Farmhouse Summer Porch Decor

Sometimes I work really hard to create a nice space, only to completely change it the next week.  Its the story of how I am, and who I am.  I don’t mind the work it takes to create a new space. This is what I do after all.  Take my porch for instance.  A few weeks ago I posted about a patriotic tablescape, that was featured  on my back porch.  Now the space has totally changed.  I want to show you how easy it is to create farmhouse summer porch decor by thinking outside the box and using old, new, and salvaged items you may not have thought to use.

Last summer I posted an outdoor home tour, where I showed off my entire outdoor living space, so if you want to see what it used to look like, check it out!

I really love my patio space, we have a nice large covered patio that leads to a large uncovered patio.  It is nice to have both, however, I always find myself with indecision on what will go under the covered part of the patio.  We previously had our picnic table under the covered part, which was nice, but I found we never used our little seating space, which sat out in the bright sun all day.  

That is until the other day, it was raining like crazy out.  I love the rain….like, it could cloud over and rain ever day and I would be a happy camper.  However, I love to sit out on the porch and enjoy the rain, and sitting at a picnic table was just not my idea of relaxing in the rain. 

So, I swapped it all.  I figured we would spend much more time under the covered patio relaxing than we would be eating.  

So here is my first tip for farmhouse summer porch decor…

Switch things out if they don’t work for you

You don’t have to be locked into one thing.  If it doesn’t work for you, change it up or move things around.  By moving our seating area under the covered patio, we have found that we spend so much more time outside, either having conversations, watching the kids play, or just enjoying the weather.

Furnish your space with used, or salvaged pieces for a unique space

I found this set of 4 teak patio chairs in the junk pile near the hotels we own.  They had been sealed with the wrong sealer, and therefore was deemed useless, and not usable.  Ummm, I don’t think so.  We actually used them at my sisters outdoor woodland wedding last summer, and they looked great!

After that, I brought them home and swore I would refinish them that summer.  Well, that didn’t happen, and after a winter outside, the finish is almost all flaked off.  So, I may sand them up soon and seal them correctly, but for now, they work, and the weathered look is A okay with me.

I centered my teak chairs around one of my favorite improvised coffee tables.  I used a wire spool end, and set it directly on top of a galvanized tub.  It makes a great place to set you feet, when you want to truly relax outside.  I topped it with my collection of lanterns filled with candles.  can you imagine what it looks like in the evening?  Perfection.

Shop at an antique store or thrift store for other unique items

Farmhouse summer porch decor is easy to obtain if you spend a little time at an antique store or thrift store.  I like to furnish my space with items not necessarily intended for that exact purpose.  I found this old laundry washtub with lid at an antique/salvage yard in my area.  For a while it has spent its time inside as a accent table, but I decided it was time it made its way outside, at least for a bit.

It serves as a great place to set drinks, or snacks.  We also like to take it down to the fire pit and use it as a table to hold our hot dogs and other food for cookouts.  Its also a great place to set our giant wood and rock tic tac toe game.  You can see how easy its made in my new Home for Summer Ebook.

You may have noticed the window shelf behind the seating area.  I love this little shelf.  It is a great way to connect the indoors to the outdoors.  It was so easy to make, you can see the tutorial here.

My last tip….

Enjoy the space you have and don’t get caught up in being perfect

I love my space….and it is definitely not perfect.  But, it works for my family and it works for me.  It may not be the fanciest or nicest furniture, but its comfortable, and it fits our lifestyle.  Don’t worry if you have the best and the biggest, because sometimes the insignificant makes the most impact.  

Can you believe that as I write this I am sitting in this exact space.  I have decided this will be my office for the time being.  I could spend hours out here, which bodes well for my job.  As writing and blogging is quite a long process. 

I hope you enjoyed checking out my farmhouse summer porch decor.  I’ve been showing off other summer inspired spaces on my blog these days so if you want to see more, check out these other spaces:

Farmhouse Living Room Summer Decor

Summertime Farmhouse Entry | Summer Showcase

13 Summer Inspired Outdoor Planter Ideas

Have a great day!