If you are on the fence (no pun intended) about really getting organized, start with your front porch! It’s easy, quick, and will give you immediate gratification. Just in time to start hanging out on the front porch, reading the Sunday paper, chasing after the kids, remembering how darn good spring looks, fells, smells.
But what about the winter boots, musty bikes, worn doormat, and dirty rocking chair? Not very inviting for you, not very uplifting for guests.
Just carve out ONE HOUR next weekend to rejuvenate your front porch and experience the joy of living lightly, and brightly! It might just inspire you to do the INSIDE of your home next. Here’s 5 steps to a happy “welcome home” at the end of the day.
Step 1: Remove everything on the porch. Sweep. Use Simple Green to wash down stairs, rails, flooring, walls.
Step 2: Discard anything that has seen better days. Store winter items in proper place. (Remove your holiday wreath!) Clean cobwebs and dirt off your porch light. Think about how you use your porch now, and how you might like to use it more in the future.
Step 3: Wash down any furniture that you will keep. Spray paint it a fresh new color. Sooo easy to do. Buy a few bright outdoor pillows, cushions, wall art or lantern and happy new doormat to welcome you home each day and get in a good mindset to open your front door and step inside.
Step 4: If you have kids, get a fun wooden box, bucket, or bin (second hand shops), let them decorate or paint, and put all their summer toys, squirt guns, chalk in there. Add some bug spray, sun screen, even their sunglasses and hats. A place for everything…OUTSIDE! Pretend you are living at the beach!
Step 5: The best part. Find some windchimes or hanging plants to make your porch a relaxing and peaceful place. And NEVER forget the finishing touch and ode to spring and summer: add life, fragrance and color with a few bright container plants to complement the changes you have made.
It doesn’t take much to make a difference in how your space looks and more importantly, how it makes you feel.
Enjoy — and let us know how it goes. Share pics of your new, improved front porch. I am a HUGE fan of seasonal wreaths made from natural elements to mark the seasons and feel like I can start fresh and in control of my destiny. (Mind games really work, people.) And tell us how long it took to transform your outdoor space, and how transformed you felt as a result!