It’s traditional in many parts of the country to spend at least part of the summer sitting on the porch. Summer time is all about lazy nights of watching both fireflies and the world go by. In urban environments and in small town ones, sitting on the front porch is a part of life. Many homeowners are starting to reassess porches that weren’t often used as an extension of the home.
Chic and lovely dining areas can be designed for even the smallest of porches. With just a little protection from the weather, it isn’t necessary to have all the furniture or accessories be waterproof. Take an unused rug out and put a table on it. It only takes something that simple to jazz things up a bit. An outdoor table would be optimal, but not totally necessary if you don’t get blowing rain too often. Mixing traditional and either contemporary or industrial styled chairs looks great. Chairs that stack for easy storage are a plus too. For some real pizazz, hang a chandelier or a cool lantern over the table.
A graphic floor design can add a lot to a porch floor. Adding designs to a simple repainting job is very easy to do too. Diamond patterns are the easiest. One coat of paint, and then mask off your design. It will be dry the next day and ready for use if you use latex enamel or deck paint. There are things around that are much more interesting than plastic roll-ups in you need a little late afternoon sun protection. Hang weatherproof outdoor fabric in panels. Between using PVC pipe and extra large grommets on the panels, the look can be quite nice. Large panels of shutters would be more upscale in look. They are moveable and can provide extra privacy should you need it.
If you live in a climate where furniture can be left out year round, you will probably want to invest more in your outdoor furniture. The diversity of styles today is huge, and is scaled to work in large or small spaces.
Plants are great for both providing a lush ambiance and adding some privacy too. Ferns and palms love being under the eaves of a porch, and look good too. Whether simple decorated or elaborately design, decorate your porch to reflect you. A great way to approach it is to simply extend the design and decor of your interiors. Designing a look with similar styles and colors gives a look of continuity to the whole house. Sitting on the porch at night will never have been so good.
Gabriel Meriwether is a writer for BrooksidePatioFurniture.com. They offer balcony furniture, a beautiful wicker patio set collection, and an outdoor loveseat set.
