Answers to frequently asked questions from On Sutton Place readers including my front door paint color & porch decor sources!
Do you have a question? Below are some of the most frequently asked questions I get from readers, especially people visiting for the first time. If you have a question not answered here, simply shoot me an email at ann@onsuttonplace.com and I will respond as soon as I can.
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On Sutton Place
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did you get your front porch planters?
There are actually several sets of planters that have been featured on my porch. First, there were the Mayne Nantucket Tall Planters that are pictured above. These are the ones that get asked about the most. My family gave me these planters for my birthday in 2011, which was the first year of my blog. At some point I moved them to our back patio and replaced them first with galvanized washtubs, and then vintage olive buckets. Then came the Mayne Cape Cod Square Planters. (Pictured below.) A few years ago I filled them with ferns and loved the way they looked.
These square black planters were also moved to the back patio and replaced with the light-weight galvanized square planters that are pictured below. These are currently sitting on our porch. To see the tall and square black planters on our back patio, click HERE.
Where did you get your olive buckets?
I got the set featured below on eBay. They are genuinely vintage and are almost matching in height, but they aren’t identical. Buying olive buckets is tricky. Some of the new ones look like they are vintage…in fact, it’s very hard to tell sometimes. A new, reproduction olive bucket is much less expensive than an authentic one. An authentic will cost anywhere between $35 and $80. I have seen them on Etsy for even more than that. From my research and years of shopping online, an estimated good price would be in the $50 range.
Sources:
Do your front porch pillows get wet?
Yes, actually they do! Of course, it depends on the way the wind blows, but they usually get a little damp when it rains. I decided a long time ago that I was not going to let that stop me from using pillows and throws on my porch. I try to use washable fabrics, but there have been occasions when I have not. (Like this Christmas porch.) Even if the pillows get wet, they eventually dry out. I have never had anything get ruined from rain or snow. I have a covered porch that is open to the elements from the front…so my rockers do get some protection. That is definitely something to consider when making your decision.
Have you ever considered painting your wood furniture?
The short answer is “Yes, many times.” The long answer is that even though I would like to, my husband is dead-set against it. I agree with him when it comes to the dining room furniture, but there are other pieces that are not as valuable that I would like to paint. We’ve been married 39 years, and he has never had an opinion about the decor in our home, except for this one thing. I can do what I want, if it’s within budget. So since he feels so strongly about NOT painting our furniture, I am content with letting him win…this one time!
Why don’t you ever show your kitchen?
When it comes to frequently asked questions, this one is always hard for me to answer. As always, I will try to be as honest as possible…and there are actually two reasons. First, my kitchen is difficult to photograph. There is a huge window, and I am limited by my camera lenses as to how much I can fit into a shot. The lens that I really need is more than $1,000.00, and there has never been a time when I felt I could justify that expense. I do occasionally share bits of the kitchen that are easier to photograph. Second, the kitchen is outdated. The appliances are nice, and of course the floor is new, but the rest of it needs an update. I have a plan in my head of what I would do. I know what counters I would choose, what cabinet style, and the exact sink. I’m not saying it will never happen, but it’s not happening anytime soon.
p.s. I don’t want to come off as sounding ungrateful or spoiled…because I am neither. I’m just trying to be honest. I am comfortable in my kitchen, and enjoy the time I spend there. I recently finished a complete reorganization of my kitchen cupboards, which made the kitchen function much better. See it HERE.
Update August 2020: I really thought this would be the year for a kitchen renovation…but life handed me an opportunity to do something different, so I took it. We recently completely remodeled our two upstairs bathrooms. Click HERE to see how it all came about, and HERE to see where we are so far.
Where do you store your pillow covers and inserts?
My pillow storage has changed over the years as my collection has grown. When I had a sewing room, that’s where I stored all my pillow covers and inserts. I had a shelf filled with bins of covers and stacked inserts. I recently dismantled my sewing room and turned it into a guest room, so the bins and inserts were moved to a small closet in another guest room. It’s not perfect storage, but it works for now. My friend, Kelley Nan, came up with an absolutely brilliant way to store pillow covers. Visit her post Gift Wrap Organization and Throw Pillow Storage Solutions to see what she did. It’s on my list of things to do!
(Pillow covers in the image below are no longer available.)
My #1 most asked question: What is your front door paint color?
The color of my front door is Naval from Sherwin Williams. It is, in my opinion, the perfect navy blue. The door was red originally, so to cover that we used a coat of gray primer followed by two coats of Naval in a satin finish. We used the paint specifically made for outdoors. I really love how it looks up close, and also from the street. I highly recommend it!
Read more about my front door HERE.
