Small Blue And White Front Porch Makeover
If you’re looking for some inspiration for some porch decor, this small blue and white front porch makeover won’t disappoint. The beadboard ceiling and walls add texture and interest while the simple decor keeps the space feeling bright and airy.
My porch is an unheated small room, with windows on three sides overlooking the front garden.
A nice place to relax in the summer and early fall months.
However, it had not been updated in several years.
I had originally covered the walls and ceiling with fabric. It was looking faded and I was ready for a change.
So I decided it was time for a makeover.
The inspiration
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For inspiration, I used the magnificent porches I had seen on visits to Charleston, SC and Key West, FL.
These spaces are usually bright and airy. With ceilings made of beadboard that have been painted light blue with white trim.
And I love the fresh, clean lines.
While my porch is a lot smaller (and not nearly as grand), I wanted to recreate that same light, bright feeling in my space.
Demo
The first step was to clear out the old.
After removing the furniture, light plates and light fixture, I took down all of the fabric from the walls and ceilings, including the window treatments.
The baseboards were impossible to get off without demolishing them.
The old backing on the wall below the windows was particle board, uneven and wavy. So I removed it because we needed a smooth, flat surface for the new bead-board.
I decided to keep the cork board floor and the crystal light fixture.
The ceiling
Then we installed the beadboard on the ceiling
I decided to have the grooves of the beadboard going across the width of the room to make it appear wider and to avoid the visual line of joining the board mid-ceiling.
And painted it that light blue color I loved in my inspiration.
The walls
We also put up beadboard on the walls under the windows.
Here the grooves go up and down vertically which helps to make the space look taller.
To keep the space from feeling bright and airy, I painted these a warm gray color.
The fourth wall in my porch is stucco on cement block, which is impossible to attach anything to.
So instead of using beadboard on it, I decided to paint it a solid blue color that co-ordinates with the ceiling.
The area rug
While I was looking for decorations for this room, I found a rug that I fell in love with.
Its colors and peacock theme became the inspiration for the rest of the decorations in the room.
And it looks gorgeous down the center of the room.
The curtains
To keep the space feeling light and bright, I went with simple white polyester sheer curtains from IKEA.
I only wanted a puff of curtain in each corner.
So I made some 1-foot long curtain rods by cutting IKEA rods into sections with a hacksaw.
Then gathered each curtain onto the rods.
And added the finials that the original rods came with.
The curtains are held back above the window-sills with peacock hooks.
Seating
You can’t have a functional porch without some seating.
But I didn’t want to spend a lot of money, so I upcycled some pieces I already owned.
To start, I repurposed a pine love seat which I bought from Ikea years ago for the patio.
It fit into the end wall perfectly.
To make it fit with my new color scheme, I made new box cushion covers from white canvas duck fabric. And added a little interest by piping them with a blue and white patterned fabric.
Then sewed coordinating throw cushions using the same blue and white colors in the fabric.
It looks beautiful with the rest of the decor in the room.
For the other corner, I spray painted an old wicker chair white.
Then added a new foam cushion covered in the same fabric as the love seat. And another coordinating throw pillow.
Now it looks like new and is so much more comfortable than it used to be.
The tables
Every seat needs a place to put down a drink or a book.
But this porch isn’t very big.
So instead of tables, I opted to use ceramic stools.
One in white which was a new purchase.
And another one in blue that I already had.
The garden stencil
To add some interest to the plain blue wall, I decided to paint a stencil that looks like a wrought iron fence with a garden growing behind it.
It fits right in with the view from the windows on the other three walls.
The accessories
To finish the space, I added a few accessories.
I hung a peacock sun catcher in one of the windows.
Then added some white lanterns filled with chunky white battery-operated candles on the window sill.
The peacock umbrella stand was a lucky find on Marketplace.
Finally, I hung 2 floral pictures. One on each side of the door going into the house.
And I couldn’t resist putting up a lovely garden picture made for me by one of the neighborhood children.
The finished porch
I love the finished look.
It’s definitely a bright and airy change from before.
The simple decor makes the room look bigger than it actually is.
And the entrance to my house feels so welcoming.
It’s the perfect place to read a book or enjoy a relaxing cup of tea with a friend during the summer months.