How many times have you driven down a street and stopped to admire a beautiful porch? You probably thought, ‘I wish my porch looked like that!’ If your front porch looks more drab than fab, you aren’t alone, and you’ve come to the right place. A dull porch can be transformed, quick and easy. In this article we will walk you through simple steps to transform your boring front porch into a welcoming and beautiful living space.
The Drab Porch Dilemma
It’s the end of the day, and the last thing you want is to return after a long day of work and be faced with a bland, sterile little entryway. A drab front porch can affect more than your mood: it can lower the curb appeal of your home as well. Whether you’re looking to sell your house or just want to have an entrance that you’ll be happier to use every time you come home, a front-porch refresh can be a solid investment.
Are you thinking: ‘How much money or time do I need to spend?’ The good news is that you don’t! A few strategic tweaks and creative touches will easily transform your porch into a whole new, striking visual.
Starting with the Basics: Clean and Declutter
First things first, we need to start with a blank canvas. Remove anything that has been left lying around your porch for a long time. Old furniture that you’ve been meaning to repair or replace, dead plants and decorations that are ‘out of season’ ought to be dumped. Now sweep the porch thoroughly…ensure that dirty, grimy surfaces have been washed down properly.
Fresh Paint: The Ultimate Game Changer
A very fast, easy and inexpensive option is repainting your porch — try an accent color that coordinates with your home’s exterior. If you’re feeling bold, paint the front door a high impact color; if you want a soothing space, go for a paler hue. Don’t forget to refresh painted railings, trim and other portions of your porch’s structure.
Furniture: Functional and Stylish
Be sure to provide comfortable seating on the porch with some chairs or a bench. If your porch is small, use furniture that is collapsible or stackable and easy to tuck away when you aren’t entertaining. Outside rugs can also add another layer of color and can help define your seating area in the same way as in your house.
Greenery: Bringing Life to Your Porch
Add plants. Pot plants, hanging baskets and window boxes all help create life on your porch. Plants add color and texture, but best of all they help make your porch feel friendlier and welcoming. Choose plants that will thrive in your climate. Visit your local garden center for ideas or ask a friend who is a keen gardener for advice. If you have pets, consider making your green space a pet-safe garden.
Lighting: Setting the Mood
With the right lighting, your porch can go from drab to fab quickly. You can easily add string lights or lanterns and solar-powered garden lights. Adding ambient lighting can add to your home’s curb appeal. But don’t forget the practicality of good lighting — be sure your porch is well-lit so that it’s safe and secure for you and your guests. Add wall-mounted lights or path lights to warmly and reliably light up your porch steps and entryway.
Personal Touches: Making It Yours
Now that you have the basics down, let’s add some spice! This is where you can really put your own style on display. Here are some suggestions:
• Pillows and Cushions/Octopus pillows: Use them to make your seat more comfortable and stylish.
• Outdoor Art: Hang a piece of weather-resistant art or a sign that incorporates your style.
• Doormat: A fun or stylish doormat can be a small yet impactful addition.
Rotating Seasonal Decor: Take down Christmas lights and replace them with some festive Easter décor, or vice versa. Switch things up according to the season or upcoming holidays so a porch can remain evergreen.
“I’m Not a Decorator!”
Maybe you are thinking, ‘I am not a good decorator.’ Or, perhaps, ‘I do not have an eye for design.’ Or maybe you are thinking, ‘I don’t have a taste for this kind of thing.’ Relax. The great thing about porch makeovers is that there are no rules. Everyone is a beginner at some point, and there isn’t one right way to do it. Start with what you like.
Or start with what you don’t like. Surf the web or look at magazines and books. Whip out your dream decor pages and cut them apart so that only what you like is left. Play around with the scraps. Imitate something you love. Then do something different and see how it works. Your mother might not love it, but it doesn’t have to be for her. You live here. Mix individual pieces. Mix different tastes. Don’t be afraid of a hodgepodge.
The Transformation Journey
It will start to happen as you make these changes — but it won’t happen instantly. And here’s the thing: this isn’t a race. Your porch doesn’t have to be redone in six months or a year. It should be fun, and it should take as long as it takes to find the right pieces for you.
Easy and Affordable Ideas: Budget-Friendly Tips
Perhaps you worry that renovating your porch into your dream space is going break the bank. Fortunately, there are many affordable ways to make an impact:
• DIY Terrarium etc. — Paint old pots/pen/plant and make a mini garden Build simple bench décor Making a Wreath etc.
• Second-Hand Treasures: A quick and easy route to informal and inexpensive furniture and decorations is vintage shops, garage sales or Facebook Marketplace.
Repurpose: Things that you find elsewhere in your house can become fashionable décor. A bent stepladder makes a fabulous plant stand. A wooden crate from the garage can be joined with a few boards to make a rustic side table for a barbecue.
The Payoff: Enjoying Your Revamped Porch
Once your porch is finished, not only will your entrance be more attractive, but you’ll also have a new place to relax and entertain. Sit in a comfortable chair sipping your morning coffee surrounded by greenery and flowers, or greet friends when they come to visit with your beautifully decorated porch.
Final Touch: Keep It Fresh
Keeping your porch’s new life beautiful requires careful maintenance over time. Keep it clean to keep it fresh, change your decorations seasonally and replace things that aren’t holding up well. Keeping things in good order will be another rewarding part of your porch renovation, making sure your new spot for spending time remains a part of your home for many years to come.
Your Porch’s Fabulous Future
Just because you were dealt a drab porch doesn’t mean that you cannot make it fab. Focusing on one area at a time, your front porch can be the entrance of your dreams, or at least look a bit more inviting and stylish. So, go get your stuff together, roll up your sleeves, and fab-ify your porch today! Whatever your drab porch, you can make it fab!