Spring Has Sprung Home Tour – Freshen Your Porch for Spring

Spring has sprung!  I’ve teamed up with some talented gals for a Spring Blog Loop to share some spring inspiration for your home.  At the end of my post you will find links to continue onto the rest of the posts.  Simply click on the link and it will take you to the next blog!  Repeat the steps until you end up back to me.

With spring in full swing our thoughts turn to freshening up the insides of our homes, filling them with the beauties of spring.  After a long, dreary winter, I find myself wanting to breath new life into the inside and outside of my home.

When I was a young mother, I attended a conference and listened to a women talk about the importance of tidiness and keeping an organized home.  She gave lots of helpful tips but the information that I remember the most was her thoughts on welcoming guests into your home with a clean and welcoming front porch.  Today I’m sharing how I spruced up my front porch for spring along with some tips on how you too can freshen your porch for spring.

First, hose off your porch.  Winter storms bring dust and grim that are easily washed away with a good spray down.  I like to hose off my window sills and little nooks that trap webs and unwanted debris.  This will give you a fresh start to your spring porch.

Second, add a fun spring wreath to your door. It cheers everyone who it greets. Mine was a real lucky buy. I was shopping with friends in California at a shop that had some beautiful but pricey items. My eyes met this wreath and I sped over to check out the price, of course it was outrageously priced! So I admired it for a minute and set her back down. You know those items you find that you can’t stop thinking about? This wreath was one for me!

My friends and I continued our shopping trip to some other shops. One shop had a clearance section that I was perusing. Digging around a bit, guess what I found?! Yep, the EXACT same wreath for a tenth of the price! I’m not joking! The first wreath was marked at over $250 and this one on clearance was $25! So my wreath has a special memory attached to it and a little luck.

Third add a bench or some chairs with some outdoor pillows to make your porch a true extension of your home. It gives people a peak at your style and what your home holds inside.

Here are a few benches that will add some personality to your porch…

If you have access to a sewing machine, you can whip some up with some sunbrella fabric.  Sunbrella will hold up for years, even when exposed to full sun. To clean them, just hose them off.   I stuffed mine with a regular down insert.

If you’re looking for some to purchase, I have sourced some of my favorites below…

Fourth, add some new plants or flowers.  I’ve had my rose trees for a few years now, so to give my porch a little pop, I added some green perennials that will hopefully withstand our brutal Arizona summers.  I’ve kept my plants to mostly greens.  This style is traditional and timeless, tailored and symmetrical, much like the inside of my home.  It’s a true reflection of my taste. When choosing your plants and flowers, be true to your style, this will create a beautiful sense of unity with the outside and inside.

Here are the plants that I have on my porch…

{ICEBERG ROSE TREE}

{BOXWOOD}

{CREEPING FIG}

I added this plaque my dad cut out for me for some personality.  A coat of chalkboard paint, a gold painted boarder and a crown glued to the plaque made for a simple DIY project. You can create something similar for your home by purchasing a plaque at your local  craft store.  Find something decorative with a flat back and glue it to your painted plaque. Add a hanger on the back and you’ve got a unique piece to welcome guests into your home.

My last tip, is a tip you can use in any room of your house.  It has to do with a four letter word….. wash! I’m sorry, I had to say it, but those windows have to be washed!  A sparkling window shows off your porch, house, room more that anything! Washing them doesn’t have to be a dirty word anymore though.  With this easy formula, you will have shinning windows that reflect the true beauty of your home…..

How to Clean Your Windows Like a Pro

1.Add a few drops of any of your favorite dish soap to a bucket, and fill with warm water.  You want the water to be nice and sudsy.

2. Grab a washcloth and a few hand towels, any are fine.

3. The last and most important thing is a squeegee.

4.  Wash the entire window down with the washcloth.  Take the squeegee and swipe it across the window from left to right, then wipe it off with one of the hand towels.  Repeat all the way down the window.  This will leave your window shiny and clean, free from residue and streaks!

 Go freshen your porch for Spring!  Head over to these creative ladies’ blogs for more inspiration to freshen the inside of your home for Spring….

Deborah bvintage

Sarah littlevintagenest

Wendy lifeontheshadygrove

Sheila  maisoncinq

Summer sheleavesalittlesparkle

Morgan  thewhitefarmhouseblog

Kim & Lacey styledwithlace

Jennifer thegracehouse

xo,

Randi