7 ideas for a Beautiful Porch Makeover
Spring is here! It means that summer and its activities are not far ahead. Spending the whole day in the sun, swimming, sunbathing, chilling, and then, at night, having Iong talks with friends or a spouse on the porch while sipping wine and listening to crickets. To make those summer nights on the porch even more magical, here are 7 ideas on how to refresh your porch this spring!
In This Blog:
1. Create an outdoor dining space
Meals outdoors always taste better. So why not have all of them on the porch the whole summer? To create a successful outdoor dining space first of all take into account the space you have.
If you have a relatively large porch, you can put there a dinner table with six or more seats. Just make sure the table is not squeezed in and there is room to walk around it and easily take a seat. Also if you go for a large table, check whether it looks visually good in the space and is not too big even though it physically fits in.
If you have a small porch, a big dining table won’t fit the space so that’s out of the window. Instead, you can put there a relatively small table and add two chairs, and create Paris cafe vibes. Yes, you won’t be able to host a big outdoor dinner party, but you will be able to have a romantic evening for two. And that’s actually all we need, isn’t it?
When you create an outdoor dining space, keep in mind that the furniture will be outdoors all summer – that means direct sunlight as well as rain. Think about the materials and preferably choose furniture that is specially made for the outdoors. Good materials to use on a porch are glass, metal, and plastic. There are also wood types that are good for outdoors, for example, teak, shorea, ipe (a.k.a. ironwood), and white oak.
2. Hang a porch swing
A porch swing is something you definitely need if you have roomy enough space on the porch. It is a great place where to just chill and read a book as well as talk to a friend. There is a variety of porch swings you can get. Do you want a wooden one? With two seats or more? Maybe a hanging couch? The possibilities are endless!
Even if you don’t have a roof over your porch, you can still get a porch swing – it just will be a freestanding swing. You can also put this kind of swing in the garden, not necessarily on the porch. If you do have a roof though, you will need to decide with what you will hang the swing. The best two options are a metal chain or a strong rope. Even though a metal chain sounds like a more sturdy choice, a rope can also hold very well. Rember that on sailing ships ropes were very widely used for holding sails in place etc. So choose the one that goes better with your aesthetic.
3. Paint the floor
An easy way how to make a porch look more put together is to paint the floor. This works especially well if the porch floor is a bit dingy and worn off because you do not want to repaint a fresh floor. However, if you are not ready yet for a new floor installation, but want to have a fresh look, painting the floor is the way to go. You can also have fun with it, for example painting it in a bright color. You can also repaint the floor yearly and have a different color for every year.
Before painting you will need to follow these steps:
- Check the weather and try to plan the painting for sunny days.
- Remove the furniture.
- Wash and sand the floor.
When choosing paint for the porch definitely make sure it is suitable for the outdoors.
4. Stencil or paint a message
While you are painting the floor, you can add a fun message to it. Think of a doormat with cute text just paint the message on the floor. It will add a personal touch to your porch and will make it, even more, your own. You can use a stencil or if you are more artistic just use a brush.
The message can say anything from a simple “hello” to a polite “Have a nice day” or a suggestive “Look up”. Use your creativity! We guarantee when friends come over, they will appreciate the small details and will want to take pictures of your floor message.
5. Add an outdoor ceiling fan
Oh, summers are hot. If your porch is on the Southern side of the house, most likely it is almost unbearable in the middle of the day and maybe it doesn’t even cool off later at night. If that’s the case, consider adding a ceiling fan to your porch. There is nothing better than a warm breeze on a hot day and with a ceiling fan, you can generate it yourself.
If you are worried about how the ceiling fan will look and will it go with your porch style, worry no further – you can get a fan that will go with any style and will be a design element. Starting with a traditional-looking fan in white or black and ending with a more creative look, for example, a fan with blades in leaf shape. There are also elegant and modern options, as well es old-school rustic ones. Whatever your heart desires!
6. Greenery – plants were made for outdoors
A porch without plants is like eggs without bacon. Since the porch is an outdoor space and plants are from outdoors it is just logical that you add some plants to your porch. They will look beautiful and will give the space a fresh look.
What plants to choose depends on the climate you live in. If you are not an expert gardener, check recommendations for plants that are easy to take care of in your region. If you live in a climate that has seasons, you might want to include that in your porch plant decision, for example, going for coniferous plants that will be green all year long.
An easy way how to add living plants to the porch is to use flowers in hanging baskets. You can buy them fresh for every season and there is no need to replant them or do any other gardening. The only thing you need to do is to remember to water them. And that’s it!
However, if you want to try your hand at gardening, you can have planter boxes and fill them with flowers or any other plants. You can use these boxes to even grow some vegetables.
7. Decorate the porch like any other room
To bring it all together, use decor elements. You can think about it as another room in your house, the only thing to keep in mind – everything needs to be water and sunproof. You can add a frame to the wall, use pillows on your porch swing or add a stylish throw. If you find the right material for outdoors, you can even add a rug. To finish it up, hang some fairy lights or lanterns. They will give the best mood for late nights.
In Conclusion
When working on an outdoor space, there is so much more to take in the account than decorating a regular room. Everything will be subjected to weather conditions – is it sun, rain, or wind. So with every decor decision, you need to keep that in mind. However, if you find the right materials and use products that are made for outdoors, it makes decorating a fun experience. Just remember to decorate the porch to reflect your personality and your personal style – don’t settle on something just because it is good for the outdoors. Good luck!
