As we've been talking a lot about front porches, we thought it might be beneficial to share 5 tips on how to enhance your front porch style and add to your curb appeal. People frequently ask us "how can I make my front porch pop?" Well, here's our tips and tricks for making a statement.
5 Tips on Elevating Your Front Porch Style
1. Paint your front door.
We know, it seems really risky, but its super easy and you can always repaint it if you decide to change it later. It doesn't take much time and it can make a huge difference in the curb appeal. We recommend using a high contrast color to the primary paint color of your home. For example, if your house is white, you might paint the door black or navy. Or if you really want a pop, try a bright color that will accent the rest of your home.
We aren't experts in the painting space, but we love this blog post from Life with Emily that walks you through everything you need to know about painting your front door. Be sure you study this before you do this project. Here is a before & after picture she shared on her blog when she updated the front door of her new home by painting it the color Hampton Surf from #Valspar over the traditional white. We think this adds so much more personality to an entrance.
We absolutely love this sweet little lake house located on Lake Lotawana in Lee's Summit, Missouri. We were exploring one day and I just could not get over the cuteness and had to snap a picture. Their high contrast, bright colored yellow door with the navy house and stone trim fit perfectly for this lake house. The yellow planters on each side of the door that coordinate with the door are adorable. It made us want to live here. Now + On the water + Everyday! Sign us up!
2. Add decor to your door.
Add a wreath, a basket of faux floral and greenery, or add a door knocker. We talked first about painting your front door. Once you have it painted, add an element of interest to it. It's going to be the focal point, make it interesting. Adding dimension to your front door brings takes it from a flat panel to a 3-D element that will draw the eye and keep passerby's looking a little longer. This can be simple, don't overdo it. Here's a few examples.
Add a wreath. Here of my 3 favorite wreath selections for your front door.
The bloom Eucalyptus wreath from Joann's is 24" diameter and would be gorgeous on a dark door. It's a very full wreath with faux florals in neutral colors but we think the added element of draping it has with the longer strands of greenery that are hanging gives it a realistic feel. It draws the eyes into the full appearance on the door. The 22" lavender wreath from Michael's is uniform in shape and contains a fabulous array of complementary colors that would be an awesome accent to a spring porch setting. The 3rd wreath from Amazon is filled with white, blue, and navy hydrangeas and features a subtle 'hello' sign. If you want have a bright or light front door, this one would really pop. These faux florals look so full and the "hello" gives a really nice welcome to anyone who stops by.
Add a basket or floral arrangement to the door.
There are certainly creative ways to add this element as your dimension for something a little more eye catching. On Kim's front door, she had a wicker basket filled with faux greenery and small florals that she picked up at Hobby Lobby. (Catch these when they're on a sale week to keep this expense down!) She can always add more or less color to the arrangement each season as desired. If you need a basket to create this look, I'm LOVING these new ones that include a trendy boho design element! We've added another great option from Amazon, this tin bucket of tulips has a flat back so it lays nicely against the door. Have you seen the round welcome signs trend yet this year? These make a beautiful statement on your front door to welcome all who enter. We love the natural look of the wood, mixed with minimal floral accents and a fun bow. You can find these in dark or light combinations and even customized.
Add a door knocker.
If you aren't a greenery and floral person, or maybe you have a storm door that doesn't allow you to have something substantial on the door, check into a door knocker. We know, we know... who uses a door knocker anymore? Well, believe it or not, this old trend is coming back in place of the traditional doorbell. And they can be super cute! You won't believe how many different types there are, from traditional to trendy. We found some super fun ones while shopping around. We'd LOVE this anchor door knocker from Wayfair for our lake house door. Or how about the bee one to match the yellow decor on Kim's porch (Check out this blog post if you haven't seen her styled porch.). Or you can even personalize your door knocker with your family name. You can even make a bigger statement with this cross-shaped door knocker featuring the bible verse Joshua 24:15. There are so many options to make yours perfectly fit your style and preference.
3. Use flowers and planters.
Find some hearty planters that will last you years and use them throughout all of the season to create new looks on your porch. We have lots of different styles of planters, as we use them to plant flowers in the spring/summer, then transition to mums in the fall, then winter greenery pots for the winter/holiday season. They're the perfect decor piece for your porch because they're so versatile and carry thru all season. This prevents your porch from ever looking empty or boring, as they add pops of color, textural interest, and height variations.
Use these as big statement pieces. The big planters are expensive, but you want something that will last you years and hearty enough to withstand the weather, especially the extreme cold in the midwest and northern parts of the country. The investment is worth it to prevent re-buying frequently. We don't recommend buying the super heavy concrete ones. One benefit of these statement pieces is that you can move them around to change up your style and look. If you buy the super heavy ones, you may be stuck with their placement if you can't move them effortlessly.
You can style these planters on your porch in many ways to add curb appeal and bring life to your porch. They can create a very welcoming and inviting entry to your home.
- Frame the doorway with two identical planters to create an asymmetrical look. Use the taller planters in this style to add height around the door.
- Stagger them at different heights to add dimension at different levels, like this image from Becki Owens in her Spring Curb Appeal blogpost.
- Use bright colors to add pops of color to your porch. We love how DecorPad shows this beautiful home in traditional colors with pops of turquoise from the flower pots. Or check out this beautiful front porch from The Happy Housie featuring various shades of blue but pay attention to the detail that they painted the concrete pad to add an additional shade. What an awesome and fun idea, for details on the paint she uses and details, go check out her blog post.
RELATED: 15 Lake Necessities You Didn't Know You Needed
Sunlight. Be sure to pay attention to the amount of sunlight needed when selecting your plants to put into your planters. If your porch is covered, you can incorporate plants that like shade or partial shade. If it isn't sheltered from the sun, be sure to select types that say "full sun" or if you know you are terrible at watering, there is always the faux floral route as an option. Going faux guarantees your blooms will stay perfect all summer long.
4. Add a rug that brings character.
Add a rug under your door mat.
You may have seen the trend that's currently showing up everywhere with the under rug under the door mat. This trend helps to provide a larger statement with a fun doormat. We are very fond of this new layered rug statement and utilized it in Kim's latest front porch design. Layer your rugs to create a multi-dimensional style.
Use a large outdoor rug. If you have a large space, add a bigger outdoor area rug with a fun design to bring life to the concrete patio area. This can be subtle and just accent the existing decor or it can bring color and a big statement.
5. Add a seating space, chair, or bench.
If you have enough space, we highly recommend adding a seating space to your porch area. This is the number one way to communicate an inviting feeling to your guests. The idea of a chair or space to sit provides a welcoming view before they even walk thru your door. It can also serve as a reminder to yourself to slow down, have a seat, and take in a few minutes of fresh air every day. Vitamin D plays a very important role in your overall health, and just 10 minutes of sunshine a day can provide the daily recommended dose of this important vitamin. Here's a few of our favorite front porch seating options.
- The front porch swing hanging from the ceiling... to die for! We want one of these so bad!
- The designer that crafted a bench with the planters in the ends to place strategically on their front porch, genius.
- The color pop of orange with the awesome retro metal chairs is super fun!
- Something about the simplicity of the adirondack chairs sitting on the front porch brings a relaxation vibe to the beautiful entry way of that home.
We wish you all many days soaking up the warm and fuzzy vibes of front porch sittin' to each and every one of you
