10 Ideas for Fall Porch Decor

Begin decorating your fall porch by putting away summer decor and getting rid of seasonal clutter. Put away the seed packets and trowels, pool noodles and beach balls.

Clean your space well, including walls and ceiling, if needed. This lets you see the space you have to work with. Giving your porch a good cleaning frees you creatively to think beyond the arrangement and decor you had before and helps you start fresh.

Tip: End of summer is a great time to deep clean porches using a pressure washer. No need to purchase one, you can rent a pressure washer from the Rental Center.

Painting your front door in a vibrant, eye-catching hue gets the biggest bang for your decorating buck — and it lasts. If you’re feeling bold, go with a bright front door paint that pulls the eye visually to the porch. Not feeling bright colors? Even if you paint the door in basic black or white, the fresh coat of paint sets the tone for your fall porch makeover.

A welcoming porch is relaxing and chill. For this reason, include furniture that makes it easy to unwind. Look for comfy chairs with all-weather cushions along with sectional sofas that can seat a lot of guests. Add a patio conversation set for long evenings sipping apple cider with friends.

In addition to comfort and aesthetic appeal, choose furniture and decor based on durability. For example, all-weather resin wicker chairs are durable enough for both extreme cold in the winter and extreme heat in the summer.

A quick and easy way to freshen your patio is to decorate with a fall color scheme leveraging the warm hues of the season. If you’re ready for a complete redo, purchase new cushions for your patio set. For a more affordable update, sprinkle in new accent pillows. Rich reds and golds mix nicely with the changing foliage in your yard.

For a rustic look, bring in a wheelbarrow or galvanized tub and fill with an abundant collection of mums, flowering cabbages and pumpkins.

For city dwellers with small patios and decks, decorate the space as an extension of your indoor living area. Choose a color scheme that is either the same or that complements the room adjacent to your patio.

Door decorations are statement accessories. They add interest to your fall porch decor and extend an inviting welcome to your guests. For a door wreath that lasts through all seasons, purchase one with a neutral base. Burlap, moss, vine and plain fabric wreaths are all good choices. Then all you have to do is add decorative accents to reflect the season. Dried or faux flowers and leaves look nice in the fall. You can also add decorative wood monogram letters for a personal touch.

Decorative urn planters filled with pretty flowers and greenery add appeal to your fall porch décor. For best results, choose a large planter that is at least one-fourth to one-third the height of your door. Also, be sure the width of the planter fits the space on your porch. Larger planters create visual proportion when viewed with your entrance and door area. For more variety in plants and to use a collection of small decorative pots, arrange clusters of petite planters at the base of the urns.

When choosing a planter, remember that a plain concrete planter or terra cotta planter matches any look and is often the more affordable option. Either will withstand most weather conditions. Glazed planters and ceramic planters are more types of pots to consider. There are many beautiful colors and finishes to choose from, but they can also be pricey.

Ideally, you should place matching planters on either side of the door. If your door is in a corner, place one planter where you have room. If you don’t have room beside your door, you can also place planters beside the sidewalk before stepping onto your porch.

Finally, fill your planter with fall flowers like mums and keep them watered. These plants should last until the first hard freeze, especially if your porch is sheltered from the weather.

Tip: Keep a watering can nearby to quickly refresh your porch plants.

As pumpkins and gourds ripen in your garden or arrive in The Home Depot Garden Center, use them to punch up your porch decor for Halloween and beyond. If you live in an area where humidity and heat linger well into fall, consider adding faux pumpkins and gourds so you don’t have to keep replacing the fresh ones.

Outdoor lighting takes fall porch decor to a whole new dimension. If you have the space, string porch lights around the perimeter or your porch or zigzag them between columns. A hurricane lamp and electric candles make nice centerpieces for an outdoor table area.

Line your porch steps with pumpkins and mums and settle in various shapes and sizes of flameless candles for easy stepping when night falls.

Once you've decorated your porch for fall, continue the festive flair by decorating your backyard patio. Many of the same accessories can be used in this space. Just make sure that if your patio is not covered, to find weatherproof cushions for chairs. Add an umbrella over a table for shade if the patio is in the sun. String lights and flameless candles make the evenings cozier on the patio.

A doormat keeps dirt from being traipsed into your home but it can be just as pretty as it is functional. For visual appeal, choose a doormat in a color to match your fall porch decor and make sure it’s as wide as your door.