Summer Front Porch Updates Before and After

Giving your porch a summer refresh is always exciting! If you’re not sure where to start this post will give you a bunch of ideas no matter the season. Get all the details of this beautiful Summer Porch Updates Before and After!

When I first set eyes on our traditional colonial house, I was instantly in love. The balanced design of this style home really makes me feel at peace. Although, what truly made me swoon was the beautiful wrap-around farmhouse porch that ends with a half-gazebo off the side porch!

Our home is the only one in our neighborhood that has this style porch. This makes our home unique especially in a world of cookie-cutter home styles, and personally I believe porches are underrated these days.

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Over the years I have thoroughly enjoyed decorating our front porch and we’ve received so many wonderful comments about it. Although, we have this little nook on the front porch that is to the left of the front door (as you come up on the porch) that has just baffled me since the day we moved it. I just can’t seem to figure out how best to utilize it or decorate it.

It’s also a space that gets a lot of sun (a good 6+ hours worth) and it’s not a very large space either; measuring at just 67-1/2″ x 41-1/2″ without obstructing the walkway to the front door.

Summer Porch Updates The Details

So while I usually scratch my head as to what to do with this particular porch space, I still decorate each season. I love to decorate my front porch and this years’ summer porch refresh all began with this free chair.

A few years back I found this chair at the side of the road but it had no seat pan which didn’t bother me at all because my husband fixed that for me. Although I had an idea for it, I never finalized that original idea to use it, then I forgot about it. Fast forward, the chair came back to mind when, recently I received the Country Door summer catalog.

On the cover of this magazine was a wood and metal welcome sign that inspired the perfect idea for this little front porch nook. I’m also lucky because my husband is great at wood working and created the vision I had for our own welcome sign and I got to customize it by being able to choose my own stain color. I found the metal letters at our local Michaels craft store.

Now my summer porch vignette includes this beautifully handcrafted wood and metal letter welcome sign, a refinished old chair, enough faux red geraniums to fill both a metal watering can and a white gardening tool box. The best part about this setup is that I can easily change it out each season simply by changing out the faux flowers and/or adding in more seasonal decor. I can just see some faux thistle, leaves and pinecones overfilling the watering can and garden tool box for an autumn setup.

Summer Porch Before and After

Just take a look at the before and after picture below. Wow, what a difference -right?! It’s amazing how beautiful it looks simply by adding in a pop of color and a custom wood and metal porch sign!

So which look do you think is more inviting and welcoming? Leave me a comment below, I’d love to hear your thoughts on my front porch refresh! The best part of having a chair in this space is the delivery people will usually leave my packages on the chair. That makes it easy to spot that I have a package that’s arrived.

Want to see these gorgeous red geraniums in action? Check out the Easy Summer Decorating Ideas For Your Porch post!

Porch Decorating Ideas by Season

To give you an idea of the versatility of this front porch decor setup I’ve listed below some porch decorating ideas for each of the remaining seasons.

Spring Porch Decorating Ideas

• Either use spring themed flowers, like tulips in the watering can -or- replace the watering can with a bunny -or- replace the watering can all together and put in its’ place a basket filled with faux Easter eggs;
• Remove faux flowers in the garden tool box and replace with tucking in some cute little bunnies -or fill with Easter eggs;
• Use a basket filled with Easter eggs on the chair; faux spring flowers in the garden tool box and a place a 3″-4″ standing bunny behind the tool box next to the welcome sign.

Fall Porch Decorating Ideas

• Either use fall themed flowers in the watering can -or- replace the can with a basket filled with fall themed flowers or pumpkins -or- replace the watering can all together with a large pumpkin;
• Replace the flowers in the garden tool box with small fall theme bushels and place a scarecrow pick into one of the bushels;
• Use a fall leaf garland strand to wind down the welcome sign;
• Since Halloween falls during this time, replace any decor on the chair with a large carved pumpkin and place a black crow on the back of the chair; replace garden tool box decor with Halloween pumpkins.

Check out how I decorated this little porch nook in the Fall Decor Ideas for Your Front Porch and Steps post!

Winter Porch Decorating Ideas

If this area of my porch didn’t get so much snow I’d be able to decorate it better. But, if I could decorate it based on the welcome sign, chair and garden tool box, I would….

• Use some small nails and attach some white sparkling snowflakes on the welcome sign. I wouldn’t worry too much about putting holes into the wood sign because it just adds character;
• Remove the watering can and replace with a small Christmas tree;
• Replace the contents in the garden tool box with shiny red and green Christmas bulbs;
• Place a 3-4″ red sled behind the tool box and next to the welcome sign.

The ideas for decorating this small nook on the front porch are endless. I’ve even placed our single white wicker tea table with two chairs in that corner.

It goes without saying that once the sign was done and I got the porch all set up, I felt so accomplished. But that didn’t last long though because, as I sat looking at my decorated summer front porch, I came up with a list of things that still need to be completed, which is mostly regular maintenance. Once those are done, this little corner will sparkle in all its’ seasonal beauty!

Front Porch Project List

• Sand and re-stain porch floor;
• Sand and re-paint porch railings;
• Replace front door mat;
• Paint outdoor lights black;
• Wash the house siding.

With autumn just around the corner this summer porch update will get a little cozy makeover that you won’t want to miss.

In case you were wondering it is my plan to post the tutorials for both the wood and metal welcome sign as well as the chalk paint chair.

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