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Small side porch decorating ideas


45 Small Front Porches With Big Style

Inspired by Charm

Even the smallest front porch is a luxury that deserves as much attention to design as your interior space. Check out these modestly proportioned front porches that don't skimp on style, demonstrating the power of maximizing bonus outdoor space, enhancing your home's curb appeal, and helping to create a welcoming landing pad for both you and your guests.

Budget Friendly Small Front Porch Decor Ideas • Craving Some Creativity

Published: · Modified: by Rachel

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Tips for adding instant curb appeal to freshen up your front entry area. From plants to fabulous front porch decor, these awesome DIY ideas will make your home’s first impression the best impression!

Spring is in the air and as you set foot outside the house, you realized that your front porch is still in winter hangover mode. It’s time to get around to those small maintenance projects in order to make this additional “square footage” livable. Seasonal projects like staining the deck, organizing the garage, or power washing the exterior all enhance curb appeal.

A small front porch doesn’t mean you have to skimp on style though. I have gathered all of our favorite ways to freshen up a small front porch decor and enhance function with clever accessories, DIY upcycled items, plants, and other simple design ideas.

Here are some of our favorite small front porch decor ideas that show off your personal style!

1.

Paint the Front Door A New Color

Choosing a new hue is fun whether choosing paint colors for your home or choosing paint color for your front door.

The most popular door paint colors:

Looking for something more dazzling? Choose a door color that is opposite your house’s main shade on the color wheel.

Pro Tip: Paint colors often look much lighter or brighter/bolder outdoors than the sample on a paint card appears. Try a sample swatch and be prepared to go darker than your original choice.

2. Add a Fun Wreath

A new wreath is the most cost effective and space savvy way to decorate your front porch. Craft a custom hoop wreath for less than $35, even if you don’t think of yourself as crafty.

Searching for something a bit more elaborate? There are gorgeous, preassembled options right at your fingertips.

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Design Tip: A 24-inch wreath is just the right size for a standard 36-inch wide front door. Hang it about 14 inches from the top of the door so that it’s centered.

3. Hanging Baskets

Source: The Painted Chandelier

Hang flower baskets to maximize square footage. Bringing plants up to eye level makes an instant impression and is an efficient use of space. One of my favorite ways to use a hanging basket is on a mailbox. It’s a super easy and fast way to brighten up a lowly mailbox.

4. Window Boxes

Source: Pretty Handy Girl

Enjoy the sight of flowering blooms peeking through your windows inside with window boxes. Or plant herbs, hanging vines, or seasonal annuals. You can find the plans for these adorable window boxes from Pretty Handy Girl. Whether you choose a simple DIY palette design or something more elaborate, this architectural detail will enhance any structure.

5.

Personalized House NumbersSource: Etsy

Personalized house numbers add stylish charm to your front porch. Choose a color that has enough contrast with your home or mailbox to maximize visibility.

6. A Welcome Sign

Give your small porch decor a cozy but uncluttered vibe by focusing with just a few accessories. Choose one or two items that reflect your esthetic and build from there. Craft a DIY welcome sign to warmly greet visitors.

Feeling daunted by design tasks? If you’re wondering where to begin break the porch into imaginary zones. Use the front door as your centerpiece.

7. Hanging Wall

Don’t neglect your vertical space! A plant/herb wall like this pallet hanging wall from Jenna Burger Design is suitable for almost any size abode and works especially well for a small front porch. Repurpose a pallet or old fence gate for a creative DIY take, or purchase flush planters crafted specifically for the purpose.

8. Unexpected Finds Small Porch Decor Ideas

Source: The Honeycomb Home

There’s no rule against showing off your favorite thrift hauls or affinity for antiques from the safety of your front porch, as long as it is well covered.

Use an old buffet as an outdoor serving station or as a handy place to stash package deliveries. Flank your door with a set of antique urns. A vintage sign or mirror make great conversation pieces. My friend, Roxanne, is flawless with her vintage porch decorating like using an old milk jug as a side table.

9. Play up Architectural Features

Source: Pottery Barn

Some houses are blessed with columns, archways, or balanced steps that create height and symmetry to draw the eye. If, like me, you don’t have beautiful columns or a natural framework for your front porch, it’s easy to achieve the appearance with planters, window boxes, or shutters to add height.

