Our Interior Designer Guide to Front Porch Warm Weather Must Haves

Outdoor decorating should be an extension of the inside of your home. Since I know that decorating is not always something that comes natural to people, I want to share some basic principles to help you get started decorating the exterior of your home to make it as easy as possible for you to do it on your own. Today, we will discuss how to decorate your front porch with a variety of elements that will brighten up your porch area.

BALANCE::

First, you will want to choose a certain style from the interior of your home that you want to extend into the outdoor space. Then, assess the environment around you: exterior paint colors, siding, brick, stone colors, etc to create a color palette.  Does not matter if your interior color palette is different from your exterior colors, we want to focus on coordinating. Once you have a color scheme in mind, we can plan out patterns, textures and shapes/sizes of your accessories that feel similar to what is indoors. This is called balance!

~ In more formal, traditional homes, you will find symmetry front porch: duplicating an object in the same positions on either side, usually in a vertical design. In more basic terms, for example, symmetry would be like placing identical lanterns on either side of your front door(s) or stairs.

~ In a more modern, trendier home, you will find asymmetry: when different objects are used in such a way that they have equal visual weight (but are different pieces) and suggest movement.  In simpler terms, for example, this means you do not use identical pieces to match equally, instead you will use different sizes, shapes, colors. This obviously requires more accessorizing to have a variety of accents. 

FRONT DOOR::

Your front door is a great place to start with a front porch design. If you are not happy with your front door color, or you are building a new home, try accenting your home with a fabulous fresh color on your door. Bright or neutral, fresh paint can do so much for your exterior facade. 

Some favorite front door paint colors are below::

Also, door hangers are very popular in exterior design. Giving the door some character by adding hanging florals, simplistic monogrammed letters, floral / lamb’s ear / eucalyptus / olive leaf / boxwood/ or cotton wreaths are all very popular.

DOOR MAT::

Upon arriving at someone's home, front door mats always draw me in. One of the hottest trends right now is layering a print, striped or buffalo check rug as an under-mat layer. It shows dimension and makes it appealing to the eye. It’s a great visual for people as they walk up to your door. Once you have the first layer mat picked out, you want to focus on a more versatile, functional (yet cute!) mat to layer on top of the patterned rug. 

{PRO TIP:: I recommend the bottom layer to be bigger, like a 3 x 5ft rug, and the top layer mat to be smaller, like a 24 x 36 in. mat.}

Some of our favorite door mats are below::

PLANTERS::

Planters can provide a touch of color and flair to your exterior porch aesthetic. They’re great accessories as they bring height and depth to an area or can help fill in an empty or awkward spot. You can fill them with colorful plants, flowers or greenery.

Here are some simple ideas of what type of planter to use based on styles:

~ A more farmhouse home will look best with galvanized, teak wooden based planters or flower boxes. Using a short wood bench to hold small plants is also a trending option.

~ A more traditional home, will look best with urn style planters. I have also seen a new trend in fiberglass which mimics the look of limestone and fired clay but won’t chip or fade. 

~ A more modern / boho style home will look best with multiple mid-century planters, different sizes grouped together.

Some of our favorite exterior planters are below::

GREENERY::

I love greenery on porches! Preparing a welcoming front door can be done by just simply adding greenery to your door step or stairs. Some ideas are to layer in some natural boxwood plants, flowers, colorful plants or ferns in some planters. 

This may seem like common sense, but want to make sure I include this PRO TIP: in general, larger porches can and should accommodate larger items. So, if your space has a high porch ceiling or an elongated porch that runs vertically across the front of the house, you can use more height with your plants such as 30 inch+ fig tree or triple layer topiary. Another idea is to hang ferns from the porch to further draw the eye upwards.

LIGHTS::

There is no denying that the right light fixtures can take a porch to the next level. Consider adding outdoor lighting, such as pendant lights or wall lights, or both, to truly complement the style of your home.

Some of our favorite exterior lights are below::

FURNITURE::

If your porch allows for some furniture pieces, there are some simple tips on how to create a cozy yet functional space:

~ Find some comfortable outdoor chairs, couch or bed swing options- usually, a solid cushion is best. Furniture will allow your lifestyle to enjoy the great outdoors while relaxing or lounging.

~ Use throw pillows to accessorize- make sure to use outdoor pillows that are weather resistant!

~ Add a small accent table in between two chairs or on either side of the couch.

~ Layer a rug underneath the furniture pieces. Patterned rugs go well with a solid cushioned chair or couch. Solid neutral rugs can really help brighten up a porch.

~ Some fun add-ons, are outdoor fabric poufs or woven ottomans!

Some of our favorite porch furniture is below::

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You can find sources to my designs and home decor favorites linked directly above and on my LIKEtoKNOW.it page.

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