch.
Converting the space made bringing groceries in from the driveway much easier and created a direct, covered route into the kitchen—handy in bad weather and when you’re juggling bags from the car.
We park our car just outside the gate beyond the porch, which gives us a short, covered path into the house. Guests still use the front parking and porch, but this side parking spot has been a practical convenience for daily life.
The grill sits just steps from the kitchen too, which makes cooking outside simple and enjoyable.
For context, here’s what the kitchen looked like when we bought the house:
The new layout has been a real game changer for daily routines, and it’s hard to overstate how much more functional the house feels now.
How We Improved It
To show the changes we made over the last year, Sherry filmed a short video tour that demonstrates the flow and the new features. The video shows how the porch functions in real life and highlights a few of the updates we made.
Note: you can also watch the tour on YouTube.
Adding Outdoor Cabinets for Shoe Storage
The biggest change since you last saw the porch is the addition of two outdoor cabinets designed specifically for exterior use. They replaced a decorative wicker console that offered no concealed storage and barely any durability.
These cabinets give us dedicated outdoor shoe storage, which is valuable since we don’t have a mudroom. We keep additional shoe storage in a cubby by the front door, so the porch cabinets are bonus space that also help keep sand and dirt from getting tracked through the house.
We were cautious about putting shoes in outdoor cabinets, but after several months—including hot, humid weather—there have been no issues with bugs, odors, or moisture. The cabinets have small vents for airflow and are built for outdoor conditions, which helps them resist swelling or warping.
Besides storage, the cabinets create useful counter space for grilling prep. The wood-framed concrete counters have been durable and weatherproof so far, and visually the cabinets extend the feel of our indoor kitchen onto the porch.
Adding a Water Feature
We enjoy the sound of running water by our pool, so we added a small, self-contained water fountain to the porch. It’s an easy kit—place the ball, fill with water, and plug it in—and the green patina complements our other outdoor metal accents. The fountain adds a pleasant background sound that enhances the space’s relaxing vibe.
We may move the fountain into the yard later once we sort out electrical access, but for now it’s plugged into the porch outlet and works well where it is.
Creating a Hammock Zone
We expanded the backyard pool area by shifting the fence back, which let us move the firepit and free up the side yard adjacent to the kitchen porch. That freed space became the perfect spot for a hammock, and the kids love it.
We tried a fabric hammock first and found it uncomfortable, so we switched to a traditional rope hammock that proved much cozier. It’s become a favorite spot for reading and napping, shaded by the trees and comfortable in the milder weather.
Even on warmer days the hammock benefits from shade, and the view up into the oak trees is relaxing.
Next on our list is adding more permanent walkways and continuing to fill the area with plants to create a lush, inviting side yard.
Why I Resented the Porch at First
The resentment I mentioned earlier wasn’t about the porch itself but about timing. Much of the renovation—fencing the side yard, adding the door, and redoing the porch—was done to give our 15-year-old dog, Burger, a secure, easy outdoor spot. He used the front yard before, but that required supervision because it wasn’t fenced and was close to the street.
Tragically, Burger passed away less than a week after the porch was finished. While we’re grateful he used it in those last days, the timing made the space emotionally complicated at first. In grief, I sometimes blamed the porch for being finished too late or resented the timing of things. Over time those feelings eased.
It’s been over a year, and the porch has become a beloved part of our routine. We still miss Burger, but seeing our dog Penny enjoy the porch—napping or lounging in the plants—brings comfort. We even placed a small metal chihuahua in the corner as a little tribute to Burger.
It might seem odd to end a post about a porch on this note, but the porch now feels hard-working and comforting for our family. It turned a previously underused side of the house into a functional, plant-filled, and peaceful area. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m heading back to finish my nap in the hammock.
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