14 Front Door Porch Ideas To Make Your Home Appealing

Your porch is the threshold to your home and the first thing you see when you come in. How it looks, feels and functions forms a crucial first impression. 

Whatever type of porch you have, large or small; covered or exposed, styling it has benefits. Adding plants to your porch is one of the easiest, most cost-effective ways to make an impact. Personal touches, whether that’s cosy lighting or wall art, can help to create a warm welcome to your home, as well as boosting kerb appeal.

Whether you favour sleek minimalism or characterful, thrown-together chic, here are some of the best ways to make your porch stand out.

What makes a welcoming porch?

A welcoming porch is one which reflects something of your personality to the outside world and makes visitors feel at home. There are lots of different elements to play with, depending on the size of your porch. 

On a larger porch, you might have seating, or storage for muddy boots, for example. Most porches offer a degree of shelter, so you can unlock your door without being exposed to the elements. Don’t forget your flooring too: patterned tiles or an outdoor rug can jazz up a smaller porch.

Decorative touches will also make your porch feel homely. This might include seasonal decorations, pops of colour, soft lighting, think solar-powered fairy lights, or a porch lantern, and plants, of course. Climbing plants, for example, can frame your door, while cheerful potted plants add colour and interest.

14 Inspiring front door porch ideas

Frame the door with matching planters

Your front door is the centrepiece of your porch and adding planters to either side will give it the attention it deserves. Taller, evergreen plants provide vertical interest all year round, while fragrant species will keep your entrance smelling sweet. 

“Bay trees have glossy, aromatic leaves, yielding flowers in spring and berries in autumn,” says Everest ambassador, chartered horticulturalist and plant expert David Domoney. “Turn them into topiary, if that’s your style, and use their leaves in your cooking.” 

Alternatively, consider plants like Photinia serratifolia ‘Pink Crispy’, with its marbled pink foliage, or Hibiscus syriacus ‘Marina’, which produces pretty, purplish flowers in summer and autumn.

Don’t neglect your container either: choose one which complements your plants, as well as the architecture of your home.

Introduce a seasonal wreath or garland

Although they’re often associated with Christmas, wreaths and garlands can be used to decorate your door all year round. Wreaths are symbols of welcome and are a creative way to make your porch feel homely. Make one from scratch, buy a base and embellish it yourself, or buy one ready-made from a florist.

Go for natural materials like raffia, vines and branches for a rustic, cottage-style look, or play around with seasonal colours and accessories. You might opt for dried flowers, grasses or fruits in the autumn, for example, colourful wildflowers in the summer or evergreen foliage and pinecones during the winter.

Garlands offer more versatility in terms of styling. Run them around the top of your door to frame your entrance, drape them around a window, or hang them down the sides of your porch. Use them in combination with a wreath, or alone for a more minimalist look. 

Tiered planters for maximum impact in minimal space

Smaller porches can present more of a challenge in terms of decoration, but tiered planters, with a compact footprint, make the most of your space. These vertical containers can be freestanding, like a set of shelves, or some can be fixed to the wall. 

You can grow almost anything in a tiered planter, provided it matches the growing conditions of your doorway. A mix of evergreens, annuals and perennials is best for a display that thrives throughout the year, along with some seasonal highlights. Colourful summer flowers will brighten your doorway, while trailing plants will tumble over the sides of a planter. You can even grow fragrant herbs, or fruits like strawberries. 

Whatever you choose, make sure that your planter has drainage holes, which prevents plants from waterlogging. Tiered planters are often smaller, so keep your plants fed and watered, especially during the summer months.

Hanging baskets

Hanging baskets are another good option for smaller porches, as they don’t take up any floor space. They bring colour and texture to eye level, which can help to frame your entrance. 

“For a basket with maximum impact, choose a combination of trailing plants to spill over the edges, fillers for colour and greenery, and a bold centrepiece which will command attention,” says Domoney. “Fuchsias and geraniums are classic choices for the centre, because of their beautiful flowers. Ivy and trailing petunias, like the ‘Surfinia’, are popular basket plants too, while begonia, Busy Lizzies or colourful leafed heuchera work well as fillers. Ultimately, the choice is yours – have fun with it.”

Bigger baskets offer more options, as they’ll hold more soil. As with other containers, good drainage is essential, and feed and water your plants regularly.

