This old porch has been watching life pass by for 115 years.

In 1905 it looked over a small country dirt road which became busier over time with the advent of automobiles. It has welcomed people, weathered storms and withstood many changing times. The front porch is always a special retreat, imagine the conversations and life contemplations had on this porch throughout the years. There have been so many songs written about sitting on the front porch and they always stir up fond memories. Although porch styles have changed over the years, miraculously the original columns and scrollwork remain on our old porch.

We knew there would be a wood tongue & groove ceiling under the vinyl soffit ceiling and wanted to restore it. It was a bit disappointing to find that the wood was in rougher shape than we had anticipated. With our new-found confidence, we decided to cover it with new tongue and groove boards, after all, it could not be as difficult as the dining room ceiling!

Front porch July 2019 with vinyl soffit ceiling

Now to find the perfect blue for our old porch. The blue/green shade on porch ceilings is said to represent water that spirits would not cross. It is also thought to deter insects from nesting, but that may have been the paint ingredients at the time! We chose a subtle blue - Benjamin Moore's Ewing Blue.

Front porch June 2020 with tongue and groove ceiling

The front door is painted a custom colour called McNeil Red Door. Don found the perfect red colour in a magazine which unfortunately was discontinued. Luckily, Benjamin Moore was able to reproduce it.

Our front door, painted in “McNeil Red Door”. We recently got this charming door mat from SawyerJaxCo.

Rockway Farmhouse 2016 prior to landscaping

Rockway Farmhouse 2016 terraced and planted

The Hydrangeas and Hostas across the front porch steal the show in the summer! It was a big project four years ago. There was nothing in these beds and we dug out mulch, landscaping fabric, and rock-solid clay and dirt. We terraced the incline with rocks from the property and planted Annabelle Hydrangeas and sun-loving Hostas called “August Moon”. These are now in their 4th season.