5 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR FALL PORCH DECOR MAGAZINE-WORTHY


fall-porch-leaf-garlands-pumpkins-lanterns.jpg

Decorating your front porch to match the seasons is a fun way to add some extra personality to your home, and make your guests feel welcome before they even get inside. You might be wondering how everyone in Indianapolis creates such magazine-worthy seasonal porch decor. Well, almost all of them have a few key features that together create more visual appeal. Here are five guidelines that you can use to pull together a balanced and beautiful fall vignette on your front porch.

THEMES OR FEATURES

When it comes to decorating almost anything, less is more. This means picking a key item or a fall-related theme for your porch. Pumpkins are often a popular element of fall decor, but there are plenty of other options, too. A harvest theme could feature popular symbols of fall like corn stalks, straw bales, pumpkins, or sunflowers. A featured item, like a Welcome sign, could be surrounded by pumpkins, bundles of wheat, or chrysanthemums.

fall-porch-pumpkins-mums-cat.jpg

COLOR SCHEME

Choosing a color scheme is essential. Pick one or two fall colors, and keep those in mind when selecting items for your porch decor. Those colors should pop against the rest of your items, so look for a few feature pieces in those colors. For example, orange is a popular color for fall. With orange, you could feature pumpkins, maple leaves in fiery fall shades, or gold-toned sunflowers. 

The other elements of your decor should be more neutral, complementary colors. To help bright oranges pop, decorate with tones like muted yellows, browns, and shades of white or off-white. These are great shades for fall that won’t compete with the brighter elements of your decor.

ODD NUMBERS

The human eye is more attracted to odd numbers of items. We generally find three items arranged together more appealing than four. So if you’re going to decorate your porch with pumpkins or another fall item, get one, three, or five.

fall-porch-white.jpg

HEIGHT VARIATIONS

The same as we find odd numbers more pleasing, we prefer to have a balance of sizes and heights in a vignette. Similar to the idea of a thrillers-fillers-spillers flower basket, you’ll want short, medium, and tall items in your fall porch decor. Generally, short things go in front, medium-height things stay in the middle, and tall items should sit in the background. The height variation draws your eye through the scene to see all the elements.

DIFFERENT TEXTURES

Look for items with different textures. Fall is all about creating a natural, rustic feel, and there are plenty of fitting texture options to mix and match. Pumpkins are smooth and a little shiny, so a great contrasting texture is the coarseness of burlap. The lush greenery of a chrysanthemum stands out nicely against dried corn stalks or hay bales. Think about texture in your colors, too; adding a hint of gold, bronze, or silver can add a touch of sparkle to a fall vignette.

With these decorating guidelines in mind, you can easily pull together some magazine-worthy fall porch decor. As you put everything together, keep in mind that it’s all changeable. If you don’t like how your scene looks, change it around some more. Remove a few items, or add in some different ones. Move it to a new spot, or change the arrangement. Keep playing with it until you land on an arrangement you like. If you’re new to decorating and unsure where to start, get some inspiration from Pinterest—you’ll find tons of fall decor ideas and DIY projects there!

If you’re looking for fall decor inspiration, pop by our garden center in Indianapolis for a visit. We’ve got lots of ideas, decorations, and resources to help you decorate and beautify your front porch.