How to Decorate a Classic Front Porch for Summer

Learn how to decorate a classic front porch for summer with a mix of real and faux plants and touches of chinoiserie for a chic look.

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Are you stopping by from Laura's home? Welcome! Decor to Adore is a lovely site featuring vintage charm. I adore Laura's kitchen and brick fireplace.

How to Decorate a Classic Front Porch for Summer

• Lighting
• Rugs and Mats
• Wreath
• Seating
• Pillows
• Plants
• Chinoiserie Pieces

See the front porch through the years!

Linen Dress | Sandals | Hat | Bracelets

Whether you have a large front porch for rocking and sipping a tall glass of iced tea or a walk-up door with a stoop, you can add curb appeal. We just celebrated 20 years in our home at the end of May. I've learned a lot in our home journey with what works and what doesn't. I hope that I can share a little insight today.

Plants, lighting, a welcoming door mat, and a wreath can create a warm welcome. I've learned to go as minimal as I can but still fill the space. Minimal is key for ease in cleaning.

Lighting

Not only does lighting warm up your home in the evening, but it's practical for many safety reasons.

It's important for your path to light the way for guests to safely enter and leave your home.

Our home has can lights and a gas lantern on the porch. While the gas lantern is always on, the can lights are not. As a result, unless we knew you were coming……those porch lights were not on.

Similar Gas Lantern | Electric Lantern | Rug | Mat | Topiary | Door Basket | Smart Plug

I do have a short string of white lights around the mirror that are on a timer. It does help to further illuminate the porch area.

Console Table | Similar Garden Stool | Container | Similar Rocker | Ferns | Palm | Boxwood | Fern Stand

The console table was a thrift store project that you can find HERE.

For many years, we used simple solar lights. They don't hold up particularly well over time and have been replaced numerous times through the years.

Last November, we finally invested in wired landscape lighting. We just did the front yard and a small section at the top of the driveway before entering the circle drive. It only took almost 19 years.

They look fabulous and light up the house so much better for guests, and deliveries and hopefully deter any theft. Everything we did was uplighting, spotlights, and a few pathway lights.

Yes, we still use solar lights. The driveway length which is 500 feet still has solar lights due to the expense of wired for a long area. The backyard still has solar.

So at least consider adding a few solar uplights, some string lights, or even solar lanterns on your steps.

Lantern Makeover | Solar Candles | Solar Lanterns HERE and HERE

Rugs and Mats

Rugs and mats are wonderful for creating a cozy entrance or defining seating areas on larger porches.

Similar Gas Lantern | Electric Lantern | Rug | Mat | Topiary | Door Basket | Smart Plug

You can easily get a patterned rug look by layering your doormat with a slightly larger rug.

For years, I had a very large oversized rug on the front porch with a mat on top. It was necessary to hide the floors that were in very bad shape and had failed.

Since we replaced the porch flooring, I have gone back to a simpler look for the front entrance.

The floors are pretty so why hide them?

I could add rugs to the areas where the wicker rockers flank the front door or in the dining area. It would look beautiful, but practicality has me going simpler.

While we sit on the front porch for morning coffee, to talk on the phone, or occasionally work at the table, we don't typically entertain on the front porch. I treat it as more of a welcoming area with less decor and fluff.

Wreath

You can never go wrong with a seasonal wreath on your front door to create a cozy welcome. I typically try to coordinate the flowers with the flowers in my plantings.

If ribbon is used, I like to also coordinate that with the color scheme.

Flowers from Hobby Lobby | Door Basket

Don't be afraid to think outside the box when designing or purchasing a wreath. This spring I added this door basket to easily change out florals with the seasons.

An oversized door knocker is a wonderful way to go for a classic look if going sans wreath is more your style. I am currently looking at oversized door knockers to go for this look.

Seating

If you have room, add seating. 

Similar Garden Stool | Container | Similar Rocker | Ferns | Palm | Fern Stand

I went with a less expensive resin wicker rocker on the front porch from Kirkland's. Ours are about 8 years old and no longer available. 

The round dining table and chairs were a Craigslist find before Facebook Marketplace. 

If you do not have room for seating on the porch area, do you have an area where a simple bench would work?

We have these polywood Adirondack chairs on the back patio that would be wonderful on a front porch. 

Pillows

Give me the pillows! I've been pillow-obsessed for as long as I can remember. They are such a fun way to finish a space with pattern and color. These days I prefer to purchase pillow covers. They are so much easier to store.

I've had my current porch pillows for several years now. You won't find me replacing them frequently around here. These have held up beautifully. They are from Lowe's. Lowe's has a great outdoor pillow selection. I did buy these covers and inserts for the screened porch this year.

You will frequently find me changing up the look by rotating pillows from the back porch.

If you have a covered porch, you can get by with pillows that may not necessarily be outdoor-rated. If I do this, I opt for lesser expensive ones in case they don't hold up.

Plants

Boxwood in white containers | Similar Ginger Jar | Console Table

An outdoor space would not be complete without plants! I adore gardening and get my hands dirty quite frequently. 

However, gardening on our covered porch spaces has not worked out for me in the past. 

Things just don't get enough light or water and just don't flourish. 

We like to travel so things that don't have the potential to get some rainwater just don't appeal to me at this stage in my life. 

Last summer, I added faux plants to our screened porch, and wow! It was a game-changer for us. We weren't constantly watering and keeping the porches clean from the plant mess. 

This year, I decided to go faux on the front porch!

In full disclosure, Nearly Natural provided me with the faux plants for the front porch for an Instagram post. This blog post was not required nor is it sponsored. 

Guests that approach your home are not going to think these plants are faux! They are so lifelike.

Years ago, I went faux with my popular Amazon topiaries. My success with these is what made me want to go faux with the rest of the porch. 

The trick is to mix real and faux!

My planters leading to the front porch are all planted with summer flowers. My hanging baskets on the front porch are real Macho ferns. 

Cleaning Faux Plants

• Store in the off-season until after the last of the pollen
• Lightly blow off with my battery blower
• Lightly rinse with a hose as needed

Chinoiserie

I don't have lots of decor on the porch. Just the plant pieces and my chinoiserie.

Similar Garden Stool | Container | Similar Rocker | Ferns | Palm | Fern Stand | Blue &. Green Pillow

Chinoiserie garden stools are an amazing way to incorporate patterns and that classic look.

They clean well with a damp rag. Yes, you can sit on them! I prefer to use them as a little occasional table. They are nice for a drink table. With being porcelain they easily handle the condensation from drinks.

They also work well as a plant stand.

This year I added 1 large ginger jar from Homegoods. It's the perfect accessory on the console table.

I'd opt for one large piece as opposed to multiple small pieces. It creates a statement, plus the one piece is easier to wipe clean. It is weighty so I don't worry about it being blown over in the wind. If that is a concern, you could weigh it with sand.

Similar Hanging Basket (mine is out of stock)

I hope you are inspired to decorate your outdoor living spaces! Let me know if you have any questions.

Don't forget to give Marty from A Stroll Thru Life a visit! Her neutrals are always so calming and cozy!

Summer Tour Links

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