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There's something magical
about sleeping outside, drinking in the night sounds of
crickets, frogs and wind chimes, watching fireflies and
stars, and feeling the cool night breeze. You'll find
children giggling long past their bedtime from sheer
excitement.
A treat for adults and
children alike, sleeping outdoors has long been a part of
camping tradition, but many adults also have fond memories
of childhood nights in their parents' or grandparents'
sleeping porch.
The cover story of
Architectural Digest's October 2003 issue featured a visit
to the Montana ranch of Dennis Quaid where he has built a
magnificent home that includes a wraparound Pennsylvania
bluestone porch and a tree house for his son Jack. In
addition, the actor "requested specially" a
sleeping porch adjacent to the veranda.
In doing so, he joins the
ranks of such luminaries as former U.S. first lady Eleanor
Roosevelt, author Jack London and baseball legend Babe
Ruth, all of whom enjoyed slumbering in screened-in rooms.
A sleeping porch has been
defined as a well-ventilated, usually screened, porch used
as occasional sleeping quarters. Before the advent of
air-conditioning, families often created an area on
outdoor porches where children would sleep during the hot
summer nights. Sleeping porches were, more often than not,
on a home's second storey, frequently above a ground-level
porch.
It was during the Arts and
Crafts movement of the early twentieth century that
sleeping porches really gained public favor. Arts and
Crafts architects often designed homes without abrupt
divisions between inside and out, and sleeping porches
provided an ideal transition space.
Unfortunately, modern
houses don't often sport open-air sleeping quarters and
our culture is poorer for it. Few of life's experiences
speak of summery comfort as a sleeping porch does, and one
is never out of touch with one's surroundings in the
neighborhood when sleeping outside.
Happily, it's relatively
easy to create a secure, comfortable place that makes
outdoor sleeping a real joy again. If you can, choose a
porch or balcony on a side of your house that is protected
from the weather, or add a simple framework on a deck. A
leak-proof roof with extended eaves is critical and helps
keep inclement weather from blowing in directly onto the
occupants.
If security is an issue,
you'll feel safer in a second storey room. Privacy is
easier to achieve on the side or back of a house, but even
a room on the front of your house can be hidden from view
of passers-by with the installation of matchstick roll-up
blinds or fabric drapes.
The room should be screened
in to protect sleepers from mosquitoes and other
night-time insects. You can install window-height screens,
or make entire screened walls of floor to ceiling panels.
If you'd like to extend the use of the area beyond the
warmest months, you'll want to install moveable windows or
walls. These will also allow the room's occupants to
better control the amount of outdoors that comes in -- a
desirable feature during inclement weather.
You can furnish a sleeping
porch with as many creature comforts as you desire,
keeping in mind whatever exposure to the elements the
pieces will have. Ceiling or floor fans will aid the night
breezes. Bedside tables will provide a place for a book
and reading glasses, or a cold drink. If you want to use
the room during the day as a living area, use day beds,
couches or chaises that serve the dual purpose of seating
by day and sleeping space by night. Or use fold-up cots or
roll-away beds. Kids will even enjoy sleeping bags on the
floor.
Whether used for daytime
catnapping or a full night's rest, sleeping porches can
give you a chance to enjoy summer weather to the fullest,
and experience some of life's pleasant, peaceful moments.
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About
The Author
Debbie
Rodgers, the haven maven, owns and
operates Paradise Porch, and is dedicated
to helping people create outdoor living
spaces that nurture and enrich them. Her
latest how-to guide “Attracting
Butterflies to Your Home and Garden” is
now available on her web site. Visit her
at www.paradiseporch.com
and get a free report on “Eight easy
ways to create privacy in your outdoor
space”. Mail to debbie@paradiseporch.com |
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