FRONT PORCH | OUR HOME ON OAKRIDGE

I have already shown most of this over on Instagram but the front porch is finally to a place where I can consider it "done". Just in time for me to switch it up for fall.😉 Just kidding, I won't be doing that until September but this space makes me really happy and is one of our favorite places to end the day.

BEFORE

Here is where our front porch started. I am so happy that I added the porch to our plans. We love sitting out here and it really makes the house so much more charming. It's not very big but it offers cover from the rain for guests and a sweet little spot to sit and watch the boys play out front.

At this point we had only added the hanging baskets, which I've now planted in pots. Next year I think I want to do hanging ferns instead. I love the begonias but they just look better in the planters, in my opinion. Seeing our landscape here makes me laugh. It was so pitiful but you have to start somewhere. We still have a long way to go but it feels good to see the progress.

I also love to show this "before" since it's what our house plan looked like before I made my changes. (This was a spec house the builder was selling.) I don't know that I'll ever get over how different homes can look with just a few changes. You can see more before and afters of our new build here.

AFTER

I took the photo above a couple weeks before the rest of them and I still have the begonias hanging. I'm going to go ahead and say again, next year we need some hanging ferns!😂

We've been in our house 7 months now and I just painted my first thing (besides some furniture😅). If you know me that's got to be some kind of record. I really did love the color I originally chose for our front door (its Restorative by Sherwin Williams) but even when I picked it I knew it wasn't really what I wanted. Because our door sits back a little I knew the dark blue wouldn't read the way I wanted it to from the street and I was really hoping for more of a blue gray. I follow Lesley Graham on IG and when she shared her front door color I knew I had to try it! It's a custom color (I think Addison's Wonderland actually created it...) made up of 1/2 Stardew and 1/2 Uncertain Grey by Sherwin Williams. I'm really happy with how it turned out!

Here's a side view of the porch so you can see it's not very big. I believe it's only 6' deep but it's plenty big for us. This wall is where I'm talking about putting a potting table that I mention down below.

Most of the flowers were on our back porch but I moved them up here a few weeks ago because they were getting too much sun. Everything is kind of on the struggle bus but I'm keeping it all alive so I'm pretty happy about that!

And one more of this cutie enjoying a yummy Good Pop (I get them with our Thrive box)!

SOURCES

Here is the plan I created for the space and it really helped me stay on track with how I wanted it all to look. I was lucky enough to find some wicker furniture on Facebook Marketplace which really helped keep the budget down. I always try to check there or at local thrift stores before I buy something brand new.

Affiliate links are marked with an asterisk.

 

patio set | spray paint | eucalyptus wreath | terra cotta pots | ruffle pillow covers

cordless diffuser | scalloped rim pot | jute rug | striped outdoor pouf

 

Patio Set* | I absolutely loved the look of this set but my budget for this space was significantly less so I took to Facebook Marketplace. It took some time, patience, and perseverance (😅) but eventually I found the perfect set. It actually had seven pieces which was way more than I had room for but I knew my grandparents could use the two love seats and coffee tables. I honestly would have paid $150 for just the two chairs and side table. If you've ever priced wicker furniture before you know how pricey it can get - even secondhand. I spray painted the chairs and table with this spray paint in heirloom white* from Rustoleum.

Eucalyptus Wreath* | I had a wreath almost exactly like this before we moved last year and I have no idea where it went. I don't remember donating it but it's nowhere to be found. I had a $20 gift card (from ordering diapers - anyone else buy them here specifically for the gift card?😅) so I just decided to order this one. I love a simple green wreath through summer and into fall before I'm ready to totally switch gears.

Terra Cotta Pots* | You can find these pretty much anywhere that sells planters but I picked mine up here. I love to use varying sizes and the terra cotta looks so nice with the color of our door.

Ruffle Pillow Covers* | Unfortunately, they no longer have the blue available. I've had them for awhile and used to use them in our old living room. They do have a gray and linen option still available. I have had the linen color in my cart for months to use in our current living room. I just prefer a pillow with some sort of edge, and especially love a ruffle edge.

Cordless Diffuser* (This is the one I have but its sadly out of stock.) This is a must have for sitting outside, especially in the evenings. I love to diffuse Citronella (much better for you than the fake citronella fragrance candles made with paraffin wax) and sometimes add peppermint, lemongrass, or lavender. 

Scalloped Rim Pot* | If it has scallops you can bet I'm going to love it and these pots were the first thing I found for our porch. They aren't real terra cotta so they are lightweight and won't break easily. The color is a little brighter in person which I was happy to discover.

Jute Rug | I picked this one up at Ikea and I'm really happy with it. I originally wanted this oval braided rug* but it cost twice as much so I decided against it since I'd be using it outside. Here is another affordable option* I looked at as well.

Striped Outdoor Poufs* | Poufs are one thing I have never previously shopped for. They always seemed kind of silly and I never had a use for them in any of our spaces but while sitting on the porch, J and I always wanted somewhere to put our feet up.  To my surprise, poufs can run pretty expensive so I was happy to find these on sale! (Perks of waiting until the end of the season.)

Tall Resin Planters* | We purchased these a couple of years ago but they have held up and people are always surprised to find out that they are resin material. They look really nice and make a statement framing the doorway.

Down the road I'd love to add a narrow potting table to the right side of the porch and this scallop one, of course, caught my eye but it's a tad 😅 out of budget. I'm hoping J will be able to make me something similar but honestly that's low priority on the Honey-Do list.

Labels: Our House on Oakridge