Multi-seasonal container combinations

Planting on your porch doesn’t have to be high maintenance, if you choose the right plants. Work out what kind of growing conditions your entrance offers and select your plants accordingly: there’s no point in choosing lavender, for example, if your doorway doesn’t receive much sun.

As a rule of thumb, a combination of evergreens, which maintain their colour year-round, and hardy perennials, which return year after year without needing to be replanted, will work best for a container display that looks good throughout the year with minimal effort. 

For evergreens, look for the likes of Japanese holly (Ilex crenata), which produces white flowers in summer and round black berries in the winter. Ivies, which will grow on almost any porch with very little care, come in a huge range of colours and patterns and work well in a container.

“A multi-season container doesn’t have to be bland,” says Domoney. “Choose evergreens like heather for colour through the seasons, or plant hardy geraniums, cyclamen and hellebores for long-lasting flowers which bloom later in the year.”

Built-in seating with planters

Yes, such a thing exists! Usually, these are benches which cleverly incorporate planters into their design. The seating might be bookended by plants, for example, or have a large container behind it. This kind of seating is a great idea for a larger porch, being both practical and decorative. 

Fill your containers with clipped topiary, shrubs, flowers or edibles, whatever takes your fancy. Often, these will be larger containers, which gives you plenty of choice. Ensure that there is good drainage and give your plants plenty of food and water.

Trellis panels with climbing plants

Make the most of your porch walls, especially if you’re short on space. Trellis panels provide a framework for climbing plants like wisteria, honeysuckle, or clematis, allowing them to grow upwards. Rather than fixing the trellis directly to the wall, use wooden batons to retain some space for airflow, which will keep your plants looking healthy.

“Climbing plants add colour and character to your home and many of them smell wonderful,” says Domoney. “They can help with insulation too, keeping your property warm in the winter and cool in the summer.”

Clematis, known for their large flowers, come in varieties to suit every porch, whether sunny or shaded. Honeysuckle, with its sweet, scented blooms, is also ideal for a trellis and a haven for pollinators. Climbing roses, on the other hand, can give your porch a pretty, cottage-style look, and come in a huge range of colours, sizes and patterns. These plants can be planted directly into the soil and trained upwards, or in containers.

Wall-mounted planters

Another way to put your walls to work is to use them for planters. Mount a few small pots or containers to your wall, or repurpose an old container like a biscuit tin or watering can for a rustic, quirky planter.

Herbs, lettuces, tomatoes and strawberries can work well in small wall planters, with the fresh produce as a bonus. Foliage plants like ferns, which are great for shady spots, will look good in a green wall, while succulents can add texture to a sunny porch. Lobelias are compact, with small, brightly coloured flowers, while trailing pelargoniums, for example, will cascade over the sides.

Bear in mind that plants grown in small containers need extra feeding and watering, especially in warm weather.

Vertical garden systems

Vertical garden systems can help to create a “living wall” effect and are particularly useful in urban areas where space is at a premium. They are less about the planters, and more about the plants, which will pack the walls of your porch with greenery. Often, vertical garden systems come as wall-mounted planters with individual pockets which can be densely packed with foliage plants, or as ready-made kits with both plants and panels.

When choosing the plants for your green wall, focus on their texture, colour and shape. Consider the aspect of your porch, and how much space you have to grow. 

“Heuchera are brilliant for adding colour, putting on a show all year round,” says Domoney. “Herbaceous sedums bring texture with their succulent-like foliage, and they’re very low maintenance. You can also add herbs, thyme is a popular choice, grasses or climbing plants like Campsis, with bright orange, trumpet-shaped flowers.”

Hanging elements from porch ceiling

Hanging elements from your porch ceiling is a good way of introducing decorations without making the space feel cluttered. If your porch is sheltered, delicate paper lanterns or raffia ornaments provide a simple, natural-looking touch. You can try making your own fabric bunting for a cheerful, holiday feel.

Take a trip to your local bric-a-brac shop for more eclectic ornaments, or hang seasonal plants. Go foraging for sprigs of foliage, dried grasses and flowers, for example, to create a homely swag, tied together with a ribbon or length of twine.

Install heritage or industrial-style lighting

Porch lighting serves an important practical purpose, providing light and security. But a well-lit porch is also warm and welcoming. 

