Springtime Tips To Brighten Up Your Front Porch

Warmer weather, beautiful sunshine and fresh flowers are a few of the things to look forward to in the spring. You want to spend more time outside, refresh things around the house and tackle new projects. Brightening up the front porch is on many people's springtime to-do list, and it's easy to make a big difference with small changes.

Choose bright colors for your porch, get new planters, a fresh doormat, and fresh flowers. Sweep and pressure wash the porch, clean the light fixtures, and replace worn-out elements like fading house numbers. Keep the yard and your home's exterior well-maintained, so your new front porch makeover looks its best.

A welcoming front porch does wonders for your home's curb appeal, and it's not just for people prepping to sell their house. Everyone deserves to feel relaxed and happy when they arrive home after a busy day and a cheery front porch makes this happen. So, it's time to ask yourself, is your porch ready for spring?

It’s Time For A Spring Porch Refresh

You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on a brand-new porch or expensive contractors. There are several simple things you can do to your porch to give it a brand new look just in time for spring. Treat yourself to a warm welcome every time you come home, and show your guests how excited you are to see them with these easy front porch refresh ideas.

1. Lighten The Color Palette 

Color is by far one of the most important choices you’ll make when you design any space. It’s very visual, so it makes an impact immediately. Choose the wrong colors, and it won’t matter what else you do on your porch because something will seem off.

Luckily, there are many different directions you can take when choosing your porch colors for the spring. It’s a good idea to test your picks. and plan how you’ll incorporate your palette before you implement your color story.

The favorite colors for spring are pretty pastels, warm neutrals, and subtle shades of greens, blues, and other natural hues. However, a vivid swipe of color can also be a breath of fresh air for your springtime porch.

For example, saturated jewel tones on accent pieces or your front door can really make a big impact. Go with a palette that reflects your style, but keep the overall scheme light and bright.

Paint is an easy, affordable way to bring color to your porch. A few different colors that evoke a springtime vibe are Clary Sage, Misty, Lite Lavender and Veiled Violet from Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore’s Palladian Blue.

Valspar’s Encore is a gorgeous, saturated blue if you prefer a darker option. Other possibilities are staining wood elements, like porch railings, furniture, or columns or refinishing your front door. Try a fun stain like Minwax’s Violet or Early Spring.

In addition to paint and stain, don’t forget to consider the colors on your various porch accessories, including planters, flowers, and other decor. Remember, you want everything to work together, so you don’t end up with a porch that clashes.

2. Add Fresh Flowers

Pick up some of your favorite springtime blooms and place them on your porch in an attractive pot or planter. If you doubt your green thumb, avoid using faux florals outside. Instead, discuss your options for low-maintenance plants and flowers for your area with an expert at your local garden center. 

Knowledgeable employees can point you in the right direction for the best plants for your porch and greenery that will last. Also, if you’re not into gardening, keep it simple. Don’t bring home ten different plants. Instead, start with one bunch of colorful buds.

3. Clean The Porch Light Fixture

When’s the last time you really took a good look at your porch light? It’s likely dirty and full of dust and bugs. Remove the glass, dust it, wash it, and let it dry. Clean the fixture itself to get rid of cobwebs and debris. Put it all back together and you’ll be amazed at how much brighter your porch becomes.

It’s also time to change any burnt-out light bulbs or replace harsh or overly dim lights with a more welcoming color temperature. The preferred color for porches is warm white, around 2700 Kelvin, which creates a soft, inviting glow. If you prefer a slightly brighter twinkle, bump up to 3000 Kelvin, but try to stay in that 2700 to 3000 range.

Finally, if your fixture is broken or looking worse for wear, then it’s time to replace it. If you’re not confident in your electrical DIY skills, hire an electrician. It will cost you about $100 to $200 plus the cost of the fixture.

4. Pressure Wash Your Porch

Face it, all through the frigid winter months you breezed in and out of your porch as fast as possible to get out of the cold and keep it out of your house. You never stopped to assess the cleanliness of your porch (or maybe it was perpetually covered in snow). But now that spring is getting closer, and you’re not freezing on the porch steps, you realize your home’s entrance looks a little rough.

Sweep the porch and pressure wash it to get rid of all the leftover winter grime, debris, and dirt. Your porch will look brighter and cleaner and much more welcoming.

If you don’t have a pressure washer, borrow one from a friend or neighbor or rent one from your local home improvement store. You can usually get one for about $75 to $85 for the day. To save money, see if any neighbors want to split the cost and clean up their porches, too.

 5. Splurge On A New Doormat

Doormats don’t last forever. You trod on them every day, usually with dirty, mucky shoes. They fade, fray, rip, and end up making your porch look more dilapidated than dreamy.

Pick up a fresh new welcome mat for about $20 and give your porch an instant boost. It’s kind of like when you get a haircut or wear a new shirt. It just makes you feel good.

6. Dress Up Your Front Door

A fresh coat of paint in a fun springtime color does wonders for your front door. However, that’s not the only way to give your home’s main entry point a makeover.

Hang a pretty wreath or a spring-inspired door hanger. Add a shiny knocker. Repair or replace that old-school doorbell.

Sometimes, all your door needs is a good wipe-down with soap and water. Doors collect a lot of dirt, fingerprints, and muck during the year, and they’re not necessarily at the top of most people’s household cleaning list.

7. Assess The Big Picture

As you recreate your front porch for the spring, take a step back to look at the big picture. How does everything work together? Plus, don’t just look at your porch. Step all the way back and look at the entire front of your home.

How is your yard, garden, driveway, sidewalk? How are the shutters? Are your house numbers cracked, fading, or falling off the house?

Making your front porch look beautiful for spring is all well and good. But if the rest of your home’s exterior is in shambles, well, you’ve heard the saying, put lipstick on a pig?

Repair broken pieces, freshen up paint, weed the garden, mow the lawn, remove clutter, and pressure wash the driveway and sidewalk. Take it all in and make adjustments, so that the work you put into your front porch stands out and creates the welcoming entryway you deserve.

Extra Tips To Make Your Front Porch Welcoming

Here are a few extra considerations to make the most of your front porch spring makeover. 

Think about an overall theme for your porch before you start your project. You want to avoid throwing a bunch of stuff together that doesn’t make any sense with each other.

Also, keep the size of your porch in mind. Choose items that work with the scale of your porch. For example, if you have an expansive wrap-around porch, incorporating a seating area and large planters makes sense. However, if you’re working with a tiny stoop, a welcome mat and wreath on the door may be all you need and all you can fit.

A Front Porch Worthy Of Springtime

Fresh colors, clean surfaces, and pretty additions create a front porch that’s ready for the spring. Start small, with a quick sweep, new welcome mat, and cleaning the light fixture, and you’ll notice a big difference right away. Overall, it’s all about making your porch welcoming and cheery, giving you a place you’re proud and happy to come home to.

Related Guides:

• Quick, Easy Ways To Spruce Up Your Front Porch
• What Color To Paint A Porch Railing?
• 12 Plants That Are Perfect Near Your Front Door