When we decided to build a house, one of the must-haves topping our wishlist was a big porch for sitting comfortably while watching the kids play in the front yard. I swooned over the many porches in the neighborhood we wanted to build in, with their cute little bistro sets, comfy chairs with cabana striped throw pillows, and big planters with gorgeous flowers overflowing. Having my very own front porch to adorn with countless white pumpkins in the Fall, sitting out there wrapped in a blanket with a glass of wine was definitely something I’d dreamt about!
Luckily, many of the options that our builder Drees Homes offered have a lovely front porch included in most elevations, and so my dreams would become reality with the new build. But, finding the perfect furniture and decor was not as easy I thought, and it took trying out a few different patio sets, rugs and other decor elements before I found the keepers. The porch and the front yard landscaping, lighting and accessories are so important for curb appeal – we really wanted to get each detail absolutely perfect!
Read on for more about how I styled my front porch in the Shabby Chic New Build, and later in the post, read all about how we DIY’d our entire front yard landscaping…
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A Vintage & Beach Inspired Design
Even though our house is brand new, I wanted to incorporate a vintage garden feel. Growing up, my Nana had the most beautiful outdoor spaces with tons of pink and purple flowers, big white planters, scrolly iron chairs and benches, which I used for inspiration in our old yard. While these pieces fit seamlessly into the 1960s style of the original Shabby Chic House, I wanted to bring back these elements to my porch decor in such a way that would complement the more modern and coastal vibe of the new house without them looking out of place. I think it works!
Finding the Right Patio Furniture
Finding the right porch furniture to fit the space, look good and also function as comfortable seating was not easy. I had originally wanted a loveseat and after purchasing and returning two last Summer that didn’t work, I decided two chairs and a small side table would be the way to go. Unfortunately, with supply shortages everywhere, every set I found that I wanted was out of stock. I ended up waiting until this Spring to start my search again and I am so happy I did! I ended up finding the most perfect all-weather wicker chairs from Target and ordered them immediately. They looked a little grey in the online photo and I had wanted white, but I decided to wing it and take my chances. When they arrived, they were stunning in person!
Accents & Additional Flair
I added these blush throw pillows from one of my favorite places to shop for decor pieces – Ballard Designs. I thought they added just the right hint of color and would complement our brick as well as any flowers we chose to plant.
Front door porch decor also was a super important piece. I found the gorgeous peach faux peony and lamb’s ear wreath as well as the all-important wood and gold “Please Remove Your Shoes” sign on Etsy. But my very favorite piece is the custom-made welcome mat greeting all of my guests with “Hi, Doll.” This was how my Nana always greeted anyone when they called or came over. I added the scalloped mermaid hurricane lanterns to add additional flair.
The icing on the porch decor cake: this adorable nautical garden stool we used as a cocktail table, a faux plant in a white and gold pot I picked up at TJ Maxx to add one more splash of gold to go with the mermaid hurricanes and shoes-off sign, an outdoor rug under the chairs and table, and these fabulous white chippendale planters. I love consistency and tying in elements of design from other parts of the house…the chippendale design of the planters are picked up inside the house with our kitchen set, and the scallops are picked up in the fireplace tile surround and the kitchen backsplash we are installing this Fall.
DIY Landscape Design
At the Original Shabby Chic House, we had the most gorgeous rose garden, 50-year-old peony bushes, and so many pink and blue hydrangeas. We wanted to be sure that our new yard was just as flowery, as opposed to mostly evergreens, which is the standard where we live. We had received some quotes for landscape design and to have a professional install the bushes, florals, mulch, and french drains, it would have cost at least $5,000 just for the front of the house!
While it might have been a little risky, we decided that we would give it a shot. We took a drive to our local garden center – Petiti’s – and ended up purchasing two Pee Gee hydrangea trees, a Korean lilac tree, 10 hydrangeas (blue and white), six rose bushes (pink and white), and a few small evergreen bushes to fill in space. I also had two adorable topiaries – a housewarming gift from my mom – that we decided to use to frame the step. Living in a construction zone, we were lucky enough to gather up some random rocks to intersperse between plants. We topped it all off with black mulch and created our own french drains using white marble rocks we got from the garden center for a few bucks per bag.
All in, we spent about $1,500 on all of the front elevation landscaping – not a bad deal at all! And if you ask me, I don’t think anyone would ever know the whole thing was put together by two amateurs!
Porch Decor & Landscape Reveal Concluded & Where to Buy
Overall, I could not be more pleased with the front porch and the landscaping that we chose to elevate the curb appeal of the house! For more detail on the uplighting and landscape lighting, check out Mike’s post on those topics here.
Source List – Where to Buy
Blush Throw Pillows – Ballard Designs
Nautical Garden Stool – Overstock