Design tip: Highlight special features such as corbels, stonework and stucco with shades of white. Contrasting colors will especially make them pop.

10. Add a Unique Doormat

Rugs bring warmth and texture to a porch. Whether you have brick, tile, or concrete slab flooring, the right rug can anchor the space and pull your décor together.  

Since our front door isn’t covered, I purchased a mat tailored specifically for outdoor use. I found this great neutral one for $16! I then layered an outdoor rug to better fit the scale of the door.

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11. Curtains

Source: Saw Nails and Paint

Saw Nails and Paint created a stunning summer seating area above with soothing colors natural textures. I especially love the outdoor curtain that provides privacy and a bit of protection. You can purchase outdoor curtains in a variety of fabrics and patterns.

12. Elevate your Outdoor Lighting

Cage Lanterns

Modern lighting solutions are so fun and one of my favorite front porch decor ideas. Your front porch and entryway are quite similar in function and size. So, it only makes sense to draw inspiration for your porch light scheme from entryway lighting ideas.

Not all lighting choices have to be practical! A combination of lanterns, battery-operated candles, and votives placed strategically creates a warm welcome. Don’t leave your garden or walkway area in the dark either. Spotlights, spike lights and floodlights help to illuminate your landscaping feats.

13. Stencil the Floor

Source: BrePurposed

Transform a bland cement porch into a visually dazzling work of art like BrePurposed did here. Stencil patterns are the perfect way to achieve the look of tile at a fraction of the cost. With an array of designs available for purchase, your porch makeover will be far from cookie cutter.

14. Rustic or Cottage Vibe

Source: Nearly Natural

Avoid getting lost in the details and overwhelming the porch with accessories. Streamline your focus and simplify your decor by choosing a theme. For a rustic aesthetic, think cozy blankets, stacked logs, a natural jute rug, and perhaps this fun wooden moose head or a set of antlers.

15. Small Porch Swing

Source: Mostly Lovely Things

This lovely modern porch swing from Mostly Lovely Things is ideal for small spaces! Front porches and swings go hand in hand. There are many modern styles and sizes available for retail, including single seat hammock style swings for tight spaces.

Fun fact: Placing outdoor furniture in a space has a psychologically welcoming affect. Whether your space is large enough for an outdoor farmhouse table, or only big enough for a swing, adding seating is guaranteed to make guests feel at home.

16. Colorful Greenery

The front porch is an outdoor space. Featuring fresh flowers and potted plants is a no brainer. Lush greenery enhances any area.

Easy Perennials for beginners:

Pro Tip: I purchased self-watering planters a few years ago, and I love them. They are virtually maintenance free. Our concrete planters are a fun DIY to create custom planters without the hefty price tag.

17. Add a Pop of Color

Source: Daffodil Lane Wreath

Budget friendly ways to add color:

18. Refresh your Walkway

A little maintenance can go a long way to freshening up a space. We pressure wash our concrete every-other-year. If your walkway area needs a bit more love than that, repair and paint the concrete walkway. We also built this super budget friendly walkway for my parents.

Have any other ideas to add to the list to freshen up your small porch decor? 

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An alternate look

Under the Roof Decorating

Just for the fun of it, since I already had black and white cushions, I created this trendy city-chic look. I was amazed at how different the two looks were and that they were achieved by simply switching the cushions and throw - the furniture stayed in the exact same spot. Now I can pick whichever look I want, say floral for mornings and black and white for evenings, all with very minimal effort. UTRdecorating.com

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ideas for decorating a country house veranda in a private house

Veranda - an extension that acts as a connecting link in the duet "house - garden". It is designed to combine the warmth of the hearth and the beauty of the surrounding nature. It also serves as a cozy corner where you can relax, enjoying the picturesque landscape, or organize fun gatherings with loved ones. How to equip an extension, and which design of the veranda to choose so that it turns out to be bright and comfortable, we will consider in more detail.

Contents

Before proceeding with the analysis of the intricacies of arranging the veranda, turning it into a cozy corner for relaxation, you should determine for yourself what type of construction the extension has.

Type #1 - open-ended extensions

Many mistakenly believe that the open veranda is the same terrace in front of the house. The difference between the architectural elements is that the veranda is a room attached to the house, and the terrace is a platform on a separate base.

