A wide, covered porch wrapped around the front of my childhood home. The wooden floor of the porch was painted gray and square white columns supported the roof. An old farm house without air conditioning, that porch was a favored place for family and visitors to sit and catch a breeze on a hot, sultry day.
A porch can be treated as additional “living” space or another room of the house. Decorating a porch to make it more inviting starts with choosing a theme and color palette. Following are some porch decorating ideas to get you started.
Porch Decorating Themes
Country Cozy. The theme I recall and love is wicker furniture with a folded quilt for a seat pad. Floral, checked or striped patterns can be used on all fabric surfaces, like pillows, table cloth or seat cushions.
Southwestern. Think terra cotta, dark stained wooden chairs and Indian blankets.
Beach. There are as many varieties of beach themes as there are beaches. A California beach may bring visions of surfing; a Florida beach theme may include flamingos and seashells; or a Maine beach theme may include a lighthouse or Adirondack chairs.
Log Cabin. Reminiscent of summer camp, a log cabin theme may include paddles, pine cones and heavy wood furniture.
Contemporary. Black or creamy white furniture with solid colored seat cushions, sisal rug and eye-catching art pieces can make up a contemporary theme.
Traditional. White, black or green painted iron furniture with glass top tables could be the focus of a traditional porch theme. The pattern on seat cushions may mimic the interior décor and be striped, solid or patterns.
Color Palette
After choosing a theme, chose colors for fabric and paint that complement your furniture choices and the color of your house.
Country Cozy. Fabric for table cloth, cushions and pillows may have a bright or creamy white background with a floral pattern, where the colors can be pastel or vibrant. Checked or striped fabric may use red, yellow or dark blue as the primary color. The floor of the porch, if made of wood, may be gray. The ceiling of the porch may be painted a light shade of blue, yellow or green.
Southwestern. Dark browns, black, rusty red and turquoise can make up the porch color palette of a southwestern them. Buttercup yellow can be used for accent.
Beach. Colors of the sea, like aqua, deep blue and white (foam waves), along with light creams and tans to emulate sand can be the main colors of a beach theme. Add vibrant reds, greens and yellows for accents.
Log Cabin. The rustic charm of a log cabin theme calls for lots of wood and colors pulled from nature. Forest green covered cushions can be accented with sky blue or sun yellow pillows. Plaid can also be used with ease.
Contemporary. It’s okay to go with one main color, like creamy white for the floors, furniture and ceiling. Add one accent color, like chartreuse.
Traditional. The porch carrying a traditional décor may show buttery yellow and light blue colors. Dark floral or paisley colors cover pillows.
Sources: HomeDecorWorld, CreativeHomeDecorating
