By Jaclyn Harper
Well friends, fall is officially here. Have you started your fall decorating yet? Personally, I think the best way to kick off the season is with an updated front porch or entry. With that said, today I’m giving you five tips to instantly transform your front porch.
Paint
This may seem daunting to a lot of you, but you’d be amazed at how much paint can transform your space. Last year, we painted the brick of our home. The transformation is honestly incredible. Our home went from old and dated to new and modern. Of course, getting your brick stained can be much more expensive than simply painting your front door. In fact, we did paint our front door and our garage, too.
When we purchased our home they were white and they looked dirty. We thought that this coffee brown colour looked amazing against our new grey brick and would hide the dirt as well. So why not give your front door a refresh? It’s simple, it’s inexpensive and it’s fun. Plus, it’s so simple to change the colour if you want to in the future.
If you pop into Lowe’s they have the new HGTV Home By Sherwin Williams line, which makes shopping for your paint colour really easy. I’m thinking I’m going to repaint our door a light blue to give it a burst of colour.
Texture
For fall you definitely want to incorporate different textures on your front porch to bring it to life. I’m talking about corn stalks, hay bales, birch logs, textured pillows and throw blankets. All of these things help to create a cozy and inviting entry to your home. These items are also a great way to play with different heights and will help add some dimension to your space.
Corn stalks can be really dramatic, which I love. Using hay bales to add height can be helpful, too. They make for great fall side tables, stools or pedestals for your fall accessories.
Accessories
Speaking of accessories, you can’t go wrong with pumpkins. But don’t go crazy — when you choose a lot of smaller accessories your space can look very cluttered very quickly. And make sure you’re choosing some larger elements so that people can see your items from the street. Stand on the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street to see how it’s all coming together.
These days a lot of people are actually purchasing their accessories online. So, if you’re shopping online already, go to airmilesshops.ca and get miles at the same time! They’ve added a bunch of new brands like Etsy, Wayfair and Ticketmaster, in addition to the 175 brands they already have. In fact, the pillows, the black lanterns and the magnolia wreath are all ordered from Wayfair. Everything else on my front porch was picked up at Lowe’s. We found a really fun blue and black doormat there this year
Colour
The easiest way to add some colour is with flowers. Mums are great for this time of year, but there really are so many options to choose from. I think it’s important to start by figuring out what your colour palette is going to be. You can look on Pinterest or head to Lowe’s Ideas and Tips section to get inspired. Once you’ve decided on your palette — stick with three colours — then it’s time to pick out your flowers. This year I’ve chosen to use navy, white and green. Of course, you can also add colour in your throw pillows, your throw blankets, your doormat and in your flower pots.
Lighting
It’s really easy to update the look of your home with some new lighting. Whether it’s a wall sconce, ceiling light, solar lighting along the walkway, or just adding some lanterns, it’s easy to update your home. If you look outside and notice that you’ve had the same wall sconce for about five years, it’s probably time for a change.
At Lowe’s there is such a variety of lights to choose from. That’s where we found ours and it was only $22 at the time. Total bargain right?
Well, I really hope you get to try out these tips for yourself. I’d love to share your front porch makeover on my Instagram page and all you have to do is use the hashtag #jhdfrontporch. I can’t wait to see what you guys come up with.
Jaclyn Harper is a TV host, interior stylist and busy mother. http://jaclynharperdesigns.com/