Porch Curtains and 13 Other Ways to Improve Your Front Porch Look
There are lots of good reasons to improve your front porch look, and porch curtains are a great place to start!
- Thinking of selling? A beautiful front porch is an essential part of increasing your home’s curb appeal.
- Do you love to entertain guests? Dress your outdoor space to make it more enjoyable for friends and family.
- Want to get to know your neighbors better? Make your front porch more appealing to you, and you’ll spend more time on it and greet people you might never meet otherwise.
Front porches are a major centerpiece and living area for southern homes. That’s why we’ve put together 14 ways to make that front porch sing, staring with our favorite …
1. Porch Curtains
Whether old-fashioned drapes or more modern pull-up shades, porch curtains transform the front porch from a covered extension of the house into a true outdoor living space in its own right. A porch that looks and feels as homey as the house itself is an attractive feature.
They add not only style, but privacy and a degree of protection from the sun, wind, rain and cold. How much protection is up to you. Porch curtains come in a variety of fabrics or other materials like mesh or clear vinyl.
2. Planters
Add a bit of nature’s beauty to your front porch by simply putting some fresh soil and flowers in an old watering can or bucket. Anything that can hold soil will work.
Why limit your enjoyment of nature to your flower beds? Bring that living art up onto the porch for you and your guests to enjoy.
3. Seating Areas
A couple of rocking chairs facing the front yard is a familiar sight, and that’s a good start. But to really stand out, think of creating seating areas like what you might have in the living room.
Comfortable outdoor seating around a table encourages more than sitting. It becomes a space where people eat, play games and enjoy conversation. Make sure all furniture is weighted down unless you have modern porch curtains to help block the wind.
4. Corner Bench
As much for aesthetic appeal as function, a corner bench will add a lot of charm to your front porch. It can work either flush against two exterior walls or in a corner made by a railing.
It’s a great place to display pottery, a small sculpture, clock or other artwork. Or, to pile up some charming toys if you have young kids.
5. Artsy House Number
Make your address into art! If you like making things, cut and paint some numbers and affix them to a lovely piece of stained millwork. Getting creative with artsy digits is a popular way to dress up your front porch.
But for people not interested in fully DIY projects, there are hundreds of options out there for pre-milled numbers. Just buy them from your local craft store and grab your screwgun.
6. Welcome Sign
Do you have an unused bit of wooden fence? Or maybe an old door you wouldn’t mind taking out of commission? A surface like these makes a great backdrop for a delightful welcome sign.
Simply cut your letters or buy them (see #5) and screw them into the wood. Then place your welcome sign near the front door to let onlookers know just how … well, welcoming your front porch is!
7. Swing
The classic porch swing is a hit among children and adults alike. Of course, the older the occupant, the more comfortable it needs to be.
Modern porch swings are large, properly upholstered for outdoor living and add to the exterior design scheme. But traditional swings of painted wood have a certain charm and will look great if you’re going for an overall old-fashioned look.
8. Handmade Coffee Tables
Your choice in a small table for your front porch seating area can be merely functional. In that case, anything will do. But artisan tables have a way of standing out as lovely decor as well.
A unique coffee table acts as a conversation piece in and of itself. That’s the magic of going with handmade furniture whenever possible - especially on the front porch, the showcase for your home.
9. Flowering Dresser
Here’s a great way to repurpose old, broken-down furniture: make it into a planter. All it takes to give new life to an old dresser is to pull out its drawers halfway and fill them with flowers.
Make sure it’s secure. If kids, animals or the passage of time pulls those drawers too far out, you’ll eventually have a pile of soil and dead flowers. It’s a good idea to nail them into position.
10. Paint
It may seem simple, but the front porch is often the last part of the house people think about painting. Of course, that changes once you start thinking of it as a living space.
You might start with the front door. If the color has faded, or it’s a color you’ve always found kind of boring, splash some paint on it. From there, consider the railings, trim and shutters.
11. Outdoor Artwork
If your front porch is an artistic expression of your home, the walls are part of that canvas. Why not consider mounting artwork?
The best artwork to take outside would be something that doesn’t need a climate-controlled environment. It may be made from wood, aluminum or other durable materials.
12. Lamps
Exterior lighting is a must for a true outdoor living space. How else can anyone appreciate how lovely your front porch is at night?
Lamps, whether seated on furniture or mounted, provide a warm, inviting light that keeps the party going. (Meanwhile, some types of mesh porch curtains would ensure the bugs are not invited.)
13. Firepit
While you’re at it, consider another source of light, and of heat as well. If you have the space for them, raised firepits make an excellent addition to the front porch.
Just make sure you have plenty of open space around the firepit for safety. You’ll want to follow our next tip before you even think about adding fire to the mix ...
14. De-clutter
Last, but not least: Is your front porch a mess? If you’re not sure, ask a neighbor. They’ll tell you how all that stuff you’re used to keeping there - boxes, wood piles, old furniture - really looks.
Chances are good that if you have stuff on your porch you never use, it’s clutter. Getting rid of it is a great first step to making the space more appealing than you ever thought possible.
Porch Curtains Are Just the Beginning
If only you could do every great front porch idea! But you only have so much space, and not everything is a good fit for your home. You have to go with what’s right for you.
That’s where an exterior decorator like Coastal Canvas comes in.
We don’t just sell outdoor curtains. We help you think of your outdoor living spaces - starting with the front porch - as a blank canvas full of possibility. And we love helping you bring it all together.
Tell us about your front porch! Let us help you transform it into the delightful outdoor living space of your dreams.
Coastal Canvas serves these and surrounding areas:
- Savannah, GA
- Hilton Head Island, SC
- Bluffton, SC
- Palmetto Bluff
- Beaufort, SC
- Richmond Hill, GA
- St. Simon’s Island, GA
