By Jennifer Parris
As the official entryway into the home, your front porch serves many purposes. Not only does it welcome visitors, but it also gives people a sneak peek into your home.. s such, your front porch can be the most revealing room of your home, since it’s the first thing that people see when they come to visit. That’s why you want your front porch to be a reflection of your entire home, so that visitors can get an idea of what to expect once inside. Here’s how to style your front porch, so that it (and you) always make a great first impression.
Spruce Up The Space
It doesn’t take a lot to help your front porch go from okay to awesome. Many times, a fresh coat of paint can work wonders. Removing peeling paint, sweeping away the cobwebs, and even rearranging some furniture can make your front porch look and feel fantastic.
Assess The Size
While a grand front porch might be dreamy, actual floor space might put a damper on your plans. Still, you might have more space than you initially imagined. That’s why you should take out a tape measure and see exactly how much space you’re really working with. With those measurements in mind, you’ll be able to figure out what furniture you need and what will fit without making it appear cramped or cluttered.
Figure Out Your Budget
Even though it’s not an important room in your home, like the kitchen or family room, you can still spend a lot of money making your porch look perfect. So before you start buying, take a moment to create a budget for this project. It might be anything from a few hundred dollars to several thousand, depending on how much you want to invest in the space and how you plan to use it.
Style It Seasonally
Unlike other areas of your home that might stay the same throughout the year, your front porch offers an opportunity to change the look of your home whenever you like. You can incorporate new plants, statuary, and other décor as the seasons change (think pumpkins and gourds in the fall, some pretty planters in the spring). And depending on how you style it, you might take inspiration from your porch and carry over some of the design ideas into other areas of your home.
Maximize Floor Space
If your front porch is only a few feet wide, you’re going to have to be creative when it comes to space. So when space is at a premium, you’ll need to look upwards — literally. In order to give your front porch the finishes it deserves, you can hang artwork on the walls, or hang beautiful plants from the ceiling. It will give the space a light, airy, and larger look.
Plan Out Accessories
Accessories can make your front porch look more like an extension of your home than just an area to greet visitors. But accessories can also become overwhelming, depending on the size of your front porch. No matter the size of your space, you can always use a potted plant, a table and lamp (or overhead lighting), and a rug to make the porch look more inviting. Comfortable seating, such as a loveseat or sofa, can compliment the space, too.
As you go about styling your home, be sure not to leave out your front porch. It can easily become one of the most beautiful spaces in your home.
