Adding Storage & Style To Makeover Our Small Front Porch

We found functional furniture for our small front porch to add weatherproof storage, along with fresh decor and a brand new door for a springtime porch makeover. In partnership with The Home Depot

We have lived in our new (old) house for almost two years, and we have been hard at work renovating the interior. The exterior has been pushed aside because it really wasn’t bad, but it definitely lacked curb appeal. We have big plans to do a huge exterior remodel in the future, but this spring we thought it was important to give our front porch some love.

We teamed up with The Home Depot to makeover our porch just in time for spring, and my main priority was to add functional furniture that can double as storage. I’m all about choosing decor that serves a purpose, and every piece we chose has a job to do. Here’s a recap of how our mini makeover went and a look inside the products the used.

Our Front Porch Before The Makeover

Aside from the overgrown grass weeds and the thirsty unprotected deck boards, the porch isn’t terrible. But it’s not good either. It’s just kind of…there. And the entry door doesn’t go with the style of home at all. We are going to be adding a wheelchair ramp to the side of the porch later, so we didn’t want to change the layout at all right now, and we also didn’t want to plant any more shrubbery since it will all get dug up.

My goal for this makeover was to stain the deck, replace the front door, add seating for two, incorporate storage for outdoor toys and bird feed supplies, get new mulch, and add potted plants that can be moved around as needed.

Our Front Porch After The Makeover

Look at the difference! Just by swapping a few things out made it look like a whole new space. For starters, the door suits the home style much better now. It looks intentional, versus before when it just looked like someone bought the cheapest door The Home Depot offered. (Truth, that is what the flippers did)

The new fiberglass Craftsman door is clean and modern, and so is the new handleset. It’s actually a smart lock, and can be opened by using our fingerprint, our phone’s app, and even our Amazon Alexa. I have such a bad habit of locking myself out of the house, so this wasn’t just a luxury for me, it was a necessity.

One thing I found out during this process is that The Home Depot actually offers door installation services. They send out a pro to come measure your doorway beforehand to make sure you order the right one. Then they install the new door and dispose of the old one. That’s such a great service for someone who isn’t experienced with door installs, or someone like me who has a jam-packed schedule and appreciates having some help every once in a while.

We also swapped out the light fixture beside the door for a lantern-style sconce light that’s bigger and more substantial. And below the sconce light is our Ring doorbell, which is one of our favorite purchases ever.

How We Added Functional Storage

Since our porch is so small, there really isn’t much room to store things. Our garage is on the other side of the house, though, and it’s a long walk back and forth when we need to refill bird feeders or clean up after a day outside playing sports with our teenager.

We chose this bench with hidden storage to give us a place to sit with our afternoon tea, as well as hide our outdoor supplies underneath. We were able to fit three weatherproof containers inside, with extra space for our water hose, too.

To contain larger outdoor toys and balls, we added this garden stool. It serves as a side table for holding snacks and hot coffee mugs, but the top comes off to reveal a clean and dry storage space.

At first look, you wouldn’t even think these two pieces are used for holding outdoor supplies. They look so beautiful on the porch, and are perfect for our small family of three. We love sitting together outside with a cup of tea or a glass of wine in the evenings waving at neighbors as they walk their dogs.

Cleaning Up The Landscaping

Once the deck was stained with this sealer in the color Tugboat, we were ready to tackle the landscaping. First we cleaned up all the weed overgrowth with a trimmer and ran over the yard with Scotts Triple Action weed killer.

Then we loaded up our truck with as much mulch that would fit in the bed. We piled it on thick to protect our current plants from cold and heat and reduce the amount of light to keep weeds from coming back as quickly.

Instead of planting more shrubs in the ground, knowing we will have to dig them up for a ramp later, we chose a large planter to sit next to the porch. We filled it with a Rosemary plant, which looks like pretty shrubbery but we can also use it for cooking.

We also added a large ceramic pot filled with lavender on the stool. I love to use herbs instead of flowers when I’m decorating my porch because they smell great and are easy to access when I’m making dinner and tea. And it’s not springtime at the Burris house without the addition of a big hanging Boston Fern. It’s my annual tradition.

Adding Solar Lights To Our Long Sidewalk

Bless our mailman’s heart; he’s got the worst schedule ever. Sometimes he doesn’t get to our house until 9pm and rarely before 6:30. Even with the porch light on, the walk from the driveway to the front door when he’s delivering packages is super dark.

To help him safely get up the sidewalk, we wanted to make solar lights a priority. We picked out these stake lights and lined the entire pathway with them. They have such a pretty glow in the evening, and light up the sidewalk just enough. They’re not too bright, not too dim.

And just in case we forget to turn the porch light on, we added these staircase solar lights to the steps. They are perfect for our small porch, and I plan on buying more for our back deck stairs next.

Shop Our Front Porch

See something you love? I linked every single product we used below, and they’re all from The Home Depot so shopping is a breeze. Let me know in the comments which piece is your favorite, then head to my Instagram to watch the makeover unfold on video in my Stories.

1. Fiberglass Craftsman Prehung Entry Door $343
2. Lantern Exterior Sconce Light $99 (similar, ours is sold out)
3. Cream Woven Pillow $29
4. Hanging Boston Fern $20
5. Fingerprint Smart Lock Handleset $347
6. Ivory Ceramic Planter $34
7. Woven Fringe Lumbar Pillow $26
8. Semi-Transparent Stain in Tugboat $45
9. Garden Stool With Hidden Storage $149
10. Southern Living Herb Plant $20
11. Outdoor Storage Bench $210
12. Scotts Earthgro Black Mulch $3
13. Scotts Triple Action Week Killer & Preventer $77
14. Self-Watering Rubber Planter $73
15. 4×6 Indoor/Outdoor Woven Rug $104