Farm Front Porch (Classic + Modern)

Looking for front porch ideas? Tour a classic yet modern wrap around porch with fans, rocking chairs, and budget friendly decorating ideas.

Despite what people may say, I believe central Texas has four seasons: crisp + cool, warm, hot, and blazing + steamy (is it just me or did that sound risque?? 😉 ). Yet despite these “seasons,” we love our outdoor spaces. And our front porch at the ranch is no exception.

I shared phase one of the modern farmhouse front porch makeover last summer, and I couldn’t be more excited today to share part two. In fact, I’m joining 20+ other bloggers in sharing their outdoor summer spaces, so be sure to check some out at the end of my post! If you’re visiting from Taryn Whitaker Designs, welcome. I’ve known Taryn for several years, and I love her creativity and rustic modern style.

Farm Front Porch

In case you’re new here, here’s the backstory. We purchased a little Texas hill country property a couple of years ago to be a weekend spot for our family and friends… but it needed a lot of love. You can see all the projects we’ve tackled on the place here if you’d like.

We’ve affectionately dubbed the place “Little Pax Ranch.” The house sits on six acres (so, yes, “ranch” is a rather glorified term, but we decided to embrace it). All you can see from the giant wrap-around porch is sweet hill country space.

Unless you count the foxes and deer that regularly visit us there. Cue all the warm fuzzy feels!!

But I digress… the wrap around front porch was a huge selling point for us, and I’m thrilled to say that we have finally finished our plans for it (for now, at least)!

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Stage 1: FRONT PORCH DESIGN

Porch Layout

This is a looooonnnnng wrap-around porch. The side portion is basically a pass-through from the driveway, so we didn’t need any seating areas there; but the portion of the porch that overlooks the front yard needed to be utilized well.

Because the porch is very long, I wanted to set up three separate porch seating areas, and I then utilized some small front porch ideas to make the most of each.

Tip: when designing large outdoor spaces, consider multiple purposes and divide the space into smaller, more intimate conversation or seating areas. Get more ideas for designing large outdoor spaces here.

So we created a little sitting area to the left of the front door with rocking chairs and side tables I found on clearance.

GET THE LOOK:

We established a second section of patio furniture in the center of the porch and a third at the far end.

Front Porch Furniture

Choosing the right outdoor furniture is tricky. Even though we don’t have to worry much about curb appeal here (since our house is 100% hidden from any roads), the covered porch still sets the first impression of the home.

For this little ranch house, I wanted something that felt classic and charming, but not too “country.” I began searching for modern front porch ideas that I could incorporate into our more rustic space… And simple black rocking chairs seemed the perfect combo of all those things.

I shared all about these last time, but suffice it to say that clearance wood rocking chairs and a spray paint makeover made for a super budget-friendly option.

We also added an old bistro table we already had with these cute, modern windsor outdoor dining chairs.

GET THE LOOK:

The porch swing (which was there when we bought the house) got a serious makeover with new chains and a fresh coat of paint.

GET THE LOOK:

As I mentioned, this was all phase 1. I have rearranged the furniture a little since, but I’m pleased to say that it has all proven to help create the perfect outdoor living area!

Stage 2: Porch Ceiling and Fans + Landscaping

Which brings us to this year’s projects…

Haint Blue POrch Ceiling and Outdoor Fans.

Disclosure: Hunter Fan Company provided products for this space. All opinions are my own.

Hunter Fan Company was kind enough to provide me with these new fans for our space, and I cannot tell you how excited I am.

Remember the seasons I mentioned we have here in Texas? You can see why fans are a must!

Plus, since we don’t have a screened porch, bugs are sometimes an issue. But I’m pleased to say that the fans not only cool our spaces but help reduce the bothersome flying bugs, too.

The fans we chose are the Havoc WeatherMax outdoor fan in Matte Black. I love the modern lines and simplicity. Plus, as part of the WeatherMax® line, they are wet rated and corrosion and salt-air resistant, making them perfect for any outdoor space, including pergolas or other structures exposed to rain and harsh elements.

The fans also feature Hunter’s SureSpeed® Guarantee, which guarantees a higher velocity than leading competitors and provides an amazing amount of airflow for our large outdoor porch.

Our electrical situation was a little tricky, though, because we didn’t have anything wired here previously, and there wasn’t any more room beside the front door for more switches.

Fortunately, Hunter makes universal remotes that can be used with any of their fans. This allowed us to wire the fans to a single wall switch while still being able to control each one individually. And psssttt… Hunter is offering 20% off all accessories (like these universal remotes!) from June 23-28! Catch the sale here.

Naturally, though, I couldn’t install and fully enjoy our new fans without first sprucing up the ceiling. It was haint blue when we purchased the home, but it was dirty. I love the color, but I was afraid that the old paint job needed a refresh.

Fortunately, my trusty power washer did the trick! I was not looking forward to painting this huge porch ceiling, so I was so pleased that the pressure washer reclaimed the haint blue porch ceiling beauty.

And in case you’re curious (I get lots of requests for this each time I share pictures on Instagram), I don’t know the color of the original paint, but I matched it for some touch ups, and Behr Rain Dance was the winner. It’s nearly identical.

Drought-Resistant Landscaping

We also tackled the landscaping of the front flower beds this year. Given the dry nature of this part of the state and the fact that we aren’t always here to water regularly, drought (and deer) resistant plants were important to us.

So we landscaped with mostly native plants like sage, esperanza, rosemary, and even some succulents we dug up from other places on the property.

I can’t wait until they all grow up and fill in a bit to cover the foundation better!

Stage 3: Ongoing Updates and more outdoor decor Ideas

Truth be told, I’m never fully done with spaces. I’d still love to update the storm door and front door some day (they are a little worse for wear), and I’m sure that we’ll continue to add to our potted plant collection.

But now that we have fans, comfortable seating, and a nice, clean space to rock or swing… I might never leave.

I hope you enjoyed this look at our ranch porch! You can shop the look below or pin it for later.

And be sure to visit Amber Tysl next to continue the outdoor summer spaces tour! She is an absolute gem of a lady, and I’m sure you’ll love her and her beautiful spaces.

Or check out all the posts below!

This week, some of my blogging friends and I are sharing our summer outdoor spaces. Just click on the links below the images to be taken to see their full posts.

The Happy Housie // My 100 Year Old Home // Modern Glam // Cassie Bustamante

Craftberry Bush // Joanna Anastasia // Life is Better at Home // Inspiration for Moms

Clean & Scentsible // Finding Silver Pennies // Grace in My Space // Maison de Cinq

Life is a Party // House by Hoff // Zevy Joy // Two Twenty One

Taryn Whiteaker // Maison de Pax // Amber Tysl // This is Our Bliss

She Gave it a Go // My Sweet Savannah