Summer Porch: Creating a coastal vibe
Summertime is easily one of our favorite times of the year – windows open, planting in the yard, grilling dinner every night, and nonstop outdoor entertaining. Having spent most of our lives along the beaches in southern CA my husband I enjoy incorporating elements of coastal living in our home. This year we focused on the front of our house. We added new door wreaths, a fresh welcome mat, containers overflowing with flowers, and created a cozy seating area for friends and family. We did this on a budget and you can too! Begin with one or two elements and go from there. Make it your own!
Summer Front Porch Update: Creating a Coastal Vibe
Warm Up Your Entrance
- The perfect welcome mat
Pick up a fresh rug for the entrance to your home. Layering your rugs adds warmth and is so inviting. Once the rainy season begins to wane I usually add a second rug. The top rug is durable and ready for dirty shoes and the layering rug will require washing. In this blog post I am showing two different rug options. The first is neutral and the second is blue for a more summery look.
- Add a wreath
Wreaths add so much warmth to the entrance of your home. It’s something everyone gets to see up close and personal so make it pretty! These gorgeous floral wreaths are from Squak Mountain Nursery located in beautiful Issaquah WA. When I saw them I knew they’d be perfect for my black doors.
- Candle light
Nothing is more welcoming than a flickering lantern. Enjoy the warm glow of candlelight worry free with “flickering like real wicks” and pillars that glimmer like natural candles. Flickering flameless candles are safe and have a timer so your candle will go off when you want it to.
- Add a table or chair to sit on
We added a stone seat next to our front door, an easy spot to pause for a second and put on your hiking or rain boots. When not in use I like to keep potted plants there.
- Add a planter box
We have two antique urns that I fill with seasonal blooms and this year we added a 20″ by 20″ self-watering planter to the entrance of our home. When planting your flowers, begin with a good potting soil and healthy plants. Once the potting soil has been added place the tallest plant towards the back corner of your pot and then fill in with different textures, colors, finish with a vine or flower that will spill over your container. Don’t forget to add something that’s fragrant! We all enjoy smelling flowers especially when walking up to the entrance of our home. For more information regarding how to plant a planter box please review this blog post.
With the help of Squak Mountain Nursery we found the perfect flowers for our container!
Here is a list of the flowers we used:
Black Dragon Cryptomeria (evergreen)
Alba Lavender
White zonal geraniums
Heliotrope (purple trailer, larger flowers, fragrant)
Bacopa (white trailer
Alyssum (purple trailer small flowers, fragrant)
Sweet potato vine (black leaves)
Frosty curls sedge (grass)
Encourage Friends to Stay Awhile
Encourage your friends to sit and chat by adding a couple chairs and a spot to set their favorite beverage. If you are creating a casual coastal vibe, adirondak chairs work well. The blue and white pillows continue the theme.
We’d love to know what you’re planning for your garden this season! Are you going to try a planter box and if so, what color flowers will you choose? We’re so grateful to our friends over at Squak Mountain Nursery for all their help and amazing eye for design. If you’d like more information about the flowers in this blog post or have gardening questions, you can find everything you need over at their shop (here).
Happy gardening!
_________________________Shop the look here___________________________
