40 Eye-Catching Entryways + Front Porches for Summer

Greet family and friends with a welcoming front porch that's designed for soaking up those long summer days and nights.

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By: H. Camille Smith and Chelsey Bowen

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Bring the Party Around Front

Who says the backyard has a monopoly on entertaining? This porch proves that summer gatherings belong in the front, too. With one side dedicated to grilling and a bar cart full of cocktail and drink essentials, the other end combines comfy chairs and a swing for a cozy convo spot. Steal some style pointers from this friendly front porch and keep reading for more inspiration to get your entryway ready for lazy summer livin'.

See More Photos: 40 Before-and-After Curb Appeal Makeovers

From: Rebecca Rowland Interiors

Swing the Day Away

A cozy wood swing + a deep, shady porch = a match made in lazy, lounging heaven. Take a cue from the designers at Cloth & Kind to make the most of your front porch space by creating a colorful conversation area for whiling the summer away.

From: CLOTH & KIND

Or, Get Ready to Rock

Seriously, who wouldn't love rocking the day away on this sunny front porch? Like most Tudor Revival-style homes, this beautiful example in Atlanta doesn't feature a deep, shady front porch like you'd typically see on a farmhouse or Craftsman-style home, but the wide, open brick porch does boast a pair of classic rocking chairs and an unobstructed view of the front yard. Get more curb appeal ideas from our friends at HGTV Magazine, below.

See More Photos: The Coolest Curb Appeal From Across the US

From: HGTV Magazine

Beat the Heat With a Bar Cart

No matter where you live, there's no denying that the summer sun can sometimes feel relentless. Make your front porch a relaxing oasis by rolling out a serving cart when guests arrive. Ice cold lemonade (or bubbly!) makes lounging on the porch feel like a mini vacay.

See More Photos: Big-Batch Summer Cocktails That Serve a Crowd

From: H. Camille Smith

And, Provide Refreshments for Furfriends

Making your front porch more comfortable for your family and guests shouldn't stop with the two-legged variety. Pets are family, too, so help our furfriends keep their cool this summer by always providing a shady resting spot and easy access to fresh water.

learn more: 13 Essential Items to Keep Dogs Cool in Hot Weather

Mix Patterns Like a Pro

Warm woven textures + a classic blue-and-white color scheme = instant summery feels. The trio of patterns — stripes, diamonds and a graphic print — all work together because they use the same shades of blue and white.

See More Photos: 12 Ways to Bring Spring's Blue + White Trend Home

From: Tim Barber Ltd.

Opt for All-Weather Materials

Ceramic garden stools not only add a big boost of timeless style to a front porch seating area, their glazed surface can weather rain or sun with ease while offering up a flat perch for placing a book, snack or drink.

learn more: Patio, Perfected: 11 Amazing Amazon Finds for a Shady Outdoor Oasis

From: H. Camille Smith

Layer In a Rug

Outdoor rugs are available in just about every color and pattern imaginable today — and, thanks to their polypropylene construction (read: plastic), they're both super durable and super affordable. Just as you would indoors, add a rug to your covered front porch to anchor a seating area, like this bench, and to work in additional color and pattern.

See More Photos: Front Porch Fix-Ups to Refresh Your Curb Appeal

From: H. Camille Smith

Create a Happy Hello

A pair of swings made from reclaimed wood are a fun addition to this bright white porch created by Home Town's Erin and Ben Napier. To keep the cheery welcome going, Erin painted the front door a brilliant cobalt blue, layered in colorful plants and added a small vintage stand to serve up homemade lemonade. See more of Ben and Erin's porch transformations, below.

See More Photos: Life's a Porch: Great Porch Transformations from HGTV's 'Home Town'

Make It Perfectly Patriotic

Summer celebrations often include an Americana theme. Filling an old watering can with an assortment of grocery store or backyard blooms in red, white or blue shades is an easy and colorful way to brighten up your porch's seating area.

See More Photos: Party Patriotically With a Red, White + Blue Backyard Bash

From: H. Camille Smith

Highlight the Architecture

The charm of this spacious front porch begins with its architectural details: historic brickwork, a tongue-and-groove ceiling and a beautifully arched glass door. Comfortable furniture in soft grays allow the architectural elements to remain the star of the space. Even the planters are an unobtrusive light gray and planted with fuss-free greenery.

