Updating your front porch
A sitcom character once uttered the words, “The most important people in your life are the ones you can imagine sitting on a porch with.” While it was a purely-made-fortelevision moment, the idea of having a front porch on which to relax is deeply ingrained in American ethos, an idealization perhaps of a simpler time when people actually had the time to kick back and visit with the neighbors. Whether you’re one of the lucky few in the Bay Area whose home boasts a “real” porch or you’re working with a few steps and a stoop, there are simple ways to update the area so that it enhances the rest of your home, easy ideas that will make your porch sing. First Things First
• If your front porch has become a catch-all for sports equipment, garden hoses, empty flower pots and other odds-and-ends, clear it away. No matter how large, your porch is sure to feel cramped when it’s covered with miscellaneous junk.
• Give the porch a good cleaning. Sweep away cob webs, scrub away dirt stains, and dust off railings. Magic Erasers — normally used to clean marks off interior walls — will help clean scuff marks away from floors and railings. It is amazing how a good cleaning will offer new perspective.
• Once those railings and floors are clean, add a fresh coat of paint. Use an exterior paint that will be able to withstand the elements. Even if the rest of the house could use a fresh coat, begin with the porch. Like a smile, the porch will be a visitor’s first impression of your home. Get Colorful
• Sure, you can stick with tried-and-true colors, shades you have always painted your porch area, but why not attempt something different, something that will make your porch “pop?” Try covering the columns, railings, ceiling and skirt with a color you might never have imagined adding to your home, like bright red or Victorian blue. Once you get over the initial shock you may find that the extra splash of color adds personality to an already-awesome porch. Plus, a memorable color gives you an interesting palette to work with when it comes times to add accessories.
• Get your house shutters in on the action by painting them a color that either matches or coordinates with the primary color you have chosen. Again, even if you’re not quite ready to paint your entire home, making changes to the porch and shutters will offer a facelift.
• Consider painting your front door. Any color that pleases you will work. However, it is interesting to note that painted doors — particularly red — have a long and significant history. In early America, a red door symbolized a safe place for travelers to rest. In Scottish tradition, a homeowner would paint his door red to let the world know that he had paid off his mortgage. During the Civil War, homes that were part