The terrace, like the veranda, can also be equipped with a roof or a shading canopy, but the usual walls are replaced by low fences

Light and space are the main decoration of open-air verandas. The design is designed to emphasize this dignity. As a lighting design for open verandas, pastel colors and shades that are as close as possible to natural colors are ideal.

In order to slightly cover open openings and at the same time diversify the landscape design, it is better to run climbing plants along the support posts: kampsis, clematis, wild grapes

Flowering lianas planted along the perimeter of the extension will act as an elegant decoration of the space and protect the room from dust penetration.

In the design of an open veranda, ultra-modern novelties will not look quite appropriate. For its design, traditional interior items are most successfully suited: wicker furniture, forged shelves, porcelain figurines.

Type #2 - glazed structures

Whether or not to glaze the veranda is a matter of taste for every owner. You can glaze only part of the openings, or all windows.

Using frames of different sizes and designs, you can easily turn a closed room into an open and bright room

The verandas, the glazing of which is made without the use of frames, look interesting. Glass ceilings literally erase the line between the interior and the surrounding nature. Frameless glazing is an excellent solution for arranging a winter garden on the veranda.

Thickened glass, freely passing the sun's rays, will reliably protect the delicate foliage of exotic plants from gusts of wind in the cool months

Do you want to visually make a veranda with a small area more light and spacious? Then decorate the roof of the extension with glass inserts. The glass roof gives the appearance of the extension lightness and airiness.

A beautifully designed vaulted ceiling can act as a central element of the extension, bringing a touch of originality and unusualness to the interior

Verandas with a transparent roof are literally immersed in bright streams of sunlight. Through the vaults of the domed glass roof, the sun's rays will penetrate throughout the day, enlivening the room with their glow. Your task is only to enhance the effect by decorating the room with furniture in light shades and creating a light environment for a recreation area at minimal cost.

There are countless options for designing verandas using textural, stylistic and color solutions. But still, to create a holistic and harmonious image, special attention should be paid to a number of points.

Choosing finishing materials

Most often, porcelain stoneware or stone slabs are used as finishing materials for the flooring of verandas. This way of facing is not only attractive, but also practical. Moisture-resistant materials in an unheated room will not become damp in cold weather. And cleaning the surface from traces after pets or dirty shoes takes a minimum of effort and time.

The coolness of ceramic tiles is successfully compensated by the warmth of ceiling and wall wood panels. This technique is often used by designers, combining two natural materials - stone and wood

Wood flooring can enhance the texture of brick or stonework. It remains only to complement the interior with wooden beams - and the situation will acquire a slight touch of country life.

Stone-finished wood flooring on the walls of the annexe forms a union close to nature, which fits so well into the design of a country house

Thanks to the harmonious combination of raw natural stone with natural wood, you get the feeling that you are not within the walls of a suburban area, in a house in the forest.

The use of wood of different species, each of which has its own unique shade, will allow you to create a unique and memorable interior. And the bright upholstery of upholstered furniture will support the warm color of the atmosphere you have created.

The arrangement of a stone stove or fireplace on the veranda is a fairly common design technique. The presence of a fireplace in a room that needs a source of heat will give an excellent opportunity to relax in comfort, admiring the picturesque landscape.

The highlight of the veranda, in the design of which there are elements of the classical style, will be a fireplace lined with natural stone

A cozy hearth against the backdrop of large, spacious windows and neutral finishes on upholstered furniture create a calm and relaxing environment. Finishing the space with the use of masonry elements brings the spirit of antiquity into the interior, giving a feeling of reliability and safety.

All about furniture and accessories

The design of a country veranda is also well-chosen comfortable furniture. It is selected depending on the size of the extension, focusing on the style direction of the design.

If the space is small, you should first of all determine for yourself which zones you plan to place in a small space.

If the area is limited to two or three square meters, you can simply put a couple of chairs or armchairs, setting up a corner for tea drinking

In order not to clutter up the territory, it is worth choosing folding furniture. To save space, use the furniture included with the window sills: folding sofas, tables with folding tops.

When arranging a more spacious room, where there is an opportunity to swing, a comfortable sofa can become the main decoration of the interior.

If the strong ceiling structures allow, you can even attach a suspended swing sofa decorated with decorative pillows

to them

Furnishing a fully glazed room in which the furniture will be protected from the effects of the weather, you should only be afraid that it will fade under the influence of sunlight. Therefore, for decoration it is better to choose objects of unsaturated tones.

