When we shared pictures of our front porch last fall, we explained our decorating approach: plants, and more plants. The greenery links the porch to the landscape around the house and—today’s update shows—helps disguise some less-attractive features of the entry. In particular, three large rectangular utility boxes mounted on the front wall needed a little help to stop stealing attention from our porch.
To see how far this porch has come, here’s a photo from last February when we first made an offer on the house—our realtor is in the picture. It’s a good reminder that small, strategic changes add up.
Since then we’ve updated the exterior in several phases (paint, decking, and other tweaks) and even leveled the old “pool dirt pile” out back. While the porch now feels much more finished, one oddity remained: the electrical meter and panels were installed on the front of the house, just a few feet from the door. That’s not typical in our neighborhood and it was always a bit of an eyesore.
When we added a whole-house generator last fall, two more electrical boxes had to be installed beside the original meter. Suddenly there were three metal boxes commanding the front wall—plant placement alone wasn’t enough to hide them.
Our first step was practical: we asked the utility company and the home inspector if we could paint the boxes. With permission, we painted them white to blend with the siding—a camouflage trick we’ve used successfully before. Then we built a simple outdoor plant shelf to further disguise the trio and add more greenery to the porch. The shelf holds four larger trailing plants, with a fifth smaller plant sitting on top of one panel. They’ll need some time to trail and fill in, but even now the focus is on the foliage instead of the metal boxes near the front door.
We’ve had great luck with trailing plants like pothos in outdoor conditions—our outdoor shower has been a successful test area, even through winter. If these plants perform similarly, they’ll quickly become effective, low-maintenance camouflage while bringing life and softness to the porch wall.
Sherry is already excited to watch the plants grow, and she’ll likely post progress updates on Instagram stories. She’s also hopeful for a bigger lemon harvest from her ponderosa lemon trees this year—because who doesn’t love fresh citrus?
The shelf’s build is straightforward and inexpensive. The basic parts are:
- Backplate (Green): A 1×8 primed board screwed into the siding to create a flat mounting surface across siding ridges.
- Supports (Blue): 1×8 boards cut at 45º to form triangular braces attached to the backplate for strength.
- Platform (Pink): Two 1×10 primed boards sandwiched and secured to form the shelf surface that sits on the backplate and supports.
- Face Trim (Purple): 1×2 primed boards nailed to the platform edges for a clean, finished appearance.
After assembly we filled the holes, primed and painted the shelf to match the house so it blends in. The plants do the opposite: they draw the eye away from the boxes. When we checked with the utility company they even cleared us to paint the clear round meter face (most meters are read remotely now), though we left that part unpainted to keep readings easily visible.
This solution also improves function. Previously we kept a large fern on top of the storage box below the utility panels. That made accessing the box—where we store beach chairs, umbrellas, and bike helmets—one extra step because the plant had to be moved each time. The new shelf keeps plants off the storage lid and avoids the “fern on the loose” problem on windy days. The trailing pothos in heavier pots have stayed put and look great.
If you enjoy simple outdoor DIYs, we’ve shared many other projects that transformed our exterior spaces—everything from the overall house exterior refresh to a hanging daybed and an updated covered porch floor. These outdoor rooms have become a major focus for us after downsizing: less interior square footage and more livable outdoor space in a warmer climate has been a game changer.
We’re also planning a full pool-planning update soon for readers who have asked; we hope to post that when we’ve made more progress.
More Plant Guides
For plant care tips and ideas for easy outdoor and indoor greenery, check these guides:
- Golden Pothos Care Guide
- Marble Queen Pothos Care Guide
- Neon Pothos Care Guide
- Monstera Deliciosa Care Guide
- Snake Plant Care Guide
- Fiddle Leaf Fig Care Guide
- Tree Philodendron Care Guide
- How to Build An Easy Plant Shelf
- Protecting Outdoor Plants In A Deep Freeze
- Getting Started With Houseplants, An Expert Interview
- My Favorite Faux Plants
- Easy Houseplants To Keep Alive
- 10 Houseplants For Better Indoor Air Quality
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