Around the House: The Front Porch

Underused front porch? Create a front porch that is comfortable and welcoming. From the very first step people know if they are welcome or not. A front porch does not have to be large to be dramatic, it should be proportional to the size of the house. Create a cozy retreat that is practical and inviting, a place to sit and watch the world.

Create an inviting comfortable welcoming front porch space. Decorate your front porch with outdoor furniture, outdoor fabrics, paint, and plants for an enjoyable space.A place to seat in the shade. Enjoy some downtime in an outdoor space, sit on your front porch and people watch.

A front porch can be small in size and big in style. Even a blah small front porch can have pizzazz with a few rocking chairs, contrasting floor and ceiling colors, and a few plants and lights.

Tie things together on a front porch with paint. Paint old front porch flooring with alternating colors creating strips for a unique look. Planters are painted a cream color to go with the floor.

Create a seating area on your front porch. A cozy bench, a row of chairs are welcome additions to a front porch. Choose furniture for comfort and that can sustain heat and humidity and the elements. All weather wicker furniture, outdoor fabrics on pillows and cushions, bentwood rockers, metal tables, and hanging porch swings are good choices.

Match the furniture to the style of the house and surroundings. A home with woodsy surroundings use furniture with a rough wood look. A craftsman style home needs shabby chic front porch furniture.

For added privacy, to block the weather, and add shade place outdoor curtains, lattice, and trellis with climbing plants on your front porch. Be sure to choose curtains made from outdoor fabric, so they will be able to stand up to the elements.

Soft lighting on your front porch can be the porch light, an outdoor fan with light, strings of outdoor lights, or outdoor lanterns. Mini strings of lights strung around a porch or around the banister add a fun festive sparkle to a front porch, lights strings are not just for winter decoration but can be used year round.

Add plants from succulents, hanging plants, trellis, to flowering potted plants and leafy potted plants to create an attractive front porch. For added privacy place lattice and trellis with climbing plants on your front porch.

Expand a small front porch with a courtyard patio. Create a nice small round patio with pavers surrounded with flower beds.

Front porch get a little cold in the evening? Enjoy warmer dining outdoors with a heater. Fireplace, gas heater, or built in ceiling heating add warmth to a chiliy evening.

Add skylights to a dark covered porch for more light.

Look around the attic and basement for decorating items to add to your front porch, you may be surprised at what you find. Items on a front porch show your personality. Add wind chimes, fountains, birdhouses, flower boxes, planters, and other items to showcase your front porch and make it a cozy place to sit and relax.

A small porch can quickly become overwhelmed with too much stuff. Even a large porch can have to much stuff on it. You want a place to sit, relax, and escape from the world. Keep it simple.