Cottage Porch Ideas

Fill a cottage porch with colorful flowers and window boxes.Flowering Baskets and Planters in an English Back garden image by Chris Lofty from Fotolia.com

Cottage porches are cozy and inviting spaces that can be filled with timeless, classic pieces and accents. When decorating a cottage porch, incorporate your own personal and functional touches that make the space personal. Colorful plantings placed around the porch create a brilliant, charming effect. Accessories suited to the style of the home boost curb appeal and enhance the quaint cottage feel.

Plants

Cottage porches filled with colorful flowers and plants create a charming feeling. Creeping vines spilling over window boxes and up columns and railings make for a vibrant display. Set the scene with oversize containers filled with flowers like pansies and impatiens. A collection of asters or mums resting on the steps leading up to the cottage porch invites guests to enter. Fill pots with herbs to create a porch scented with pleasant aromas. Herbs like mint can be used in iced tea later or nestled in with flowers that rest on the porch. An oversize pot planted with a tree rose creates a dramatic look and sweet scent for any space.

Choose all-weather furniture like teak or wicker to furnish your cottage's porch. Antique wicker pieces tucked into the corner of the porch also create an intimate vignette. To unify the pieces, paint the wicker white to evoke a historic cottage feel. Benches made from cedar placed around the cottage porch can also create an inviting spot for entertaining friends and family. A two-seater porch swing with comfortable cushions beckons you outdoors. Add accent pieces like side tables and ottomans around the porch. Side tables between chairs provide a resting spot for drinks. Comfy pillows added to porch furniture soften the design and add a layer of comfort.

Cottage porches filled with decorative pieces add dimension and color to a house. Vintage pitchers or jam and jelly jars filled with fresh flowers beautify a space. An outdoor rug also softens the space and helps define seating areas. Rugs made of materials like jute add texture to a porch's floor and keep the space looking tidy. Colorful linens draped over outdoor tables made the cottage homey. Long outdoor curtains made of all-weather fabric like canvas not only block out sun but create a cozy appearance, too. Install porch fans for hot days, and embellish the theme by adding vintage fans as well.