See More Photos: 25 Before-and-After Patio, Porch and Deck Makeovers

Pile On the Pillows

Cozy up hard outdoor furniture with pillows and throws to make kicking back in your great outdoors even more enjoyable. But, to prevent damage and a musty smell, don't use indoor (especially down-filled) cushions. Instead, opt for durable outdoor-rated fabric filled with water-resistant polyfill inserts, and swap in a Turkish beach towel, which dries super fast, for a standard throw.

See More Photos: Your Outdoor Furniture Buying Guide: Top Tips on Lifespan, Maintenance + More

From: H. Camille Smith

Add Privacy With Outdoor Drapes

Creamy outdoor curtains soften and add a layer of privacy to this cozy porch that features not just one, but three swings to create a completely relaxing spot to sway the day away. Rope tiebacks contain the curtains when not in use, or the drapes can easily be drawn to block out the hot afternoon sun or a nosey neighbor.

See More Photos: 45 Creative Ways to Add Backyard Privacy

From: Heather Garrett Interior Design

Or, Grow a Living Screen

For a privacy solution that also lets you flex your green thumb, plant a trellis with a quick-growing climber, like clematis, jasmine or mandevilla, seen here, then let Mother Nature do the work to block out the view of a busy street or your neighbor's bathroom. Learn more about climbing plants, below.

See More Photos: 18 Valuable Vines to Plant in Your Garden

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Kick Up the Color

Cheery with a touch of coastal, this welcoming front porch is the sweetest spot to catch up with a neighbor or enjoy your favorite read with a glass of iced tea. Complementary colors — orange and blue — create a high-contrast combo that feels fresh and fun.

See More Photos: 22 Things to Put on a Porch

From: HGTV Magazine

Incorporate Adjacent Areas

To really maximize outdoor living space, take inspo from this welcoming entryway and spread the seating areas out into the surrounding yard. Here, set off to the side of the main entry is a small courtyard, where plush blue chairs surround a wrought iron coffee table for friendly get-togethers. Tiles laid in a zigzag pattern create a rug-like effect while a large fountain joins the front porch proper and adjacent courtyard together.

See More Photos: 80 Lush Landscaping Ideas for Your Front Yard

From: Mom's Design Build

Create an Outdoor Living Room

If you're lucky enough to have a front porch that's as big as this one, which is roughly 8' deep by 20' wide, put that square footage to work as a breezy outdoor room. Add an all-weather rug, teak sofa and colorful coffee table to carve out a cozy conversation area.

See More Photos: 40 Gorgeous Outdoor Living Room Design Ideas

Pop In Color With Pillows

A mix of shibori-style pillows, in a range of kicky colors, pep up this screened porch's all-white color palette for summer. Keeping the furniture neutral makes it easy to swap out accessories with each season for an updated look. Want to try your hand at tie-dye? Check out our tie dye guide and get more porch pointers from our friends at HGTV Magazine, below.

learn more: Summer Patio Ideas for Every Style

From: HGTV Magazine

Incorporate Antiques

Antiques lend a collected-over-time charm that just can't be found at your local big-box store, so don't limit your thrifted finds to indoors. Bring your vintage beauties, like this century-old trunk, onto your porch, too. Get more porch decorating tips from our friends at HGTV Magazine, below.

See More Photos: 22 Things to Put on a Porch

From: HGTV Magazine

Make It Boho Chic

Global-inspired textiles strike a just-right balance with this porch's clean-lined furniture, playing warm against cool elements. Top coffee tables or other flat surfaces with woven natural fiber trays to complement the boho vibe and to make it easier to bring snacks and drinks in and out of the house.

learn more: Bohemian Design Style 101

From: Rebecca Rowland Interiors

Or, Stick With Tried-and-True Traditional

Ah, traditional, the design style that truly never goes out of style and will look just as current 50 years from now as it does today. To give your porch a timeless look, choose sturdy, well-crafted pieces that can stand up to the elements and the fickle, ever-shifting nature of trends. Tour a timeless and oh-so-traditional home, below.

See More Photos: Tour a Classic Southern Estate with a 21st-Century Sense of Fun

From: James Farmer

Paint the Ceiling

Painting porch ceilings in a soft shade of robin's egg blue is a centuries-old tradition that originated with the Gullah Geechee people in the coastal South but has now spread to many other regions. Commonly called 'haint blue,' this pale, watery shade is thought to keep ghosts or malicious spirits from entering the home, thanks to spirits' (or haints') inability to cross water. Other legends contend that the color was instead meant to mimic the open sky, tricking spiders and wasps into building their homes elsewhere.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Or, Paint Secondhand Scores

Really want to make your front porch a neighborhood all-star? Max out your curb appeal by giving thrifted furniture a new lease on life with paint. The staff at HGTV Magazine renewed this '60s set with a rented paint sprayer and a few coats of Sherwin-Williams Dishy Coral. Get more of their budget decorating tips, below.

