About Us
OUR STORY
Porch Concepts was "born" in October of 2015 in order to supplement the amazing customer experience that our sister Company, Porch Conversion has created. For over 20 years, Owners Paul and Mary Maki have been designing and creating stunning sunroom additions and porch renovations for families in the Wilmington and surrounding areas.
Porch Concepts may have been a simple thought, that just made sense. Why not enhance the exciting experience and design of your new sunroom with a 10,000 sq. ft. showroom slam-packed with with gorgeous patio furniture and outdoor furniture ready to be delivered and enjoyed in your new "outdoor" space? Wouldn't it be nice to have a one stop solution for all of your porch and patio needs?
Even customers with outdoor decks, patios, and porches can take advantage of our vast selection of outdoor furniture including wicker and rattan selections, powder-coated aluminum frames, Poly-Lumber, and Sunbrella fabric.
Our goal is to become Wilmington's Showroom for all your outdoor, sunroom, porch, and patio furniture needs.
OUR TEAM
Paul & Mary Maki
Our Founders
Growing up in the west of Ireland and sharing a home with nine brothers and sisters, Mary learned at a young age that everything has value. Her beginnings were full of color, encouraged by her mother, and the children were inspired to paint; Using these colorful surroundings to enhance their young creative minds and to foster cheer for one another and the community. This imaginative approach taken by her mother would come to serve Mary greatly in life.
Paul and Mary have been designing beautiful award winning sunrooms since 1985, enhancing the value and quality of the home, but that creative and colorful side still desired more. The perfect solution came to them. Porch Concepts was born to bring even more joy to their sunroom customers. Now you can add a sunroom to the home and truly make it yours with all the color you desire. Your sunroom designer and interior designer are in the same building. Building these outdoor retreats is now a reality.
Mary is making her American dream come true by helping everyone in our community build theirs! We are most greatful that Porch Concepts and Porch Conversion is the hotspot for patio enclosure and furniture in your hearts!
April Bush
General Manager
Interior Designer
April received a BFA in Art concentrating in Interior Architecture from Longwood University in Virginia in 2003. After graduating she worked as an interior designer in Richmond, Va. In 2009 she decided life is too short NOT to live at the beach so she packed up her and her dog Marley and moved to Wilmington in 2009. After years of managing Art Galleries and Furniture Stores, she was excited to join the Porch Concepts team. April's ability to build rapport, match your needs with the perfect furniture, and knowledge of this industry is unmatched. You will never go wrong when working with this amazing woman.
At Porch Concepts, we understand that interior design can be tough and at times very overwhelming! We are here to help you every step of the way, as much or as little as needed. We offer complimentary design services for those looking to purchase sunroom and outdoor furniture from Porch Concepts. Give our Manager & Interior Designer April Bush a call or stop by to see her today, she would love to help!
Joanne Garmon
Operations Manager
With a strong background in operations management, Joanne is a welcomed asset to our growing team. She is a native to the region and has spent her years seeing Wilmington grow into a bustling town. Joanne is art and photography enthusiast. She has an exceptional eye for detail, which has helped us tremendously on our social media platforms and our monthly newsletter. Joanne has worked for some major players in Wilmington such as Bed Bath and Beyond as well as UPS.
Joanne is the woman behind the curtain who keeps everyone on track and assists in streamlining our whole operation. These corporate positions have increased her skills in operations and logistics. We could not be happier she is now part of the PC crew. You may not have the pleasure of working with Joanne on the sales floor, but know that she is the one working hard to make sure that your order arrives as quickly as possible.
Maddy Jackson
Design Consultant
Born and raised in Raleigh, Maddy also had a dream of the beach life. When searching for schools to further her education, she fell in love with UNCW and decided Wilmington was the place for her. After earning her degree in Communication studies, she could not bear to leave. The warm climate, multitude of stunning photographs yet to be taken, and finding love were too much to part with.
Maddy also has a passion for photography. Which has given new eyes to how we photograph the store and utilize social media posts. Her natural ability to speak with clients, listen to their questions and visualize their needs is the perfect compliment to our fun loving and family centered atmosphere.
Brooke Wilson
Design Consultant
Brooks is another new addition to our growing team. Hailing from Florida, she has recently moved into the Cape Fear region. She has a love of the salt air and a passion for painting and wood burning. Brooke brings with her a love of the coastal life and a background in relaxing spa life.
Coming from a state where the outdoor and sunroom (lanai) life is embedded into every aspect of the culture, she knows a thing or two about the comforts of outdoor furniture. When you visit our showroom, welcome her to the neighborhood and find out how she can help the vision of your outdoor retreat come to life.
Bryan Aldridge
Warehouse Manager
IT/Website Manager
Growing up in Topsail Island, Bryan is a local to SouthEastern North Carolina. He moved to Wilmington to attend UNCW and has been here every since. With a degree in Commercial Management Technologies, Bryan has streamlined processes in our warehouse that have tremendously improved our efficiency and capacity.
We are in the process of a new website design and thanks to Bryan's experience in technology, we have been able to add a 3D virtual showroom to our website for clients to view our entire outdoor furniture store online as if you were actually here. If you have any technical questions about your furniture, look no further in getting the best possible solutions for your concerns than Bryan.