Planning a Cozy Front Porch Space
The other day, I spent a couple of hours sitting on our front porch in the warm breeze while Mabel had her afternoon nap. I listened to podcasts and dreamed about the ways I want to spruce up this underrated space for the upcoming summer season. I have always been a front porch person. My Dad built a big covered front porch on our family home when we were young and many of my favourite memories revolve around swinging on the porch swing in the warm evening breeze, listening to my Dad play his banjo or laughing with my sister. Our home doesn’t quite have the space for a porch swing (maybe one day!), but now that Mabel is getting bigger and able to play more independently outdoors, we have been spending more time sitting out on our porch with a drink or a book, watching the world (or Mabel) pass us by. I really want to make our front porch space an extension of our home.
My front porch daydreaming definitely got the best of me as I started pulling images of beautiful club chairs and layered outdoor-safe textiles. Sometimes I let myself wander in my dreaming, knowing full well that we don’t have an open-ended budget to make it all happen. But I think what I was after was trying to capture the feeling - of warmth, of invitation, and of peace. These values guide me in all of my efforts to make our little house more of a home and the feeling I’m after for the front porch is no different. I want it to be a space where a friend pops by for a glass or wine and a chat or where Curt and I drink a morning coffee together before Mabel wakes up.
All this to say, I’m feeling inspired by this collection I pulled together for our porch, but, no, I will not be purchasing all of these items to make it happen. I just collected them together because I love having a visual game plan, something to work towards, and thought you may enjoy this inspiration too. You all know that I am no stranger to a budget-friendly flip or DIY and I have big (but inexpensive) plans for our little porch. Maybe I’ll pull together a few of these pieces, but mostly, I’ll be working with things that I already have. It’s still (hopefully) going to be good and I’m itching to get started.
1. Outdoor Ceiling Semi-Flush Mount Light // 2. Jute Ottoman // 3. Wall Planter // 4. Outdoor Throw Cushion (yellow) // 5. Outdoor Throw Cushion (textured stripe) // 6. Throw Cushion (cream stripe) // 7. Resin Hanging Baskets // 8. Terracotta-Coloured Composite Urn // 9. Indoor/Outdoor Sisal Rug // 10. Black Striped Rainbow Doormat // 11. Concrete Side Table // 12. Striped Area Rug // 13. Club Chair
Do you use your outdoor spaces as an extension of your home? What do you think makes for a cozy front porch space? Other than some cozy textiles, my main goal is to focus on the main joy of being outdoors - the plants! I can’t wait to fill my hanging baskets and planters with big trailing green plants, fluffy Boston ferns, and colourful begonias because I think that will really amp up the coziness.
