We live in Western Oregon, where it can rain 8 months of the year. Being stuck in a "normal" house that long would drive us nutz, so our ongoing DIY projects are geared toward "indoor/outdoor" rooms, where we can enjoy the rain without getting wet.

This was our first view of the porch that connects the kitchen to the laundry room and garage. Our first winter we got soaked every time we had to do a load of washing or empty the garbage. Being covered helped some, but the downspout was rotted away, so the runoff from the roof kept the porch soggy.

This is what it looks like, now. This finished room brings the best of the outside in but keeps the rain and cold out there where it belongs.

We kept the outside shingles and used the same Saltillo tile on the front stoop, to continue the inside/outside effect. We also kept a section of the original railing and the curlicews along the ceiling to maintain as much of the original style as possible.

To see more photos of this project, please click here.