We’ve been darting in and out of Home Depot like it’s our job, stretching a $500 porch makeover budget for Better Homes & Gardens’ 48-Hour Challenge. The goal: a lighter, brighter porch that complements the airy interior of our newly updated home. It’s surprising how gloomy a house can look from the curb when the inside feels fresh and soft. For a refresher, here’s a before shot of the porch—total snooze, but not for long.
We picked up a handful of great finds, including a wooden glider bench that creates an instant cozy seating area. John assembled it in about ten minutes with an Allen wrench—my assistance was minimal, which left me free to take photos and approve the placement.
We also grabbed an assortment of punchy green planters to revive the previously bare porch. By choosing varied colors, sizes, and styles we created layered interest and a casual mixed-and-matched look. Tip: when planting for a covered porch, select varieties that tolerate partial shade. You might remember our promise to make a two-minute side table on the cheap—so we bought an extra-large planter and a terracotta saucer to seal, paint, and repurpose as a tabletop. Simple and effective. Stay tuned for the full reveal and step-by-step tutorial.
In a bold, transformative move we also picked up two gallons of porch and floor paint to brighten the surface with subtle stripes.
Halfway through the painting process the difference was already striking. The subtle stripes lighten the entire porch and completely change the mood—real bang for the buck. It only took a few hours and a single coat of paint for a dramatic lift.
Remember the puppy food and water station we mentioned? We used a piece of wood and four pre-cut corner molding pieces (about a dollar each) plus wood glue to create a small feeding pedestal—no screws or nails required. A quick coat of glossy green paint and Burger’s dishes on top complete the project. It cost roughly $9 and added both charm and function to the porch, which Burger greatly appreciates.
We couldn’t resist a stack of soft, serene outdoor pillows and cushions. We chose a mix of patterned and solid pillows, plus a paisley lounge cushion that we cut in half to make two floor pillows for lounging. Here’s the cushion before surgery:
The porch lightening project was clearly working when our previously purchased black planter boxes started to look heavy against the freshly painted cream-and-tan floor. To soften their look, we painted them with two coats of leftover cream porch paint for an airy finish.
With $14 left in the budget we bought twine to create a couple of hanging mobiles. It’s amazing how far a little creativity and repurposing can stretch a budget: molding becomes pedestal legs, a planter becomes a side table, a lounge cushion becomes two floor pillows, and a ball of twine becomes a mobile. We’re loving this challenge and can’t wait to show the finished porch. We’ll be pulling it together this weekend and the forecast looks sunny—wish us luck!
To follow our weekly updates on the porch project and see the other challengers’ progress, check BHG’s 48-Hour Challenge.