Decorating a small front porch for summer is easy and simple. Here are a few ideas and tips for making a cozy, welcoming summer space on your front porch.
As we approach this summer season, even though its busy, I wanted to decorate my front porch. So here are some ideas and tips for decorating a small front porch for summer. Decorating it will make the outside entrance to your home look pretty and inviting as guests arrive or even as you walk up to your own house. I wanted something easy and simple to carry throughout summer until the start of the fall season.
With the kiddos home from school soon and trips to the lake planned, my home decor definitely takes a step back. My hope is to decorate now and leave it up until the end of August or beginning of September.
I have a very small front porch that leads to our front door. It’s basically a set of two wide cement steps and with the top step a landing, that leads directly to the front door. On one side is a flower bed and on the other the wall of our house. This can be a little difficult to decorate and set up a large display but I’ve found some cute ways to make it work.
Summer Cleaning
Yup my spring cleaning didn’t happen yet outside on the front porch. So before I could just start decorating, I did a little cleaning first. I wiped down the door, cleaned the windows, wiped all the dust and cobwebs off the siding. Then I also swept the step and cleaned it with a water hose. Not the fun part, but it did look really nice and clean when I was done.
The Front Door
Last fall right before winter, I finally painted my front door. I used Benjamin Moore premium exterior latex paint in a low lustre finish. https://store.benjaminmoore.com/storefront/ca/en/coating/exterior-paints/benjamin-moore/ben-waterborne-exterior-paint/ben/p/K542?size=SIZE-004. The colour is called Sea Star. I love how it turned out and was so glad to get rid of the ugly burgundy colour I previously had. It ended up being a very simple, easy update to our front door that only took a few hours. It makes such a difference to freshen up the door with a new colour or even give it a fresh coat of paint in the same colour if you’re still loving it.
A Cute Doormat
Another great way to decorate a small front porch is to use a cute doormat or even two. In fact layering several sizes of rugs is very popular and looks great. Doormats in front of the door, make the landing look and feel cozy plus help pull the whole look together. They come in all shapes and sizes, so just find one that suits your style and decor. Natural coir rugs like mine are quite common for an outdoor rug and come in many patterns or even with words printed on them. I started with a basic black mat in a larger size than my doormat and then added another patterned coir mat on top.
Hanging a Wreath
Next let’s hang a pretty wreath on the front door for summer. I made one earlier for spring and it still worked really well with summer decor too, so I used the same one and just removed a few pussy willow stems. Here is the DIY wreath instructions if you are interested in making your own. https://behomeinspired.com/2022/03/22/how-do-i-make-a-pretty-spring-wreath/. A pretty greenery wreath or a floral wreath will always add a nice touch to the front door.
Outdoor Plants and Flowers
Adding outdoor plants and flowers is such a pretty way to decorate your summer front porch. This time of year it’s quite easy to shop at a local greenhouse for some blooming annual flowers or greenery and add them to a cute pot or container. A tip when buying annuals is to know whether you need full sun, part sun or shade plants. My porch is mostly in the shade so I bought some pretty coral coloured begonia’s that do well there. House plants can always be brought outside or even dig up a few perennials and pot them. Here is a previous post on unique outdoor planters if you need some ideas! https://behomeinspired.com/2022/05/17/unique-outdoor-planter-ideas-for-your-flowers/
Decorating the Front Porch
Lastly let’s add in some decorative accessories to put the finishing touches on the front porch. Think about adding a cute small vintage wood chair that you can display a plant on or a pretty throw or pillow. Different containers for displaying your flowers and plants in, add a nice touch as well. A wooden plant stand is another idea for displaying those pretty blooms. Lanterns of varying shapes and sizes are another great decor item to add in. Adding an outdoor timer candle to the lantern, is so pretty when they are lit up at night.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed these tips and ideas about decorating a small front porch for summer. Making a cozy, welcoming space for your home can be easy and simple. Already I’ve had guests walk up to my door and notice how nice that front porch looked, which made it worth while to do this makeover. I hope that I’ve inspired you to do the same.
Have a wonderful week and enjoy the beautiful summer days!
XO Rachel
Meggie Farmer says
So cute!! Thanks for sharing!
Emily says
Such cute ideas! I feel inspired.
Danielle says
Very cute! I love the blue door and begonias are my favourite!