6 Small Front Porch Ideas on a Budget to Add Instant Curb Appeal
6 ways to add instant curb appeal in a day with these DIY small front porch ideas on a budget with paint, plants, and decor.
This post is sponsored by Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart.
A few weeks ago, I pulled up into our driveway, glanced at our small front porch, and went, “Woah. Holy winter hangover mode, Batman.”
The January through March timeframe was not kind to the front of our house, and since we had not-so-fun foundation repair work done to our front facade last fall (old houses are super fun, ya know), our flower beds were destroyed alongside the porch.
So Robert busted out the trusty power washer, and I busted out the usual bucket of limewash to make our front door feel welcoming again using planters and flowers from the Better Homes & Gardens line at Walmart.
The flower beds still need a lot of love, and the patchy grass is still a little worse for wear, but just these 6 small front porch ideas on a budget made a massive difference.
And it most definitely can be achieved on one sunny Saturday to bring a gloomy winter porch back to life (or help add curb appeal when selling a house) as an inviting first impression.
6 Small Front Porch Ideas on a Budget to Add Instant Curb Appeal
1. Choose Large Planters
Opt for just a few large or oversized planters instead of multiple small planters to help a small porch seem stately without adding clutter.
I love the look of these traditional urn planters that I never would have guessed were only $30.
I also found these fluted resin planter sets from the Better Homes & Gardens line to attempt a faux DIY concrete planter look with leftover cans of spray paint.
They totally look like the more expensive designer versions I’ve seen!
Doesn’t it look like concrete? I can’t even believe that’s just spray paint (see the faux DIY concrete planter tutorial here).
2. Make It Symmetrical
Especially if your house’s architecture is symmetrical, mimic the symmetry with your decor to make a small porch seem inviting.
It’s hard to go wrong with a planter on each side of the steps, a planter on either side of the door, and a simple wreath.
3. Use Plants That Add Height And Color
I like to add 1 type of plant that adds height and one type of plant or flower that adds a punch of color. Boxwoods, cedar trees, and topiaries draw the eye upward.
Add a bright pop of seasonal potted flowers like these hydrangeas, begonias, geraniums, or azaleas from Better Homes & Gardens to highlight the front door.
4. Add an Extra Wide Welcome Mat
Just like the right sized right can make or break a room, I swear by using an extra large welcome mat to make a standard sized front door feel a little more grand.
5. Limewash Steps or Paint a Worn Porch Floor
I refresh our limewashed steps every couple of years, but that one simple change makes such a difference to brighten up our porch.
You can add some personality and pattern with a stencil using this DIY painted porch floor tutorial too.
Or if you’re a minimalist, stick with plain. But in either case, painting a porch floor that looks old and worn out is a total game changer.
6. Avoid Clutter and Keep It Simple
Less is more. As fun as it is to put small ornamental outdoor decor on a front porch, it can start to feel junky really quickly. And when viewed from the road, that porch decor can often just look like a heap of stuff.
Going oversized and using less instead of using more of smaller sized items always pays off to make a front porch’s decor feel intentional.
By the way, Lola totally poses herself when I’m taking pictures and I’m not making this up at all. Haha! Our extended family and friends have witnessed her in action any time we pull out a camera, and it’s hilarious watching her try to photo bomb us.
She just turned 11 years-old, and after nearly 9 years of being a “blog dog”, I’d say she’s far beyond figuring out her job description at this point. 😉
Got any other small front porch ideas on a budget you’d add to the list?
Have you pulled your porch out of winter hangover mode yet? The next outdoor project definitely needs to be the grass and the flower beds now that contractors are finished plowing it over.
