Jamie Clarke

Your front door is working harder than you think. It’s the first thing anyone sees, the last thing they remember,

The table is the party. Everything else — the fireworks, the food, the playlist — is peripheral. People gather around

Most people stop at the front door. They hang a wreath, maybe add a flag, call it done. Meanwhile, the

Nobody actually stares at a fireplace in July. The fire’s out. The screen is dusty. It’s essentially a black hole

Your front porch has one job on the Fourth of July. One. And yet most people walk outside with a

There is a version of Americana decor that looks like a gift shop at a rest stop. You’ve seen it.

Your front porch is the one part of your house that everyone sees whether they want to or not. Most

There is a version of patriotic decorating that involves plastic tablecloths, paper plates with eagles on them, and a string

There’s a version of patriotic decorating that looks like a flag threw up on your house. Red, white, and blue