For a period property, consider installing heritage lighting. Antique brass or copper lantern-style lights look great on an Edwardian or Victorian home and can usually be fixed beside the front door on an ornamental hanger. Fix one to the wall, use them to flank your door, or hang them from the ceiling.

Industrial-style lighting can give your porch a more modern twist. Look for pendant lamps hung from chains, with a more exposed bulb, or a chunky bulkhead light for a mid-century property.

Either way, go for warm bulbs for that cosy feel, while solar-powered lighting will save you on hassle and energy bills. Consider using a sensor too, which will use energy more conservatively and prevent disruption.

Use fairy lights or solar lanterns

Nothing screams cosy more than fairy lights. There are a huge variety available for your porch, from round, industrial-style globes to string lights, to rattan shapes. String them across your entrance, on your wall or around your doorframe for a warm, inviting glow. 

Alternatively, solar lanterns can either be fixed to your walls, suspended from your ceiling or placed on your doorstep. Whether you favour something sleek and metallic, glass or ornamental, there are lanterns to suit all tastes. For an easy, cost-effective lantern, you can fill a jar with solar-powered fairy lights and place it on your doorstep. 

Solar-powered lights save the effort of having to be wired and are designed to turn on automatically.

Wall art and mirrors

Why should artwork only go on the walls inside your house? Outdoor wall art needs to be hardier than the kind of thing you hang inside, so look for sculptural metal designs, for example, or art made out of reclaimed materials. 

Alternatively, hanging a mirror securely can make a small porch feel larger and allows you to double-check your appearance before heading out.

Rugs or a doormat

It’s easy to focus on drawing the eye upwards to your doorway, but don’t neglect your flooring. If your porch is sheltered, consider adding an outdoor rug which adds texture and signals that yours is a well-loved home. It will also help to remove dirt and protect your porch from wear and tear.

Your choice of doormat can help too. Beyond your traditional coir, there are doormats in all manner of patterns and colours, from Victorian cast-iron mats to geometric designs, to minimalist rubber designs. Even vacuuming your doormat or giving it a good scrub will spruce it up without having to replace it.

Seasonal porch displays

If you’re willing to put in the legwork, you can create seasonal planting arrangements for your porch that will dazzle throughout the year. 

“Those early months of the year, as winter passes into spring, can be grey and uninspiring,” says Domoney. “Look for early blooming bulbs like snowdrops, crocuses or daffodils to brighten your porch. Snowdrops, with their pendant-like white flowers, are symbols of hope and rebirth, while crocuses offer colour in the late winter and early spring. Daffodils are the ultimate spring flower. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types.”

During the summer, you’ll need to select heat-tolerant plants that can withstand the higher temperatures. If you’re going for flowers, get bang for your buck by choosing plants with a long flowering period. Aromatic lavender can work well in a sunny porch, while dahlias and fuchsias, with their colourful, long-lasting blooms, are good choices for a centrepiece. You can extend their flowering period with regular deadheading.

For fillers, consider the daisy-like Mexican fleabane, or Busy Lizzies, with their multi-coloured, vibrant flowers. Trailing lobelia will look good tumbling over the sides of a container. For a more minimalist, textured summer display, succulents are a strong choice. Try the Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’, with its dark, purplish rosettes, sedums or echeverias, which come in a range of different colours.

“Autumn is one of the highlights of the year for gardening,” says Domoney. “Its rich reds and oranges look fantastic on a porch.” Plants like heavenly bamboo, Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubra’ and Leucothoe will really accentuate that autumn firepower. Heavenly bamboo’s yellowy-green leaves turn orange and red in autumn, just as Leucothoe’s leaves will darken. ‘Rubra’ is Latin for red, and this tall, striking grass will not disappoint." 

Alternatively, flowering plants that bloom later in the year will help to prolong that sense of summer. China asters, balloon flowers and Bowden lilies, for example, will do the trick.

Cold, damp winter days are in desperate need of colour. Plant glossy evergreens like Skimmia Japonica, ivies or bays which will hold their rich, green colour through the winter months and beyond. Some, like Skimmia, will produce bright red berries in the winter.

Flowers aren’t out of the question either. Bedding plants like winter pansies, hardy cyclamen or viola bring a touch of summer colour to the coldest of winter days.