See More Photos: How to Decorate One Porch With Three Different Budgets

From: HGTV Magazine

Hang Geraniums From the Ceiling

Built in 1885, this Queen Anne-style Victorian is architecturally a stunner on its own, but the surrounding landscaping certainly ensures passersby will slow down for a better look. To draw your eye to the entryway and create a colorful welcome for guests, the homeowners hung a pair of potted geraniums on either side of the front door. Learn more about caring for these summer-loving, low-maintenance blooms, below.

learn more: Geranium Care: Your Guide to Growing Geraniums

From: HGTV Magazine

Or, Place Ferns in Planters

Don't let a petite front porch, like the entryway on this Cleveland, Ohio, Colonial-style beauty, prevent you from incorporating plants. Take HGTV Magazine's cue and place a pair of drapey Boston ferns in tall, cast iron planters to add a bit of greenery around your front door.

learn more: Growing Boston Ferns

From: HGTV Magazine

Paint Your Front Door

The easiest (and cheapest!) fix for a dark front door: paint. A fresh coat of cheery blue paint (Carolina Skies by Valspar) dramatically brightened up this small front porch and created a pretty backdrop for other blue accessories. Ready to pick up your paint brush? Take our handy quiz to find your perfect color or check out the gallery, below, for inspiration.

See More Photos: 59 Inviting Colors to Paint a Front Door

From: H. Camille Smith

Or, Paint Your Planters

Spring, summer, winter or fall — the easiest way to majorly boost your curb appeal (without splashing major cash) is to give your front porch planters a makeover. Follow our tips, below, to prep the surface for paint, then plant each pot with an eye-catching combo of thriller, spiller and filler.

get the how-to: How to Paint and Replant Concrete Planters

From: H. Camille Smith

Rock a Period-Perfect Look

This screened porch takes its design cues from the home's Victorian architecture. True to the period, authentic wicker furniture provides gracious seating while an Oriental-style outdoor rug adds beautiful pattern underfoot that also ties the room's color palette together.

See More Photos: 40 Screened Porches We Wanna Chill On

From: Lila Delman Real Estate

Add Ample Seating With a Sectional

Provide a cozy spot to kick back and relax with a weather-resistant sectional. When shopping, look for frames created from durable synthetic materials, like nylon, plastic or polyethylene for a wood or natural wicker look without the worry of water damage. For the cushions, performance fabrics, like Crypton and Sunbrella, offer moisture-, stain- and fade-resistance that cost more initially but pay for themselves in durability over the long run.

See More Photos: How to Decorate One Porch With Three Different Budgets

From: HGTV Magazine

Smaller Space? Add a Bench

Take a cue from designer Jasmine Roth who used a two-seater teak bench to add seating to this small and somewhat disjointed front porch.

See More Photos: 28 Ways to Decorate Your Front Porch or Entryway

Create Easy Outdoor Art

Does your patio, porch or deck have a case of the blahs? We'll show you how to easily stencil a plywood board to turn it into colorful outdoor art that can stand up to the elements. Plus, learn an artist's trick that makes hanging a painted board easy, below.

get the how-to: Turn a Plywood Board Into Easy DIY Outdoor Art

From: H. Camille Smith

Or, Install a Living Wall

Take front porch plants to a new level with vertical trays of succulents. Here, the hardy plants add color and texture while creating a gallery wall effect. Other elements, like the primitive wood bench and stained concrete floor, add a natural aesthetic to the entry.

learn more: How to Create a Living Wall

Paint Your Façade a Happy Hue

Freshened up with a bright shade of blue, this 1920's Florida bungalow is ready to colorfully take on a new century. Classic front porch additions like potted begonias and hanging Boston ferns make the cheery front porch feel even more welcoming. Get more curb appeal pointers from our friends at HGTV Magazine, below.

