Autumn is in the air. As the temperatures cool and the vibrant green leaves of summer turn crimson and flame, it’s natural for us to want to move alongside seasons and manifest in our homes the transformations we see in the world of nature all around us. Of course, there’s a lot you can do to celebrate the fall season on your home’s interior (see decor used in Linly Designs’ fall open house), but today, we’ll be focusing on dressing up the first impression of your home makes the porch.
1. Line the Entryway
One of the most popular ways to decorate your porch for fall is to use seasonal items to line the entryway to your home. Using pumpkins and gourds of all sizes and colors is an easy and natural way to make your home beautiful, but you can also incorporate large pots of fall flowers like marigolds and chrysanthemums, as pictured on the home-style blog On Sutton Place. If you want to turn decorating into a family affair, consider gathering the whole family to help paint a few of the pumpkins!
2. Go Classic
Classic decor like hanging a fall wreath, bouquet, or cornucopia on the door is always a win. Local stores often offer a wide selection of fall wreaths, but if you’d like to craft your own, check out these DIY easy autumn wreath ideas featured on the how-to home.
3. Frame Doors and Windows
We typically associate garlands with Christmas time, but there are more and more fall garland options available at stores now. Using these to frame your door and any front porch area windows can easily and automatically make your home look inviting and festive.
4. Welcome Guests
From an agricultural perspective, fall is a time for harvesting the abundant fruits of the earth and gathering with friends and family to enjoy them together. As such, fall is innately a time for fellowship and feasting. Make guests feel welcome by adding a traditional “Welcome” sign to your porch. If you want to go the extra mile, you can even add seating like outdoor wicker furniture, a porch swing, or rocking chairs to signal that your home is a place where guests are welcome. A great example of this setup can be found in Country Living.
5. Add a Seasonal Doormat
If you don’t yet have a doormat, now may be the time to get one. Not only do doormats add comfort and color to your porch, but they are also highly practical for the fall season due to increased moisture and mess on shoes, offsetting the amount of mud and leaves that might be tracked into your home.
6. The Porch is a Stage
If your porch is a stage for autumn, the walls are your backdrop. Create a full fall harvest scene complete with bales of hay, rustic rakes (which may be kept as they are or spray painted for a fun pop of color), log stumps embellished with a plaid blanket and a lantern, and a wagon bearing gourds, pumpkins, and other fall items.
7. Decorate Columns
If your porch has columns, you have a natural place to display fall decor. One idea that tends to work well on columns is tying on large corn stalks since they mirror the vertical lines already established in your home’s exterior architecture.
8. Make Your Porch Swing Cozy
If you do have seating on your porch already, like a porch swing or outdoor furniture, you can add a lot of comfort to the arrangement by adding fall-themed blankets and throws. Plaid is, of course, a favorite fall pattern, but feel free to use whatever works best for your style: any type of pillow or blanket will make your home feel cozy.
9. Light it Up
Finally, with the evenings getting darker earlier, it can be a great idea to add lighting like lanterns and twinkle lights. One creative idea featured on Homes and Gardens is a thick rope hung with wicker globe lanterns that frames the portico entryway. You can also take advantage of any railing on your porch as a natural mount for lighting.
10. Paint Your Door
If you’re up for a bold and high-impact move, consider painting your front door. There are several beautiful autumnal colors that can still work well on your home after the season has passed. Some of our favorites include high-gloss ebony, saturated teal, deep cranberry, burnt orange, and warm yellow.
Complete a Larger Scale Renovation
If you’re looking for larger-scale renovation ideas to enhance your home’s entryway, be sure to check out our home renovation guide, "The Ultimate Step-by-Step Home Renovation Transformation Guide."
