Good design can happen anywhere. By late summer, spring efforts to bring color and personality to front porches are in full bloom. Potted urns, coordinated annuals and well-chosen perennials bring colorful life to area homes. The seasonal effect of front porch appeal is easily accomplished with a little planning. You become the designer of a relatively short-term commitment.
Inspiration can be found in almost anything when it comes to your front porch. Nature, magazines, garden centers, even the homes of your neighbors. These five homes were found within a few short blocks of each other. As I drive past these beautifully implemented porches, I am encouraged (and impressed) by the subtle talent of these homeowners. Using basic design elements, along with a coordinated aesthetic, these front porch designs become inspired expression.
- Elegant and whimsical. From the top window box to the bottom of the entry steps this home creates a single coordinated aesthetic and a beautiful story. Bright pink and purple annuals add color. Symmetrical urns and bloom filled containers guide visitors to the front entrance. The symmetry adds formality to the entrance. The shape of the black double door mimics the arches found elsewhere. The highly detailed cottage like architecture is matched by complex plant groupings of assorted color, shapes and sizes. It is both elegant and whimsical.
- Personality. Mass plantings at the base of the entry steps add visual weight to the tall height of the home. Tall planters match the scale of the house and the contemporary style of the railings. The pink wreath on the door ties into the pink and white blooms of annuals found in containers. A blooming ornamental tree and fountain add personality and create an area of interest.
- Layered effect. The long entry steps leading to the front door tie directly to the two story height of the home. The pretty blue door is set into an asymmetrical sidelight and transom. Lining a series of containers with colorful annuals along the opposite side of the side light balances the otherwise off-center entry. A mix of cool blues, purples, pinks and yellow creates a layered effect in both the containers and in perennial plantings.
- Classic style. The classically styled front porch is set off by twin rockers with green cushions. The colorful matching wreaths bring color and interest. Containers set on a short stone wall at the base of the stairs guide visitors to the welcoming porch. A large footed pedestal vessel to the right of the entry creates added interest.
- Traditional. The new black door on this traditionally styled two-story colonial home sits in a frame of dual sidelights and Palladian like transom window which highlights the interesting glass feature of the door with contrasting color. Tall, symmetrical black containers that are simple in design bring focus to the architectural detail. The well-chosen formality of the white hydrangea shrubs coordinates with the purple and white annual blooms in the containers. Shaped boxwoods complete the aesthetic.
