By Karen Parr-Moody
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Many homes’ porches were displaced after the 1950s due the advent of air-conditioning. But for those homeowners who still have porches – or screened-in porches or climate-controlled sunroom or even covered decks – decorating them in vintage style creates a cheery gathering space.
I have found many items for my own house at Miss Lucille’s Marketplace, which is located in the Sango area of town at 2231-A Madison Street. One of my favorite front porch finds from Miss Lucille’s is a vintage plant holder done in a sunny yellow paint color.
I could see some stylish homeowner hanging this amazing painted window from Dunbar Cave on a wall of his or her front porch ($129.95 at Booth 800). It dates to the era when Roy Acuff reigned supreme at the cave, which began in the 1930s. Back then Dunbar Cave was a swinging entertainment spot, complete with a resort and a bandstand that featured the leading big bands of the day. Those who played included Artie Shaw, Guy Lombardo, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman. This window is such a rustic and romantic testimony to that time.
My parents still use fans that are many decades old at their lake cabin; these heavy metal fans probably date to the 1940s and 1950s. And truth be told, they work better than the new ones! At Miss Lucille’s, there are two such fans for sale at Booth 411A for $35 and $45. Anyone who plugs them in will discover what some already know: Sometimes newer technology doesn’t necessarily mean better technology.
For those who love a cast iron with an elaborate Victorian and Edwardian flair, there is an iron chair at Miss
Lucille’s that will quicken the pulse. It is painted a “shabby chic” white that peels to reveal the rust and is done in an exaggerated fan shape with looping patterns that remind one of Oriental design ($127 at Booth 619). In fact, it looks like the Heywood-Wakefield wicker chairs from that late 1800s and early 1900s that were the height of chic in their day.
While a screened-in porch or a backyard deck is the perfect spot for enjoying morning coffee, the kids need their own nook, too. In the main furniture room at Miss Lucille’s there is an array of tiny tables for children, each priced at $125 and painted in a variety of colors.
Tiny tikes’ eyes will light up when they see these colorful tables made just for them./Karen Parr-Moody
Some architects call porches and decks “outdoor rooms.” And homeowners who shop at antique stores such as Miss Lucille’s will find the relaxed furniture, accessories and even artwork necessary to create a lighthearted space lit by the sun’s rays.
Karen Parr-Moody began a career as a New York journalist, working as a fashion reporter for Women’s Wear Daily, a beauty editor for Young Miss and a beauty and fashion writer for both In Style and People magazines. Regionally, she has been a writer at The Leaf-Chronicle newspaper and currently writes about arts and culture for Nashville Arts magazine each month.