The Adored Abode

The makeover of the exterior of our house has begun! We had a few trees removed a couple of weeks ago and it really opened up the front of our house. Now that you can actually see our front porch better it highlighted that our porch was looking a little lackluster so I decided it was time for a refresh!

As a reminder this is where we started 3 years ago. Lots of overgrown bushes, a bright red front door that wasn’t really our style, and ornate lights that we wanted to modernize.

A few years ago we painted the front door black, updated our house numbers and swapped out our outdoor sconces. These weren’t part of the porch refresh I just completed, but they definitely made the porch feel more modern and tided us over for a few years. Two years ago we ripped out all of the overgrown bushes in our front yard (some of them were almost as tall as me!) and added back in a few smaller bushes, but our landscaping was still needing a little love.

The big locust tree in front of our house and the smaller tree next to the fireplace were removed, opening up the front porch from the street much more.

I added new landscaping around the front porch and 5 pots with new plants to adorn the sidewalk and porch.

Can you spot Susse? She is sitting in the dining room on “her bench” – she almost blends in with the pillows on the outdoor bench.

Our porch previously had a much smaller bench and two small potted faux plants that really didn’t fit the scale of the porch. I added a larger bench, a stripped pillow, and a canvas pillow to add texture and warmth to create a more inviting atmosphere. Plus the new bench is a much better scale for the size of our porch!

I added a stripped cotton rug to layer underneath our doormat. My favorite trick to really make your front porch feel a little more layered and intentional.

Two terra cotta pots I got at a local nursery a few years ago mixed with a tall modern black planter, a textured white pot, and a woven planter add some life to the otherwise gray sidewalk and porch. It’s amazing what fresh plants can do to make a space feel more inviting!

The exterior of our house will be painted next month and we will be getting a new front door eventually, but I am so happy I did this little refresh now because it makes our house feel so much more welcoming from the outside! These simple updates make all the difference.

Front Porch Sources

Some of the items I used are no longer in stock or purchased locally so I link similar items for your convenience!

large wooden bench // stripped pillow // canvas pillow // stripped cotton rug // doormat // tall modern black planter // textured white pot // woven planter // terracotta planter // modern house numbers // outdoor sconces