5 Tips for Styling a Covered Porch
My front porch is pretty spacious and it’s crazy that I’ve only recently started viewing it as living space. Why had I not taken advantage of this spot sooner? I feel like we spend so much time and energy on our interior spaces, we sometimes neglect exterior opportunities we could be enjoying. I decided to finally make the most of my outdoor space and wanted to share a few snippets, along with 5 tips for styling a covered porch.
This is actually the very first time I’ve shot and shared any part of the exterior of my home on the blog. It’s continually a work in progress and is nothing super special, so I’ve always been a little self conscious about photographing it. Here’s an outside glimpse of my little bungalow.
The covered porch is on the front side of the home, so curb appeal and the entryway were pretty important to me. Being an old house, built in the early 1900’s, all of the woodworking and porch details are original! Even though I love the way it looks, sanding through multiple layers of paint and giving it a fresh coat was no easy feat- it’s difficult to obtain perfection with an old home.
Finn loves sticking his head out the window to watch people passing by from the front porch… He’s probably the biggest fan of this newly used outdoor space.
Alright, let’s talk about a few easy adjustments for transforming a porch…
5 Tips for Styling and Taking Advantage of a Covered Porch:
- Seating : make sure there’s adequate seating for relaxing, along with some sort of table to place a drink. Depending on the size, a dining or side table would do the trick. If you’re really short on space- consider a hanging chair!
- Bring Out the Plants : every spring and summer, I bring my houseplants outside for the season and they seriously thrive. Not only does it promote added growth, but it’s a great inexpensive way to decorate an exterior space.
- Add an Outdoor Rug : things immediately feel cozier and casual when you kick off your shoes. Nothing promotes being barefoot quite like an outdoor rug. They’re easy to clean, add pattern, and help to make a porch feel more like a “room”.
- Consider Outdoor Window Treatments : You can easily add outdoor drapery or blinds for privacy, sun protection, or simply for aesthetic purposes. This especially compliments the woodworking details on my porch!
- Use Outdoor Accessories : Bring the indoor vibes outside- use candles, outdoor pillows, side tables, or accessories to add dimension and style to your space. The little details really do go a long way.
I think texture plays a big part in an outdoor space… from plants, to woven furniture, to gorgeous outdoor macrame and beaded pillows, it’s all about mixing and creating contrast.
I have to give 100% of the landscaping credit to Kalyn. I had nothing to do with the permanent outdoor plants, other than helping to lay the bricks for the raised flower bed. If you guys are interested in outdoor plants and landscaping design, maybe I’ll ask him to do a guest post? Let me know in the comments if you’d enjoy reading something like that!
As the weather continues to get warmer, it’s safe to assume we’ll be spending many more evenings outside on the porch sipping wine and enjoying this space. With a small house, getting creative outside is an easy way to expand your square footage.
Do you guys have a porch or area to enjoy outside? If so, are you planning to spend a lot of time there this spring and summer?