The dog days of summer are officially here in Boston with temperatures in the 100’s this past weekend.   Like many we are trying to beat the heat and stay cool.  Hey, I’d take heat any day over snow and cold- so bring it!  I like to keep my decor really simple this time of year and now that the 4th of July decor has been packed up I wanted to switch up some of our farmer’s porch decor to make it feel really summer-y and fresh with out going crazy or spending a lot.  Today I’m sharing my Summer Porch Refresh!  

Before I jump into summery photos of our farmer’s porch I want to share something pretty awesome that finally happened a couple weeks ago which inspired this summer refresh.  We were long over due to have all the exterior trim of our home repainted, it was chipping for years and we knew it was time, well it finally happened!!! Ok maybe this isn’t that exciting, but it get’s better!  I’m not ready to show it off just yet because now our window shutters look pretty dang… BAD.  Figure’s right?  One thing always leads to the next.  Hopefully in the fall we will update them. They’re a redish-brown color and super faded, some even broken.

Anyways, back to the more awesome part.  I knew the painter’s would be here working on all the trim around the house, even our farmer’s porch.  I have been wanting to freshen up our farmer’s porch FLOOR paint and CEILING paint for awhile but haven’t been able to find the time or energy in this heat.   SOOO the company that was doing our trim ended up painting it for us!  *TIP if you’ve hired a subcontractor for a home project (painter, plumber, electrician etc… ) it’s worth it to ask for other smaller add on’s, chances are since they are there they’ll do it for you and give you a better deal than having to come back later for that other smaller task.  So it wasn’t much more for them to do those two areas since they were literally already working on all the trim around it.  YAY!

THE BEFORE:

Here is our front porch at Halloween last Fall, notice the floor and ceiling?

You can see that it was a worn out brown paint with out much of a sheen to it. The ceiling wasn’t awful but it was just white and would attract a ton of bugs nesting in the corners (I guess it would have fit in at Halloween time! ;))

PORCH FLOOR PAINT COLOR:

Windy City by Benjamin Moore

I like it because it’s a darker gray (in person) but not overly dark and there are some warmer undertones with out it looking too brown.  It’s a very dynamic color.  We used Benjamin Moore’s exterior paint in a semi gloss and I love that it has a little sheen to it.

PORCH CEILING PAINT COLOR:

Palace Pearl By Benjamin Moore

I like it because it’s a subtle soft powdery blue that won’t fight too much with the St. Lucia Teal on the exterior doors.  We did this in an eggshell since we didn’t want it overly glossy on the ceiling.

So why blue on the ceiling?  Blue on porch ceilings originally started in the South to ward off evil spirits and then over time was also used to confuse bugs from nesting on your porch ceiling as they think it’s the sky.  I’m not sure if this is actually true, but it looks really pretty!  I’m going to see if it works at all because we always have yucky bugs in all the corners out here in the summer.  So far it’s been a couple weeks and zero bugs! This article from Apartment Therapy also does a great job going more in depth about the historical context of the blue porch ceiling origins.

FRONT PORCH DECORATING TIPS:

1. Pick a color scheme. 

I have my signature blues going on but the accent color this time of year that I gravitate towards is yellow- it’s cheery and think of how refreshing lemons and anything citrusy is this time of year.

2 GREENERY/FLOWERS

Find some plants that like to be potted in slightly shady areas that can also withstand heat. So far my ferns have been thriving. Honestly, I’m not the best with keeping potted plants alive! So far ferns for the win! Our hydrangea plants in the front yard are having the best year ever! So I trimmed some and put them in a vase with cold water and ice cubes to perk them up in the heat.

3. LANTERNS

I’m always a fan of adding lanterns outside. Plus I love that they can bring in your color scheme and add ambiance in the evening.

4. PATTERN RUG & PILLOWS

Always add a fun pattern or two to you outdoor area either in a rug or pillows. I love this ikat pattern rug I got from Target last year and this pin stripe pillow from T.J. Maxx. You can either mix different colors or keep the same theme going on. For me blues are my favorite especially in the summer.

5. MIX UP YOUR SEATING

For your seating try mixing materials. Buy something second hand and chalk paint then distress, or use a metal bench like mine mixed with a woven side chair. It adds interest to your seating area.  Outdoor seating doesn’t have to match perfectly as long as you have a cohesive color scheme. I linked some similar options below!

6. CITRUS ACCENTS

Nothing gives summer vibes like fresh fruits and citrus! I love this lemon wreath which I’ve had for a couple years now (linked similar at the bottom of the post) I also think oranges or even pineapples would be a beautiful accent! I love layering my seasonal signs or wreaths over our vintage window frame it just brings so much more depth than if this was just a wreath on its own.

SHOP THIS POST:

Thank you guys so much for stopping by on this summer day! I hope you are enjoying every moment of summer. What do you think of the colors I chose? I’m always so amazed with what a great coat of paint can do!

Jordan

*This post contains affiliate links which means I may make a small commission off an item you purchase from my blog. I only share products I love and it doesn’t cost you any more. It truly helps support my blog!

PIN FOR LATER: