Summer Front Porch

It’s always so amazing to me how fast the seasons change. It seems like yesterday I was just hanging Christmas garland on our front porch, and today I’m sharing how I gave it a refresh for summer. Since decorating for Christmas, I hadn’t really done much to our porch… it felt a little bit depressed, and slightly sad. It needed some of my TLC. 

Summer Front Porch by The Wood Grain Cottage

And I guess our porch was in luck, because I’ve gathered with some of my blogging friends to bring you a fun summer decorating post…

summer simplified graphic

I will say, our front porch is in a transition phase. I know I’ve mentioned it before, but we get horrible amounts of wind. So much so, that it’s actually hard to keep anything nice on the front porch. A few weeks ago, one of my white rocking chairs blew over and broke.  It made me upset, and I knew then and there, especially with that being the fourth or fifth item to break on our front porch, that I needed to find a different solution. I’m still working on that, and honestly, it has to be something hefty to stand tall against the wind. I struggle with plants as well, so I’m still working on that too.

So basically, this is what our front porch looks like right now, but it won’t last. I’ll have to move things around to protect them from the wind. But, in the big scheme of things, that’s not really even a problem.

Summer Front Porch by The Wood Grain Cottage

Moral of the story: If you get intense wind, just know I completely feel you. It’s not any fun.

I will say, I really like the look of this arrangement. It’s not only something I haven’t done before, but I used a bench from our back patio table. It has me thinking of doing something similar.
Summer Front Porch by The Wood Grain Cottage

Ferns are also my latest crush. I love their vibrant green color and their lush foliage. They add so much texture to our porch…

Summer Front Porch by The Wood Grain Cottage

Summer Front Porch by The Wood Grain Cottage

I also decided to use the same wreath I made last year, and that alone made a huge difference to our porch. It suddenly felt fresh, welcoming and ready to greet guests.

Summer Front Porch by The Wood Grain Cottage

Overall, our porch is feeling much better…

Summer Front Porch by The Wood Grain Cottage

And hopefully this inspires you to give your patio or porch space a little makeover too…

Summer Front Porch by The Wood Grain Cottage

We can always work with what we have to create a beautiful space… it just takes a little bit of creativity! 🙂 

If you’d like to see some more summer porch/patio decor, be sure to visit these wonderful ladies. I drool over their amazing creativity. 

Day 1
Driven By Decor
Garden Therapy
Empress of Dirt
Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Day 2
StoneGable
Duke Manor Farm
Savvy Southern Style
Southern Hospitality
Shabbyfufu

Day 3
In My Own Style
The Wood Grain Cottage
Maison de Pax
Love of Home
Setting For Four
My Soulful Home

Day 4
Debbiedoo’s
Craftberry Bush
At The Picket Fence
On Sutton Place

 

Have a very happy weekend, and should you feel so inclined, maybe give your porch or patio space a little makeover. 🙂 

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15 Comments

  1. Your porch looks beautiful Shayna! We get lots if wind too so we can’t leave much out there! Have a great weekend and thanks for putting this tour together!

  2. Shayna very nice porch!! Can you explain the cool bucket with the holes? I’ve seen one once but not sure what it was used for? Also is that an O on the wall? Does it have a story?
    Thanks for all of your hard work and inspiration.

  3. I love your porch, it looks like a little slice of haven. Since wind seems to be an issue in your part of the country, let me just say, I feel your pain. It’s very difficult to design a decorating plan around hurricane winds, I certainly know since the new place I call home has the same issue. It’s like mount down the hatches when a storm comes because your things might be in a neighboring yard, or the next county. But seriously, have you ever considered a built in bench for your seating area, or a heavy glider since you love to rock in a rocking chair. Your husbands very talented, so maybe he could build a glider or a built in bench. My father’s family is from Tennessee, so rocking chairs on the front porch are a must, I’ve spent hours rocking, but when that was no longer an option, a glider offered a relaxing and soothing alternative. Another tip, try weighing your flower pots down with rocks, but be sure to have a hole in the bottom for water to flow through, it also offers great irrigation for your plants & flowers plus keeps them from sailing away in the next wind storm. I hope these tips help you as much as they have helped me. Many blessings!

  4. Yes, tell me about seasons changing and going by so fast. I work at pier 1, and we already have started to get fall things in. Yikes. I haven’t even gone swimming yet, or planted everything. Beautiful porch.

  5. Wind…it dryer clothes for my mother and kept dust on her farm house furniture. She dusted daily and wore out her rug in the ’50’s daily vacuuming with her new vacuum. The very things you love about your scenic view comes with….wind. Okay. We told our oh so tiny daughter to eat!!!! She’d blow away in the wind!!! She was quick thinking and said, well I’ll put rocks in my pocket.
    So your olive picking basket. I worked where the crews stopped at our store way out in the middle of nowhere to get snacks for their drive back home–smooshed in a van. And I think now, how hard to fill each basket just once with tiny olives. Maybe you’ll think of your antique a new way? But back to it. Do you have a big rock to put in it to hold it down?? Even three or four? It won’t scoot!!!
    Something heavy metal?(no. Not a musical group standing on your porch holding pillows and blankets!!!) but a door stop of some sort? In an animal?? That’s fun.
    How about a stool that is actually one of those decorative ones–they come metallic color now. Or bright colors. They are often used as a side table. I had the idea–is this possible??? To cut off one end, have a big bucket (you could spray paint if it might show) and fill with sand. Sand is HEAVYWEIGHT. Then slip the accent stool over the bucket. No one will know you’ve got it anchored down!!! The bench. I’m sorry but your pillows won’t last in the wind BUT your bench can shine. Does it too shift in the wind??? Okay this sounds dumb but could your bench wear small shoes? Use four tin cans a bit bigger than legs but not too tall. and make sure this is done on a level surface –to be sure bench is level. Use quickset cement in each can and when dry, spray all a color close to bench color. Do entire bench. To make the can to leg look better have hubby possibly stack graduating rings (2?3?) and slip on first. Hold up the leg with painters tape. Slide down when all is dry. Painted this will all look normal yet add weight. Take a fern or other plant and put in a metal galvanized pail with rocks on bottom for drainage and set in corner of bench. It looks good (I have a geranium variegated in my olive basket sitting in the corner of my bench). I’d remove the rocker. It’s not predictable about wind. Or just let it be and just figure if it breaks it breaks!!! Should you use a pillow from fabric from your shop fill it full of a dropcloth bag filled with sand. Make this sandbag using a heavy fabric glue to keep bag closed. Then when closing your pretty pillow , sand is not falling all over. Why that way you CAN have a pretty pillow in the wind!!!!! I was dreaming as I planned for wind. It was kind of relaxing. Create interest with some solar light strings. They are bright now. Experiment. Enjoy your entry too. Oh ps. It’s not even summer yet although it is 107 here today. Not normal weather!!!!

  6. Shayna…I love that your porch is the perfect reflection of your style. Anyone walking up to your front door would know immediately that you love your home and take pride in it. Well done!

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