Nothing says home more than fall in New England.  Every year I get the same feelings of nostalgia when the leaves begin to change colors, the temperature begins to drop and I start to see signs for Pumpkin Spice Lattes. I look forward to putting away the beach bags and sandals and cozying up with warm sweaters and scarves.  I’d love nothing more than spending a weekend browsing local nurseries and flower shops for the perfect mums and pumpkins for my front porch BUT I have 3  kids which means there is basically no free time on the weekends.  If you’re in the same boat, you may be tempted to decorate for fall by running out, grabbing a few pumpkins and calling it a day. Or you may be tempted to just skip it all together. But I promise, you really can create a beautiful, classic look that is both warm and inviting with almost no time and on a small budget. You can even get your kids involved (smaller kids usually love to help)!

Below are the steps I took to create a simple but beautiful fall porch:

Inspiration

Start by browsing Instagram, magazines or Pinterest  to get an idea of the color palette you like. Once you have a feel for what you like, think about the style of your home and porch and envision what will work best. 

Measuring and Prep Work

Thoroughly clean and measure your space.  There is nothing worse than finding the perfect urns only to get them home and realize they don’t fit on your stairs. Or, the mums don’t fit in the urns and back to the store you go.  This is the time to replace light bulbs and clear cobwebs. You want this space to be very welcoming.  

Shopping

I usually have a color scheme in mind and this year it was soft neutrals with a contrasting pop or two of color.  I like to use “the rule of 3’s” for both the color palette and in arranging items on the porch. I love how cool whites and greens look against a bold (in this case black) colored door.  First, select large items such as mums or daisy baskets, black or brown stone urns, and large iron lanterns. Next, mix and match textures in smaller flower pots to compliment. I like to invest in a new, clean front porch rug like this one since your old one is probably sun drenched and tired. For greenery, I love ferns because they are low maintenance and look beautiful against the white mums.  Seasonal cabbage is also a great choice. For a wreath, Magnolia and eucalyptus are classic and can be used other times of the year.  If you’re crafty, you can purchase fresh eucalyptus and make your own wreath.  And last but not least pick up several pumpkins in various sizes. I love white pumpkins and the Cinderella pumpkins are unique, add a bit of interest and are less predictable than standard the orange.

Annie Selke Tattersall Rug

Magnolia Wreath 

Arranging your finds

Begin by putting the largest items in first to anchor your design. Remember “the rule of 3’s” when grouping your items and vary shapes and sizes of plants and pots.  You don’t need complete symmetry.  Have fun with it, play around and step back and look at your space from different angles.  

So that’s it! Just play around  and have fun! Once it’s done, get out and enjoy that cool fall air.  Before you know it, there will be snowflakes!