How to Decorate Your Front Porch For Fall

Summer is coming to a close, which means it is time to welcome fall! Preparing your outdoor space is very important—especially in the transition to the fall and winter seasons. Bringing in items that will not fair well in harsher elements, changing out your plants, re-working your seating situation and checking up on any outdoor technology are all important parts of getting your porch ready. Let’s talk more about each piece and how to address it with the changing seasons.

The first thing you will want to do before decorating your front porch is to give it a good deep clean. Sweep out any dust, plants or mess on the porch. Throw out any dead plants, or move seasonal plants to a location that is out of the elements. Clean your windows around the porch and even check to see if your front door needs a good cleaning. Sometimes front doors get super dusty, and you may not even notice. So, be sure to go over it with a wet rag or even consider doing a heavy-duty scrub down. It is good to get all of the cleanings in before the weather starts to get colder. You will want your porch to look clean and well-kept for the holiday season!

While you are cleaning your porch, consider taking the time to check and troubleshoot any outdoor technology you have. If you have outdoor cameras or video doorbells, now is a great time to check the battery levels and change them out accordingly. Once the weather gets cooler, windier, etc., changing the batteries might get more tricky. So, it is best to do this before the fall and winter.

If you have summer items on your porch or furniture and decorations that will not do well during the harsher weather that fall and winter bring, you will need to move them. Moving things into your garage might be your first thought, but you will want all the garage space you can to keep your cars out of the elements as well. So, if you do not already have one, consider getting a storage shed. 

Resin storage sheds are particularly durable and weather-proof. So, you can put all of your porch furniture, decorations and yard supplies within. They will be protected from the elements and ready to come back out when you are ready in the spring!

Evaluate the plants that you have on your porch. When we talked about removing plants that are dead or seasonal, what will replace them? Will you replace them at all? If you keep plants in pots or planters, you will want to either store them in your shed or fill them. If you choose to fill them, you will want to pick hearty plants that will survive in the winter. If you do decide to get winter plants, consider visiting a local nursery and inquiring about what will survive the fall and winter climate where you live. There is nothing worse than buying a bunch of plants and having them die.

As an additional idea, some people purchase fake plants and topiaries to keep on their porches during the colder months. This way, the faux plants will stay looking good all season long with no maintenance. This is great especially if you will be traveling a lot during the holidays. No need to ask neighbors to water them!

Even if the weather is getting chillier, you will still want a place to sit if you want to spend time on your porch. Some outdoor furniture is not super durable in the fall and winter. It can rot, crack, rust and peel. Then you have to replace it in the spring. So, make sure you go with weather-proof seating, like Keter’s! Some of our favorite outdoor seating sets include the Rio Patio set or one of our beautiful Adirondack chairs! 

No matter what kind of weather comes along, both of these seating arrangements will last and look amazing in all seasons with very little maintenance.

The later in the year it gets, the shorter the days become. This means it gets darker earlier. So, you will want to check all of your outdoor lighting fixtures to make sure all of the bulbs or solar panels are in order. This is also a great time to set outdoor light timers. Options like smart bulbs or a Switchmate can help you schedule your lights to turn on and off in the evenings. This can be great to set up before it gets way darker outside, and it will be all finished leading up to holiday travel. 

In addition, you can also add string lights to brighten up your space. These can also be set up on light timers or used as needed.

If you celebrate any holidays in the fall, you can also start getting out your decorations. It might be too early for Halloween items, but you can always don scarecrows, pumpkins, straw and more to welcome in the fall season! If you are not ready to decorate for the holidays, consider pulling out your Halloween decorations a little early and going through them. Recycle them, donate them or throw items away before you decorate. You are much more likely to go through them before the holiday season than when you are exhausted after the holidays. 

As you make the transition from summer to fall, just remember to make your space something that works well for you and your family. Maybe you do not need seating, but you need a new shed. Maybe you do not have cameras and smart doorbells, but you need to add some lighting. Whatever you decide to do, make a plan and stick to it. It is going to be the best fall ever!