See More Photos: Copy the Curb Appeal: Orlando, Florida

From: HGTV Magazine

Or, Pep Up a Swing With Paint

A fresh take on the classic porch swing, this wood swing is painted a bright coral and hung from ropes instead of chain. A variety of pillows, plus bloom-filled planters brighten up the gray-and-white porch with cheery color and punches of pattern.

learn more: 20 Best Porch Swings for Every Style and Budget

Plant Some Color

Filling your front porch with potted flowers is one of the easiest (and cheapest!) ways to add a lot of seasonal color — but be sure to select plants that are a good fit for your front porch's sun exposure (full sun, partial sun or shade), and check on them frequently as potted plants require more frequent watering than those in the ground.

See More Photos: 50 Can't-Miss Container Gardening Ideas

Light It Up

Smart landscape lighting enhances any entry. No trip hazards here — these clever lights are placed strategically under the steps and along retaining walls to ensure a bright and cheery welcome or exit for guests and homeowners alike.

See More Photos: 25 Outdoor Lighting Ideas That Won't Break the Bank

From: Platinum Landscape & Pools

Beat the Heat With a Fan

Whether your preference is for super-sleek and modern or vintage-inspired, a celing fan is the best way to keep fresh air moving and lower the ambient temperature on your covered front porch. Be sure to choose a fan that's UL-listed for damp locations and select a model that allows a minimum of 8 to 9 feet of clearance beneath it for safety. See more shopping tips, below.

learn more: Porch Doors, Lights and Fans

Divide + Conquer

Before the renovation, this Craftsman-style front porch was big on square footage but short on style. Home Town's Ben and Erin Napier divvied up the long space by screening in the area to the right of the front door so the homewoners could enjoy bug-free evenings while the rest of the porch remains open with a second small seating area. See more of Erin and Ben's porch makeovers, below.

See More Photos: Life's a Porch: Great Porch Transformations from HGTV's 'Home Town'

Say Yes to Symmetry

For timeless appeal, flank the front door with a pair of lanterns, but instead of plants in traditional urns, get creative by planting an oversized basket or, in this case, a rustic, driftwood planter. A wicker chair placed opposite the sculptural container balances the look.

From: CLOTH & KIND

Make It Bright + Inviting

A hydrangea-lined pathway leads to this light and airy home, where a navy front door creates a chic contrast to the home's gray shingles and white trimwork. Lanterns define the front steps, providing illumination for evening get-togethers. A pair of white Adirondack chairs sit ready to greet guests or enjoy the morning sun.

From: Casabella Interiors

Create a Laidback Atmosphere

For this black-and-white exterior, a healthy dose of green in pillow patterns and plants keep the space from looking flat and adds a cheery pop of color. Wicker furniture with circular detailing has an airy quality and is placed in multiple groupings to create distinct gathering spots.

Whole-Heartedly Vibrant

Bright and colorful with tropical flair, this porch mixes new and old together for a casual and oh-so-comfy atmosphere. A beverage dispenser filled with citrus fruit is a cheery decoration that is also a handy refreshment when guests stop by. Step into the kitchen to slice up a few oranges, lemons or limes and fill with water.

40 Eye-Catching Entryways + Front Porches for Summer

Related To:

Shop This Look

Bring the Party Around Front

Swing the Day Away

Or, Get Ready to Rock

Beat the Heat With a Bar Cart

And, Provide Refreshments for Furfriends

Mix Patterns Like a Pro

Opt for All-Weather Materials

Layer In a Rug

Create a Happy Hello

Make It Perfectly Patriotic

Highlight the Architecture

Pile On the Pillows

Add Privacy With Outdoor Drapes

Or, Grow a Living Screen

Kick Up the Color

Incorporate Adjacent Areas

Create an Outdoor Living Room

Pop In Color With Pillows

Incorporate Antiques

Make It Boho Chic

Or, Stick With Tried-and-True Traditional

Paint the Ceiling

Or, Paint Secondhand Scores

Hang Geraniums From the Ceiling

Or, Place Ferns in Planters

Paint Your Front Door

Or, Paint Your Planters

Rock a Period-Perfect Look

Add Ample Seating With a Sectional

Smaller Space? Add a Bench

Create Easy Outdoor Art

Or, Install a Living Wall

Paint Your Façade a Happy Hue

Or, Pep Up a Swing With Paint

Plant Some Color

Light It Up

Beat the Heat With a Fan

Divide + Conquer

Say Yes to Symmetry

Make It Bright + Inviting

Create a Laidback Atmosphere

Whole-Heartedly Vibrant

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