Your porch should welcome guests, impress buyers

Published 12:01 am Sunday, May 1, 2011

The kitchen may be the heart of the home, but the front porch is like a handshake, welcoming visitors and the first impression for buyers.

“The porch is the calling card of your home,” says Susanna Salk, a design expert and author of “Weekend Retreats.”

Creating front-porch style is a

simple weekend project.

First, Salk says, head outside and look at your porch. “How is it used? What’s going on here: Is it a transitional space into the home, or its own living space?”

Salk believes a small porch that functions as a transitional space into the house itself should echo the overall style of your home. “If the porch leads into a traditional living room, don’t decorate it with tropical accents.”

Alison Gelb Pincus, co-founder of One Kings Lane, a home decor and accessories website (onekingslane.com), advises going vertical on a small porch. “Since you don’t have floor space, make the most of the walls and ceiling,” she advises.

Her top three improvements include:

Paint the front door with a new high-gloss coat of paint, preferably in a color that pops. “If your house is white, paint the door red. A gray house is gorgeous with a deep-purple door. A color that really contrasts with the front of the house in a shiny, glossy paint lends a strong sense of elegance to the space,” she says.

Change out your hardware. “Slicker, stronger-looking house numbers really change the look of the house,” Gelb Pincus says. “Add a beautiful, sculptural door knocker to your newly painted door for even more elegance.”

Hang a canvas or print specifically formulated for the outdoors to one or both walls (such as the outdoor art collection at art.com). Outdoor art looks like stretched canvas, but it’s printed on aluminum, coated with a special coating and able to withstand weather from snow to sunlight.

Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service