Thank you for joining us in this series on Home Decorating.
Our hope is that these short blog bursts will enable & inspire you to refresh a room in your home.
This week we'll help you update your front porch into a space you can utilize for relaxing.
For those of you that have a front porch…we’re going to walk you through using just 3 elements to refresh this portion of your home. If done right you can utilize this area as another room in your house (if enclosed and heated & cooled) or for an additional space you can utilize for a certain amount of time each year.
Let’s get started…
Furniture should be your first consideration. You’ve all seen pictures from the past with wicker rockers and someone rocking while knitting.
Let’s update that stereotype just a bit.
Outdoor furniture can be made from recycled plastic, wood, wicker, cement benches and cushioned for comfort too.
Recycled plastic front porch furniture:
And...
Wood...
Then there's your traditional wicker front porch furniture...
What is your preference? Are you going for a certain look? Will you be using this space a lot?
Choose cushioned furniture for comfort
Will it be subject to weather elements? All are considerations when you’re choosing which furniture for your front porch.
Your front porch refresh can be as simple as this with plants and a swing:
The swings work great in small spaces too!
The 2nd consideration for your front porch is your lighting. There are so many options to choose from. Just google porch lighting to see. You'll find lamps and lanterns, string lights and unique fixtures for light bulbs. Even chandeliers! Once you’ve decided on the feel or look of your front porch you’ll be ready to pick out your furniture. And once you have the furniture placed where you want it, then you can add lighting.
Keep in mind that lighting typically needs electricity so remember to place your furniture accordingly if you’ll be using this space in the evenings.
For a more modern touch try recessed lights
A soft look with the hanging lights...
Experiment with lighting interspersed with fans like this:
You can create your front porch space simply with only lighting and furniture:
And lastly, don't forget your decorations. With only plants and flowers you can choose to hang them from the front porch railing, place on steps, or put together vignettes to create a great area with atmosphere.
This should be your easiest room refresh yet. Go with simple. Just a chair, a light and a plant and you’ll have a great seating area on your front porch. It can be as simple as this...
It’s up to you!
Or…start simple and keep adding to it as you shop and as you find your items.
And as always, a great upgrade is a chandelier!
What did you put on your porch that we didn’t mention? Please share below.
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