Little Cottage Farmhouse Front Porch

Hello from The Little Cottage front porch! Outdoor spaces can be both practical and pretty, with the right furnishings and a few little extras. YES, even small outdoor spaces! I’ve packed our wee porch with farmhouse charm — by way of a new 3 pc chat set, a handmade sign, some modern flower pots bursting with color and a few accessories. And I did it affordably!

Hello FOXES! All of our outdoor spaces have been getting so much attention, and The Little Cottage has just sat back, patiently waiting it’s turn! It’s had hand me downs, didn’t-fit-quite-rights, and hurry up and gett it inside when it rains… and now, it’s finally getting some proper seating and furniture all it’s own! 

I’ve been turning my attention back to The Little Cottage after ignoring it for a bit, and I’m loving how everything is coming together! Last month I shared the new look in the entryway [to see more click here].

And it felt like a natural extension of that space was the front porch, so I moved out here for my July Better Homes & Gardens assignment. Which is putting a “small space” to good use. And my goodness, if you can’t sit on your front porch… what good is it!? None I tell ya! 

If you are new here, I am an Brand Ambassador and each month I partner with Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart sharing my personal selections, and spotlighting the vast line of furnishings and home decor available in-store and online with all of you! It’s always a favorite post, and we all appreciate the great quality and the affordable prices!

Tackling any SMALL SPACE:

• As with any space, address the absolute needs required of the space.

• Needs: how will you use your space — does it need to multi-functional? 

• Establish a budget.

• Shop for furnishings to meet your needs.

• Lighting matters — you may need overall, task, and also may enjoy ambient lighting. 

• Shop for accessories to make your space feel personal and to reflect your style!

NEEDS: For our front porch. Seating was the number one requirement. I shopped for awhile to find an affordable set that would suit the style of the porch at The Little Cottage. With the wood batten siding and the white paint, it leans heavily in the “Modern Farmhouse” direction.

BUDGET: I wanted to stay at or under $200.00 

SHOP: Sometimes it’s harder than it sounds. Sticking to my budget wasn’t easy because at first, everything I seemed to like was double that or more. But I kept and open mind, kept looking, and was rewarded when I found The Carson Cove 3 pc chat set for only $160.00 

NOTE: Lots of outdoor items are on clearance online, and in store! Check your local Walmart for great deals right now!

It’s the perfect set for us. It includes two just right sized chairs and a just right sized accent table. The chairs are no-worry all weather wicker, and came with grey cushions, which will coordinate nicely overall with the larger set on the big deck, that also has grey cushion.   

The table top and furniture legs are a faux wood look and the perfect tone to go with the railroad tie flower bed, and the finish on our Dutch door. I like to coordinate tones so they don’t fight each other.

LIGHTING: We already had the perfect overall light on our porch with our black farmhouse barn light. I love me some ambient lighting though, so we decided to hang a few lanterns on the porch post! 

I hadn’t ever seen lanterns hung like this, but I thought it could be cute in our exact set-up, with the wood post and how the traffic flows. 

THESE LANTERNS HAVE A 6-HOUR AUTO OFF FEATURE

One thing I can’t stress enough, is to decorate YOUR home. Don’t try too hard to emulate a style you see, in a space that is unlike yours — decorate with your taste and to suit the home and space you have.

I only looked at my exact space and what I could do to make it the best it could be, with my budget.

ACCESSORIES: Outside, less is more. The less I put on the porch, the more time I time have to not be cleaning it… so I kept it simple. I didn’t even layer the rugs. Mostly because #boys. hahahaha. Austin lives here and he does okay keeping the porch swept up, but I’m not going to push it. 

The railroad tie bed got some Salvia, Lavender, a few shrubs and some Phlox. 

The only time less is more doesn’t apply… is with FLOWERS. My weakness. We planted some fresh things in the railroad tie bed, and I added a few tall, slender pots to the porch. Again, keeping scale in mind, just like I did with the new chairs, so as not to crowd the space or impede entry to the house. 

The decking along the front of the cottage is just a slender walkway between two of the three porches on the house, it’s not deep enough or situated correctly to accommodate seating. 

But I was magically able to put some more flowers there!

Deer proof of course. Which would be the only reason I bought these Marigolds. I’m very partial to white and purple flowers. But they are blooming their little hearts out, and I don’t have the heart to take them out. 

The Salvia already needs a good dead-heading. So I’ve got an appointment with the pots and beds this week. They are going to burst again with a second set of blooms as soon as I get them cleaned up. 

The Pineapple Mint, Lobelia and Bacopa are all doing well too. 

One of the adjustments I made to better suit it’s size when I moved the two (much too large for the space) whiskey barrels from the porch, was to put the smaller of the two matching pots next to the door.  

When I was selecting new planters, I had to fight my natural inclination to have symmetry and to buy two pots the same size. This works so much better!

The last piece of the porch puzzle was doing something special with all that vertical space between the Dutch door and the window. 

To fill it, I decided to paint a custom sign. That was a huge help with the budget, as a sign this size could easily cost a few hundred dollars. We actually used a piece of the plywood that the Dutch door was delivered in, and some scrap pine to make the sign! And then I hand lettered it. Unfortunately, I think I used a color that is too faint outside. The grey was great inside, until I got it out in the natural light. 

[twenty20 img1=”24471″ img2=”24466″ width=”50″ direction=”vertical” offset=”0.5″]

This is why Before & Afters are my favorite. I’m so glad we took pictures way back when. You guys, this house was meant to be white!! And that path has been the biggest blessing. It’s sooo much easier for me to walk on that, than the gravel. I am thankful for every footfall on it. And these “befores” keep us moving forward, one project at a time!! 

I’m happy to add, that the boys both love the new chairs, and we all agree the curved back is ergonomically perfect! It make my heart so happy when they sit down there together, and I hear occasional bursts of laughter. This time with Austin home is bonus time, and I’ll be forever grateful for it! Love & light, Shan

I’m thrilled to continue being a part of the Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart team! I’ve been shopping the line at Walmart in-store and online for many years now, sharing my personal picks, and how I use them here in our home as well as down at The Little Cottage. I’ve had so much fun making my selections and styling them up, and sharing them, and I love that you all seem to love it too! The quality & style of Better Homes & Gardens paired with the affordability and accessibility of Walmart is so perfect! I’m always extra excited to share these sponsored projects with you. As always, I’ll link to each product below, for your shopping convenience. That means I may make a very small commission to help offset the costs of running my site if you choose to buy something, but you’ll never pay a penny more for it.

OUR ENTRYWAY SOURCES:

• Better Homes & Gardens Carson Cove 3pc Chat Set [click here]

• Better Homes & Gardens Wood Lantern Medium [click here]

• Better Homes & Gardens Wood Lantern Large [click here]

• Better Homes & Gardens Flower Planters [click here]

• Better Homes & Gardens White Metal Planter with Stand [click here]

• Better Homes & Gardens Saliva flowers, in store

• Better Homes & Gardens Potting Soil, in store

DETAILS:

• Exterior Paint Reveal & Details [click here]

• DUTCH DOOR Information [click here]

• If there is anything I didn’t cover, give me a shout and I’ll get an answer for you!

You can visit Better Homes & Gardens Live Better on:

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

View my 50 BHG Projects [CLICK HERE]

or Click on the Image Below

Subscribe for free today to receive all my latest DIY tutorials, decorating ideas, upcoming projects & more, sent right to your in-box!

Join us on our adventures... and let's make our houses "homes" together!

Your email address will never be shared or sold. I promise!