Front Porch Makeover



After I purchased my mobile home a little over a year ago, my outdoor focus was the patio. Honestly, I didn't give much thought at all to the small front porch. However, this year I began to view my porch in a different light. Could I create a budget-friendly outdoor living space on my little porch? 

This view of the porch, from my patio, shows how it looked when I moved in.



And this is the view today. . .



The chairs set the stage for my porch design. Both of them came from the Habitat Restore. The khaki chair was $10, the brown chair $5. They came with pads that didn't match, in colors that didn't fit my color palette, so I made slipcovers for them out of a drop cloth I already had on hand.



I found the ottoman several weeks later at the same store for $14. The hydrangea pillow came from Pier 1; purchased from the clearance section when I worked there. The $2 pillow on the brown chair came from Goodwill.

The table between the chairs is a galvanized metal plant stand from Walmart. I bought it for its size and style. At $19.98 it was an inexpensive find, The "beautiful" container that holds a Coleus is a $2 thrift store find. 



I had some thrift store bargains that I picked up some time ago, knowing that I'd find a place for them somewhere. I'm not sure what to call this piece, except to say it's like a little half bird cage. I added faux greenery to it.



This is how it looked when I brought it home. Pretty funky, right? But I could see it had potential if I removed the wings and the hooks. 



This French Script metal wall hanging was another piece I found at a thrift store for a couple of dollars. The color works well with the porch furniture.



The outdoor rug is a Lowe's find. The "welcome" mat was 50% off at Hobby Lobby.



The cross is another Hobby Lobby 50% off find.



When I saw this willow and chicken wire wall flower holder at the Restore thrift shop priced at $3, I had to put it in my cart. I added the burlap, and the 50% off white hydrangea from Hobby Lobby.



The lavender wreath on my front door is another clearance find from Pier 1.





My wrought iron flower boxes hold terra cotta pots filled with Coleus.





The "Le Jardin De Fleur" flower pot, filled with Begonias, is a $3.99 ARC Thrift Store find. 



The icing on the cake is my sweet windchime. It has a gentle tinkle.





Since this space is open to my patio, I can still enjoy my flowers when it's more comfortable to sit in the shade of the porch. 


Thanks for stopping by. I hope you're having a great weekend.

Hugs,


23 comments

  1. Looks pretty and inviting. Love all your cute pieces for decor. Have a great weekend. xoxo

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  2. Good Morning...It's just lovely, I would think sitting there during a soft rain would be wonderful. Such great finds, I agree the bird chime is just so sweet. Hope you have a nice week ahead.

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    1. Oh, yes, you're right, Wende. I do enjoy sitting on the porch during a rare rain. And it's a place I especially enjoy when I get home from work. Because it's early afternoon, my patio at that time gets a lot of sun and it's just too hot to sit out there. However, the porch acts like a breezeway, so with the shade and slight breeze it's often comfortable enough to enjoy the outdoors. I'm grateful for this petite space. Thanks for your comments, and I hope you have a nice week, too. xx

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  3. It looks pretty. I love to collect pieces of decoration, keep them in stock and use them later, when I have an idea.I would like to have a porch, but we don’t have here.

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  4. You did an amazing job and love that you like to go to thrift stores and look at what wonderful things you found. I especially love your wind chime.

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  5. I see your front porch affords you lots of privacy and a lovely place to take a break.
    A pitcher of lemonade and a plate of cookies, and I bet the mailman, UPS and Fed Ex men would just stay in the shade a while in comfort. It looks inviting while completely
    away from the world. Love the finds for decorating so well, especially the pot with
    the pansies on it. Lynn and Precious XX

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    1. Thanks, Lynn. My favorite time to relax on the porch is morning. It's cool here in the morning, and I find it very refreshing to sit there and have quiet time with the Lord. He always gives me something wonderful to see as the sky lightens. And the mornings song of the birds is delightful. Have a great week!

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    1. Thank you, Briana! "Charming" is a great complement. Enjoy this new week. xx

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  7. Thanks for sharing all your wonderful finds, and showing us how you put it all together. Your porch is so comfy and inviting. I can see why you love sitting there!

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    1. Thank you, Kathy, for your kind words. It's my pleasure to share my "finds". I'm blessed to have good places to shop for them. Thanks for taking the time to comment. I hope you have a great week. xx

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  8. You've created a welcoming and peaceful space for resting and thinking. So happy you for sharing.
    Joy

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    1. Thank you, Joy. I have to admit I'm rather slow at getting my projects posted, but once I do I'm always happy that I shared with my blog friends. Take care. xx

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  9. I love it. It really is lovely.
    This is my first year growing coleus, I enjoy the colors they create.

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  10. What looked like a dark enclosed space now looks nice and welcoming and cherry and comfy! Love what you have done.. Who would have thought of doing that? I see those kinds of porches all the time in mobile homes and one never really thinks of doing much with it, but your two chairs make it so welcoming! How perfect to have a cool space and a covered space to sit during a rain or when it's too hot out in the sun. Those two wicker chairs are just darling.. and the ottoman with the one is such a good match. All of your decor pieces fit so well.... you have such an eye for putting things together! Our "rare" rain here in central Oregon has turned into NO rain and we sure do need it. None on the horizon though. A note on the coleus.. I always thought they only liked shady areas and coolness.. but when I put mine out in my back patio area (on gravel) in the direct sun all day, they seem to love it and thrive (as long as I water them every day!). In fact, the ones in the direct sun are doing much better than the ones that are more shaded! I learn something new every year when it comes to plants and flowers! Have a nice Sunday.. Marilyn

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    1. You're right about the "dark enclosed space". That is exactly how it appeared to me, and why I think I didn't feel inspired last year to do anything with it. Well, that and the fact that I had a lot to do on the patio. I'm glad I made the change, as ii gives such a nice entrance to my home now, in addition to giving a pleasant place to rest. My son has a lot of sunshine on his deck and he does have Coleus there that gets mostly sun. I like to use it in the shade when there are so few plants that do well without sunshine. Coleus is one that thrives in shade, and I like that. One thing I will say about Coleus is that I don't like their flowers. I think they're rather unimpressive, so I pinch mine back so they don't bloom. I prefer the foliage only. But that's me! Some people feel differently. I learn something new every growing season, too. That's the fun of gardening as far as I'm concerned. Thanks for sharing! xx

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    2. I'm of the same mind as you Nancy, about keeping the coleus from blooming. They are deer proof, and I lucked out and found a large leaf maroon color one that I
      was able to plant in my small flower bed. It gets about 75% shade and it has
      gotten so huge, I must save a sprig and try to keep it alive this winter.

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  11. You have done an amazing job with your new home, inside and out. This little space became an outdoor room. Breezeways are wonderful.

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    1. An "outdoor room" is what I was going for, Dee, so I appreciate your comment. I really didn't realize last year how much of a breezeway that space was. I guess you have to actually sit in a space to get that. :) Have a great week!

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  12. The chicken and wind chimes is my favorite but I love it all. It is very cozy and welcoming. I miss Pier 1.

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  13. A front porch and a patio?? Wow, that's great, you've got the best of both worlds. I love all the decor and the price of those chairs is amazing!! They both look comfy. You've created such a welcoming, charming spot to relax or welcome guests with all your treasures. It's just perfect. Hugs!!

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  14. You have made your front porch such a sweet place. You find such fun things and turn them into the perfect pieces for your home and outside. You're an inspiration, my friend.
    ~Adrienne~

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  15. I love the things you find, you are awesome!

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