Spruce Up Your Front Porch: 3 Ways to Make it Look Cozy and Inviting

More than half of all homes in the United States have a front porch, with homes in the South having the largest percentage. However, a considerable number of homes in the Midwest have front porches as well. 

For most homes, the front porch (or the front of your house if you don’t have a front porch) is the first impression, and so it’s a very important aspect when it comes to curb appeal. You want the entryway into your home to look as warm and inviting as possible.

Even if your home doesn’t have a front porch, you can still make it look warm and inviting. Here are three ways to make the outside of your home look more welcoming.

#1: Create a Cozy Seating Area

If your front porch has enough space, consider creating a cozy seating area for you, your family, and your guests to enjoy. Depending on what type of interior design style you’re going for, you can use traditional rocking chairs and porch swings with cushions, or you can go for a more modern look with more comfortable furniture. Make your front porch an extension of your home and add things like plants, end tables, and other decor pieces. Just make sure that all of the furniture you use is able to withstand the outdoor elements.

For even more comfort and some privacy, you can hang curtains around your porch to make it feel more like an outdoor room— which is great if you don’t have a patio or deck for outdoor gatherings. You can also go the extra mile and have a ceiling fan or two installed, which can come in handy during the summer months.

Even smaller front porches and homes that may just have a stoop can benefit from simple decor. Add plants and other small decor pieces to give it a cozy look, and you can’t go wrong with a nice welcome mat.

#2: Get New Lighting Fixtures

The main purpose of outdoor lighting is to provide a sense of security to deter unwanted visitors and animals and to provide safety for yourself when coming home at night. However, something as necessary and functional as lighting doesn’t have to look boring— and it doesn’t have to stop at your front door. There are many different types of outdoor lighting:

  • Ceiling lights
  • Flood lights (usually on the side or in backyards)
  • Landscape lighting
  • Pendant lights
  • Post lights
  • Walls lights

Wall lights are the most common on the front of a house, but you can also consider ceiling or pendant lights if you have a front porch. For homes without (and with) a front porch, landscape lighting can help spruce up your entryway, particularly if you have some sort of pathway leading to your door. Walkway lighting and posts can line the edges of your walkway, while step lighting can illuminate your steps at night, making it much easier and safer to enter your home in the dark.

#3: Update Your Front Door

All homes have a front door, or at least a main entry door, and this is the door that welcomes visitors into your home. This is also a very important aspect of your home’s overall curb appeal,  so it may be time to make some changes to your front door. You can start with simple upgrades, such as cleaning your door and adding some seasonal or year-round decor to it. A welcome sign/wreath hanging on your door is a simple, yet decorative way to welcome visitors into your home.

For more advanced upgrades, consider updating the hardware (such as the doorknob) and give your front door a new paint job. You can even paint your door a bold and bright new color, making it stand out from the other houses on your block.

For the ultimate upgrade, consider updating your entire door altogether. A brand new entry door can be just what your home needs, especially if you’ve updated your lighting fixtures and transformed your front porch. You can choose a style that’s different from your current door to compliment your front porch decor, or you can choose something more similar to your current door.

To spruce up your front porch and/or entryway, these are three things you can do. Not only will these things make your home look more welcoming, but it will also help improve your home’s curb appeal. So consider at least one of these tips to spruce up the front of your home.

About the author

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Brad Smith

Brad Smith is an experienced interior designer and the founder of OmniHomeIdeas.com. With a Master's degree in Interior Design from Pratt Institute and a passion for creating safe and healthy living spaces, Brad shares his expert insights and innovative design ideas with our readers. His work is driven by the belief that home is where every story begins.

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