Porch Decorating Ideas
My old farmhouse has two large porches, one on the front and one on the back. Over the 7 years we have lived in this house, I have revamped both spaces and decorated them in a multitude of ways. Do you want your home’s porch to have style, like this?! I am excited to give you some great ideas and inspiration for your own porch!
Table of Contents
Focal Point
Let’s start by talking about focal points. The porch on the front of my house is enclosed on three sides, so the innermost wall needs a focal point. I used to have a hand-lettered sign here, but it was not scaled to this space. Now, I am covering the whole wall with faux boxwood panels to make it look like a living wall. Now, a simple sign in front of that has a strong presence. In addition, the texture this accent wall brings to the porch is definitely a focal point!
The back porch is open on three sides, so the best thing to do here is make the ceiling your focal point. I am removing the boring exterior light fixture in favor of an outdoor chandelier with candelabra light bulbs. Since the original 1930s beadboard ceiling was in decent shape, I just patched it up and gave it a fresh coat of paint. The beadboard on the other porch was in bad shape, so for this ceiling I cut strips of thin plywood, sealed them on all sides to prevent warping, and used a brad nailer to attach them spaced with a nickel gap between planks. This ceiling gets so many compliments and was really affordable to do. I thought it wouldn’t last long, but 5 years later it still looks so great!
Porch Decorating: Floors
Next in my porch decorating, I want to address floors. If your porch, like mine, has wood floors, you have probably dealt with some rot. My porches were originally interior spaces, and when the previous owners removed the storm windows and half walls in favor of railings, these wood floors became exposed to the elements! The right thing to do is rip out all the rotting wood and replace it with outdoor-grade flooring, like composite decking. That is what I did for our back porch. However, the front porch got a bit trickier. Because the front porch is mostly enclosed and we use it more like an indoor space during the summer, I did not want gaps between floor boards that would be required with any kind of decking.
At first, I tried to patch and paint the floor. I removed a huge section of rot and even rebuilt some of the porch floor framing to try to salvage a solid floor. With paint, it did not look too bad, but it did not last long. Soon, the paint was chipping!
In one last effort to keep the current floor on this porch, I recently covered it in carpet tiles. I am loving the coziness underfoot when enjoying our front porch this year, but several people have told me the carpet will expedite the wood rotting underneath. Lastly, if you have a concrete porch floor, consider that paint might not hold up as well there either. Instead, try a concrete refinishing product as I did on this step, leading to our back porch. You can add colorant to tint the concrete to any color, and after application, your concrete looks absolutely new!
Porch Lighting
Moving on to lighting ideas for your porch. On my back porch, I have a fancy outdoor chandelier, but my favorite is and always will be string lights. They add so much ambiance and soft lighting to my outdoor spaces. You can even buy solar-powered string lights! In addition, you could consider running rope lighting, if you have siding like mine, you can tuck it in a J channel and hide it away. I must say, I prefer to enjoy time on the porch by candlelight whenever it is possible.
Furniture
Porch furniture typically revolves around sitting and relaxing. Rocking chairs are some of my favorites, so I recently added them to my front porch!
I am so lucky to have big porches, so there is space on the back porch for a full dining set. This table is extra skinny, custom-built to be only 2 feet wide so it can accommodate the chairs being pushed back and people maneuvering around it on and 8 foot wide porch.
In a past front porch design, I had a large chest of drawers on it. This is an interior piece of furniture, so the back corner, where it is mostly protected from the elements, is the only place it could be. But if you have a porch that feels like it comes to a “dead end,” consider putting storage there. All of these furniture ideas are things you can do moderately easily, but if you want some WOW factor, consider building a bed swing. Everyone in my house absolutely loves spending time on the bed swing, if you have space for it, do it, it is SO worth it!
Working with Textiles
Textiles on your porch can make or break how inviting and cozy it feels. If your porch lacks cloth, rugs, or throw pillows, you risk it looking empty and basic. In my original front porch design, I layered colorful throw pillows on the bed swing to make it feel more inviting. Putting textiles outside does require maintenance. We bring the cushions, pillows, and other fabric materials inside when there is inclement weather and over the winter. There are so many great choices for outdoor textiles that are UV and water-resistant. The carpet tiles that I recently installed are meant for outdoor applications has both of these attributes. Adding textiles softens your whole space and elevates any porch decor you put with it.
Porch Plants
With any porch, you should decorate with plants. This is a space that is meant to be a transition between the indoor and the outdoor; plants just make sense! However, you might find that when a porch roof shades the space 100% of the day, it is hard to get any living plants to grow well in containers. In this case, I would recommend hanging planters that you can hang from eye screws in your porch’s header. I custom-made the ones on my porch out of scrap wood, so the pots are easily removable. Another idea is to just go faux. I am impressed by how realistic some faux plants are! Do not forget to do the landscaping around your porches as well, mine could use some work, but I am getting there!
These porch decorating ideas have transformed these two spaces into features of my home that we enjoy so much! I hope this inspires you and fills you with ideas for decorating your porch.