It's great when the sofas and armchairs of such a cozy corner delight the eye with their natural origin. Wooden coffee tables, armchairs covered with cotton covers - all this will become the basis of the decoration of the open extension.

Wicker or rattan furniture is a great solution for a glazed porch: in the cold season it will serve as a great addition to the interior, and on warm days it can be taken out to the front lawn

Removable upholstered seats will help to arrange a comfortable seating area and add bright touches to the interior, enriching the color palette of the veranda.

The bright glazed veranda in front of the house is an ideal place for book lovers. Through large window openings from floor to ceiling, most of the day the sun's rays penetrate the room. So why not use this advantage by setting up a home library with reading places on the veranda?

Place a large bookcase against the wall, place a comfortable sofa next to it, think over the backlight for reading in the evening - and a cozy corner will become a favorite place for everyone in the household to have a good time

Furniture with forging elements looks very harmonious in the interior of an open annex. She is able to fit perfectly into styles with ethnic flavor:

Dyed straw floor mats, wood sculptures, hunting trophies, porcelain vases with dried flowers and glass knick-knacks are the best decorations.

Soft sofas and ottomans, decorated with colorful pillows, and low tables, decorated with elegant jugs will help to convey the aura of the East

Mediterranean style, as well as country or chalet styles, is characterized by an abundance of wooden interior items. A wide deck board as a floor covering, rough wooden benches and chairs will be an ideal solution for decorating ethnic styles. Tablecloths, chair covers and pillows in warm sandy shades will help complete the picture. Ceramic and clay amphorae and flowerpots placed on the tables and the floor will add a special charm.

If you want to embody the Mediterranean style, creating an atmosphere characteristic of the south of France, it is desirable to age the wooden surface of furniture and flooring artificially

Coating wooden elements with a special varnish, you will give them a spectacular vintage look.

Thinking through the design of the veranda in a private house, you should not use a large number of pieces of furniture in the design. They will only litter the space. It is better to decorate the interior with small accessories, using for this:

These cute little things will help you create an atmosphere of home comfort.

How to choose the right curtains?

In open spaces or verandas framed by glass surfaces, there is often too much sun. The easiest way to solve this problem is to hang roller blinds. They are very convenient to use.

The canvases framing the veranda act as a kind of screen, creating a light-tight barrier, but it is enough to pull the rope - and the window opening is opened

Veranda curtains play a key role in creating a harmonious design. Thick fabric curtains will save you from the scorching sun, and transparent and thickly draped curtains will be an excellent attribute for celebrations.

Canopy is a great addition to the interior: airy and almost weightless attire can bring a sense of harmony and purity

When designing a veranda in a Mediterranean or Scandinavian style, curtains made of light and translucent fabrics are the best fit. The combination of light shades creates a festive atmosphere of abundance of light.

Airy flying chintz or tulle in white tones leave an imprint of grace and elegance, creating the illusion of sky clouds frozen for a moment

Are you planning to create an original design of the veranda in the country? Then choose bamboo curtains. Vertical or horizontal blinds will easily fit into any interior you choose.

Thick bamboo curtains will create a reliable barrier to the penetration of sunlight, acting as a worthy addition to furniture in a neutral palette

Fabric curtains on outdoor verandas are best used only during the warm season, after which they can be removed from the eaves and hidden indoors.

Greenery elements

Flower arrangements will become a real decoration of the veranda. Lively, beautiful and fragrant flowers will give a feeling of calm and peace, creating a favorable microclimate on the sunlit veranda.

Beautiful flowering petunias, geraniums and surfinias can be placed in hanging flowerpots by attaching them to window openings, or placed on window sills and shelves

Forged racks decorated with several pots with ornamental leafy plants will be a spectacular addition to the design. And just dwarf trees and flowers placed everywhere in pots will unusually decorate the room.

In addition to ornamental plants, you can safely plant horticultural crops in outdoor flowerpots and containers: mint, oregano, thyme, lemon balm, rosemary

The pleasant aroma of essential oils emitted by spicy plants will become an additional source of pleasure from being in the bosom of nature.

Wooden and wrought iron products stylized as miniature carts, bicycles and easels are perfect as flower stands

Plant compositions can be supplemented by diluting them with varnished stumps, tinted branches or beautifully laid natural stones.

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