Do you plan to sit on the porch? How many seats would you need?

The house to the right seems very close. Do you need some privacy on that side? How about a floor to ceiling trellis with something growing on it?

I’m not a huge fan of hanging plants. They dry out quickly and are a pain to water. If you don’t need seating how about some nice window boxes on the porch windows? Then maybe add a nice white craftsman planter next to the door.

Enlist a professional landscaping company first; that will make the biggest difference. You should increase the size of the lantern lights to be 1/3 of the front door's height. Remove the decorative non-functional shutters from the double windows upstairs and put them on the two front windows. Plant up a pot of red geraniums to set between the windows and add a pair of white Adirondack chairs flanking the pot.

What is the size of the "porch" it does not appear to be big enough for any seating but could be the camera angle I agree those planters will require daily if not more watering and when the wind blows who knows what will happen BTW those windows should not have shutters and the siding color does not work with the stone on my monitor and I thin 3 types/ colors of finish is one too many

First off are you in an HOA? New builds here in my city are REQUIRED to have HOA which means doing anything is pretty much not going to happen. Chairs are for the back porch according to mine. Not to say I don't think it is ridiculous but still they get upset over stupid things.

Yes, we are in an HOA, so major changes to the facade (shutters, siding, etc) are not in the cards. We can have planters, furniture and such on our porches. And I changed out the garage sconces to what’s pictured and we will eventually invest in landscaping. I am currently just hoping for thoughts on porch decor/furniture. The porch is about 4 feet deep and 10 feet long. I love the idea of a privacy trellis and as a Non-green thumb, it’s good to know that the hanging planters would not be ideal . Thank you!

Keep those porch ideas coming. I would love something beyond the 2 chair or bench, which everyone seems to have in our neighborhood. Taking into account that awkward middle column.

A porch swing wouldn’t work, as the porch isn’t deep enough for it on the end/vertically and horizontally, that middle column is in the way. Good idea, though!

If the measurements would work. This or something similar.

https://www.wayfair.com/outdoor/pdp/mercury-row-delgado-2-piece-rattan-sectional-seating-group-with-cushions-w002846506.html?piid=

Where I live, no one really sits out there in front. Maybe if you have little kids, you might sit down while you watch them. I think a big, beautiful pot or two with a shade plant, is all you need, and maybe something to hide amazon deliveries behind.

I'm curious why you want to be "different"? Maybe a bench, so you can set down groceries if you're going in the front door.

At a house I lived in in PA, so back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I made a front porch wall out of hanging plants. I had hooks about 4” apart, and plants at all different heights. I did eventually set the whole thing up on drip with a timer because the watering was a PITA, but the porch behind the plants was a lovely cool, green, shady space where I had a small table and four chairs.

Porch swing would be great but I don't think its possible

A 4’ deep porch is very small if it’s to be used for sitting. Sit in a kitchen chair and lay a yardstick on the floor beside you to see what I mean. If a person is seated in one chair, there’s not room for another person to pass by to sit in the far chair.

A bench would be your best bet. As someone else said, packages/purchases could rest there. You could drape a colorful blanket over it. Set a HUGE flowerpot at the far (right) end - huge flowerpots are far easier to keep things alive in if your thumb is less than green. No pots smaller than 16” in diameter. They’re too needy.

IMO no space for furniture other than maybe avery narrow bench you need to be able to walk ther if you want anything deeper like a very short loveseat oc hait it needs to go on the end. I would just forget the seating and do some nice big pots of seasonal plantings inbetween the posts and be done . For your own info try 2 DR chairs and see how little space you really have

You say you want to do something different than your neighbors have done. Why? just to be different? Anytime you want to furnish a space you first have to identify your needs. What do you want that space to be? A sitting area? A spot for deliveries? Once you identify your needs, then it really doesn't matter if you are doing what everyone else is.

We have a small covered porch in the back of our house, and I have a 4 foot bench next to the door. It's very useful for setting things on while unlocking the door, etc. Our front porch is much larger than yours yet it still isn't practical for sitting or entertaining. We used to have rockers that were nice for watching the world go by, but yours is really is too small for anything other than a couple of chairs and a table.

This is what it currently looks like from a different angle with two chairs. We do have young kiddos we watch while playing/ waiting for school bus, etc. Plus, we live in the South where front porch sitting is the norm. I will definitely look into benches and large pots. Great suggestions! To answer question about the “why” of wanting to look different is primarily because in our subdivision, every house looks practically identical. We hoped to purchase and older home with a bit more room for showing personality but the housing market did not allow for that, unfortunately.

Alright, @L Harrison, I hear you. I live in a tract area, too. So here's what you do: You outdo the others with the landscape. Get some color, get big statement-maker(s) trees, hedges, couple giant pots with some drama and color, (artfully lit up landscape lights--but not TOO many) and your house will stand out in the best way possible.

Nothing you do on the porch will differentiate your house in any significant way. I agree with Mrs. S who suggested beautiful landscaping to add to the beauty of your home.

So you want something different.....may be a bistro set in red. Or just the cushions in a bright print color.

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