Can you visualize it… your kids rocking back and forth on the front porch as they sip lemonade and eat cookies. Or maybe you’re spending a quiet morning on your front porch sipping coffee as you blog and occasionally look up to see the dogs being walked, flowers in bloom, babies passing by in strollers, joggers making you feel guilty, ok ok you get the idea. Whatever it may be it’s fun to spend time on a front porch that invites you to relax, sit for awhile and puts a smile on your face. There’s lots of ways to put your creative stamp on your own front porch. Whether it’s a painted tongue and groove ceiling, a whimsical sign by your front door, a creative railing…. all will go a long way in making your front porch feel special.
For me, I have always loved the painted diamond floor look on front porches. I remember seeing older homes that painted it over decking. I knew when we built our most recent home I wanted to do that same look on our front porch. However, I didn’t want to paint the diamonds as I’ve noticed how easily the floors get dirty on a painted surface and that it would be a little too much maintenance wise. I set out to achieve this look a different way. Instead, we used gray and white porcelain tiles that were suitable for outside/non slippery use and designed to look like wood planks (I went with tile in a 4” width x 40” length to really give the feel of wood planks). We decided on a 22” diamond size with a 2” border piece along the perimeter of the porch (make sure you map out your own space and remember to account for grout joints). Also, consider using tile that comes with a bullnose option to finish the perimeter otherwise you can use a metal trim piece to finish it off. However, I must warn you that this design was a definite splurge in our budget as every piece involved a tile cut (yes, every piece) which really tacks on the time and labor involved. But this calculated splurge was well worth it. My diamond porch floor greets me every morning and every night and beckons me to stay porch side for awhile. What’s on your porch that makes it feel special?
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