Houseguests want to feel warm, welcomed, and invited to come in to your home. Our front porch style choices give visitors an idea of what’s to come once they are actually inside the home. I had held off on really doing much to my front porch because I wasn’t thrilled about some of the styling options I had seen in stores around me.  Also, I have been so focused on the inside of my home over the years, that the front porch sadly got a little neglected other than us adding a simple fleur-de-lys doormat that often got accessorized only by the occasional FedEx package delivery positioned off to the side of it…SO not exciting and SO not what I wanted for that space! I knew early on that I wanted to incorporate this existing rug in my design process.  I was beyond ready to fancy the front porch up a bit. I started by brainstorming exactly how I was going to fix up this small transitional space that leads into our home. I kept these ideas in mind so that I got the outcome that I had dreamt up:

1. I wanted a cheerful look that reflected the family who lives inside and the design style of our home collectively.
2. I wanted a simple and chic set up with a unique piece or two.
3. I wanted something I could use all year round, no matter the season or upcoming holiday. I love being able to keep the same staple pieces and add fun themed accents and colors based on what season it is or upcoming holidays we have.

With these wants being my focus, I began “dreaming and visualizing” what I wanted my porch to look like. I immediately thought how cool it would be to have black and white striped pots! Black and white stripes are not only chic, but are classic as well. In fact, I love this lovely duo so much that I have accents in this loved pattern scattered here and there throughout my home. I couldn’t find black and white striped flowerpots anywhere, so I decided to DIY them. I thought: How hard could it be? Just a few inexpensive items totally transformed the solid black plastic planters found at my local home improvement store! It was really easy since the base color of the pots was already black. All I needed was the black flower pots, white glossy spray paint, clear protective sealant, and some masking tape. Once the stripes were all done, I decided to add a pop of color with some yellow mums.  Last,  I added a DIY burlap and lace wreath with some fun accents that can be changed out based on what season it is or what look I want, and an oh-so-cute “hello.” decal for that cheerful finishing touch. Here’s the before and after.

To say I love how my little weekend DIY project turned out would be an understatement… it is all exactly what I wanted! Once I finished, I began to get even more inspired and thought for a different look, the option of fun black and white harlequin patterned flowerpots clustered with these would be just dreamy. Another idea is to cluster fun black and white geometric smaller scale pots to complement these.  Oh, and just think how fabulous RED accents, such as a few red smaller fun shaped pots and some red flowers  instead of yellow would look with these stripes??? Drooling!!! Bottom line: The styling possibilities are endless…and I like that 🙂  I can’t wait to try out some more looks with these striped pots of mine!

Mission: Accomplished!

I’d love to hear from you! What fun items do you use to spruce up your front porch?

Have a great day!