10 Easy Ways to Increase Curb Appeal: Front Porch Makeover Reveal
Makeover your front porch or patio with these budget friendly curb appeal ideas
It is finished y’all!
Our front porch makeover is complete & we did it all right before summer (& the Alabama heat) hit!
This makeover was kind of a fluke that we didn’t actually mean to start…
We were just going to give it a good pressure washing & add some plants, but once we started we couldn’t stop.
This happens to us quite a bit actually 😅
We should get bonus points though because this front porch makeover was super budget friendly!
So today I thought I would share the 10 best porch makeover ideas that look our front porch from oh no to ohh la la.
10 Front Porch Ideas
Let’s take a peek at what we started with:
It was not pretty…
Basically, we haven’t touched the front porch since we moved in & it became a dropping ground for other projects & randomness.
Luckily we live on 18 acres so no neighbors had to share in our shame.
1. Pressure Wash Everything
Pressure washing is essential to every good porch refresh!
We pressure washed the deck, siding, & ceiling thoroughly.
It’s always better to start with a clean blank slate.
Next, we ripped off the banisters & railing.
We debated doing this for a while & it was 100% the right call!
The entire porch feels so much larger & grander than before.
Check out our secret recipe to make pressure washing easy here!
2. Paint The Front Door
I am a firm believer that paint fixes everything!
We revived our chippy front door with New Black paint & even gave the hardware a coat too.
You can find my favorite tips & tricks for painting a front door here
Black is my favorite front door color because it is bold & timeless.
It can also be a fun way to add a pop of color too if that’s more your jam.
3. Stain or Paint The Floor
Our deck was in serious need of some love.
In a few years we plan on replacing all the wood with composite decking boards, but we needed an in-between plan.
We chose a solid stain from BEHR that covered perfectly.
It brightened up the wood & covered all the imperfections without completely removing the grain.
4. Paint The Ceiling
I think this might be my favorite part of the porch makeover!
Painting the vinyl ceiling black completely elevated the space & makes the ceiling appear to be so much taller.
It contrasts the light floor perfectly & looks flawless.
Here are my favorite painted ceiling color ideas!
5. Table & Bench Makeover
Creating an outdoor dining area was big on our list for this makeover.
We love eating outside on beautiful days & eating on a covered deck actually minimizes the bug situation a lot.
I had to completely strip & sand this outdoor table because when I built it the first time I didn’t seal it well enough.
But the black stain hit the mark & I took extra care in sealing it this time.
6. Add Lighting
Someday I would love to install fans out here but for right now we just needed a simple lighting solution.
This large outdoor light is solar powered & super simple to install.
It lights up evening dinners perfectly & costs less than $100.
We installed these landscape lights all around the front to light up the house at night.
They are solar powered & have a bunch of different light settings to choose from.
String lights are another great way to add ambiance to your outdoor patio or deck.
Find all my favorite outdoor lighting options here!
7. Swap Out Rugs & Mats
The simplest way to update a front porch is to swap out the doormats & rugs.
I found this fun modern rug at Target for about $65!
It is the perfect size for the space & contrasts our newly stained deck perfectly.
I also like to swap out the front door mat & rug.
Layering a rug under the mat gives it some extra dimension, plus the fringe on this one is a sweet little touch.
8. Build a Swing Bed
Swing beds are perfect for any porch, patio, or deck because the sizes are completely customizable.
I built this one for about $150 & it was super simple.
This one is a twin size but can be customized to fit any space.
The contrasting stains give it a fresh modern look.
I finished it by adding a few fun outdoor pillows & a blanket to make it super cozy.
9. Bring In Some Life
This isn’t exactly my specialty but every year I try & keep ferns alive in these DIY planter boxes I made.
They bring life to the front porch & make the front door look extra inviting.
Adam even convinced me to plant real herbs in our hanging wall planter…
They lasted two weeks & the faux succulents are now back in 😅
I also added this succulent centerpiece to the dining table, but don’t worry they are fake too.
These ones look & feel real which is close enough for me!
10. Add Wood Tones With Shutters
These shutters were here when we bought the house, but the stain was very dark & they weren’t in great shape.
I sanded them down to bare wood & restrained them with Varathane Natural Stain.
This design would be super simple & budget friendly to build using 1x4s.
That’s it y’all!
The 10 projects that completely updated our curb appeal & they were all super budget friendly!
I am so happy with how our new front porch turned out.
It is the perfect hangout spot for our family & I can’t wait to enjoy it all season long!
