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1Craft a Party-Ready Porch
Brian Woodcock Get your porch ready for summer parties, last-minute get-togethers, or casual hangouts with rocking chairs, ample storage with piece of furniture, and a long table to set out food and small bites. Then, set the scene by adding green garland and comfy picnic blankets and pillows for the front lawn. Be sure to stock your cooler (a wheelbarrow also works!) or prep your favorite sangria recipe.
2Add A Pair of Classic Rockers
Buff Strickland The classics are classics for a reason, right? A set of wooden rocking chairs looks great on almost every porch and helps create a welcoming, laze-about vibe that is quintessential to front porches. Here, designer Claire Zinnecker surrounded two vintage rocking chairs with freshly planted greens and a wedding ring quilt sewn by her grandmother.
RELATED: 6 Best Outdoor Rocking Chairs for Relaxing on the Porch
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3Lean Into Wood
Erin Kelly If you love the look of a classically clean porch but still want seating to enjoy the views, then stick to simple silhouettes made from outdoor-friendly woods such as teak. Even if the silhouettes differ, the common material they share will keep the porch from looking too mismatched.
4Go Green
Laurey W.Glenn Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
5Go for Grand
Jean Allsopp Because the front porch is the first thing guests will see upon arriving to your house, we’re giving you permission to go a little overboard (on scale, on furniture, on everything). Opt for large planters to flank your front door. Fill them with tidy boxwoods for a more prim-and-proper approach, or go for more unkempt greens and spillers to keep things feeling a little humble.
RELATED: Get Your Porch Ready With One of Our Best Container Gardening Ideas
6Think Outside the Box with Upholstery
Roger Davies Textiles are the perfect way to show off your porching personality. For a subtle country flair, pick something like a gingham tablecloth, plaid blanket, or a patterned quilt to wrap your swing cushion, like the homeowners did here on their California porch. If your upholstery is graphic, pair it with plain pillows in the same palette to bring the space together.
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7Set Up a Mini Kitchen Garden
Stephen Karlisch If you’re a dedicated green thumb, then you know that every spot—and we do mean every—could use a little greening up. Here, a small potting station on the covered patio acts as a mini kitchen garden with quick-grab herbs and small greens.
RELATED: Everything You Should Know Before Starting an Herb Garden
8Accentuate Architectural Features
Mark Roskams If your home has unique architectural detailing such as archways along the front porch, then decorate to compliment. Here, designer Erick Espinoza hung potted geraniums from the arches to draw the eye up.
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9Rely on a Classic Color Palette
Buff Strickland If you aren’t sure where to begin on your porch design project, start with a simple color palette. On this Texas porch, varying shades of blue and white set the base while an antique flag hung on the wall provides the proper pop of red. A mix of country patterns, such as gingham and grain sack ticking stripes, add texture.
10Bet on Black
ZIO AND SONS If you’ve gone bold with a black exterior, keep your front porch furnishings natural wood. Stick to neutral taupe tones that help bridge moody schemes with softer palettes.
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11Choose a Candy-Colored Palette
Becky Luigart-Stayner Bright, happy colors instantly boost curb appeal. Here, a pink Dutch door pairs perfectly with a white-and-yellow painted metal awning. Choose white furniture for a neutral base, then pile on colorful pillows to complete the palette.
12Pick Petite Plants
Brie Williams On smaller porches, you may be tempted to fill the space with larger-than-life plants to make an impact. Instead, try picking plants with smaller silhouettes, like homeowner Bambi Costanzo did here. This allows you to have more plants in the same area and doesn’t take up precious walking space by the front door.
RELATED: See more of this tiny cottage that brims with big personality.
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13Paint Your Floors
Adam Albright, styling by Matthew Gleason Not only is a painted floor a quick and easy way to upgrade your existing porch, but it’s also on trend. You can keep it simple by washing the space in a single color or mixing it up with a checkered floor or other dynamic patterns. You also don’t have to have wood flors to paint them! Here, a concrete slab got a major upgrade with green paint.
Get the Look:
Floor Paint Color: Cypress Vine by Behr
RELATED: 20+ Brilliant Ideas for Painted Floors
14Bring On the Color
Helen Norman Love an all-white exterior but want to add some color and don’t have a ton of room to do so? Take a note from creative Nancy Fishelson! Her longstanding affinity for whites and neutrals doesn’t mean she isn’t open to pops of color. Happy hydrangeas add just a dash of color when set against her white farmhouse flush with greenery.
RELATED: Best Blue Flowers for Your Garden
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15Hang Graphic Paddles
Adam Albright, styling by Matthew Gleason 16Sculpt Shapely Boxwoods
Karyn Millet If you love the look of topiaries flanking the door but don’t love all the fuss of having to care for them, go simple. A pair of rounded boxwoods in tall planters adds height and drama without the maintenance required to care for more fanciful topiaries.
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17Mount a Pile-it-On Peg Rail
Stephen Karlisch Blend beauty and function with a peg rail hung right by the door. It makes a stylish dumping ground for hats and towels in the summer, and when school rolls around it can easily corral your kids’ clutter.
18Vary the Height of Your Stair Decor
BRIAN WOODCOCK This idea is perfect for the person who lives to style up seasonal decor up and down their stairs. Instead of relying solely on the stair height to create separate levels, bring in another layer, such as stumps as shown here, to instantly elevate (both stylistically and physically) your favorite pieces. In the summer, try old coolers or vintage cans!
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19Create a Feature Path
David Tsay Boost curb appeal by crafting a featured pathway that leads up to your porch like the one shown here. Choose a mix of materials that contrast with your home’s exterior for maximum style power.
20Go Vintage with Planters
David Tsay Terra-cotta pots are lovely, but why not opt for something a little more original? These particular tins once held potato chips, and their bright, cheerful colors make for a beautiful addition to this porch. Fill them with geraniums in the summer and mums in the fall.
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