Roll out the yellow-leafed carpet for autumn.
Summer might be coming to a close, but that doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to the great outdoors just yet. In fact, fall is the prime time to admire Mother Nature in all her glory. And if you want to make your vantage point even more picturesque, decorate your porch with the upcoming season in mind. Interior designer Maggie Griffin always looks forward to filling her porch with mums and pumpkins to signal the season. “The more pumpkins and plants, the merrier!” she tells ELLE DECOR. Outdoor decoration
That said, there’s a fine line between a porch that’s “seasonal” and one that’s just plain cheesy. To help bridge the gap, we’ve rounded up 20 inspiring fall porch ideas. With any luck, these decorating tips will instantly elevate your outdoor space.
To make her front porch stand out, The House That Lars Built’s Brittany Jepsen collected mums in every shade she could find, from magenta to purple and peach to yellow. Her arranging tips? “I placed pumpkins of various sizes and colors to fill it in,” she explains. “The idea was to have a rainbow of colors!”
Whoever said lack of space warrants a dearth of visual interest? The porch of this wood-shingled house features a rustic chair with seasonal elements like pumpkins and ornamental corn that pack a major fall-happy punch. We’re especially falling for the metal rooster sign that can be a year-long fixture.
If you want to keep it simple, small elements can make your guests smile as they walk into your home. A minimal jute entry mat paired with peach-colored flowers and small pumpkins, like this porch in Montreal, might be just what your front porch needs. It’s officially harvest time.
A flourish of orange-hued florals can add a welcome touch of color to your entrance, alongside a haul of matching orange pumpkins. Overseeing this cheery vignette, a friendly scarecrow adds playful energy to every entry and exit of your day.
Want to dress up your front door? Drape some garland around its perimeter, just as Lori of Boxwood Avenue did here. The corresponding wreath offers a nice finishing touch.
Speaking of which, you don’t have to wait until winter to deck out your door with a well-appointed wreath. Arizona-based blogger Diana Elizabeth hung a seasonal style for the fall, complete with miniature pumpkins.
As this porch idea from Julie Blanner proves, you don’t have to pull out all the stops to make a statement. By scattering a few muted pumpkins along her steps, the blogger creates a setup that’s effortlessly eye-catching, not over-the-top.
If your design taste skews toward the more maximalist end of the spectrum, then pile on the accessories. With hay, cornstalks, and a smattering of pumpkins, this porch from Sugar and Charm proves that more is more.
Maybe it’s the drop in temperature or the changing leaves, but there’s something about fall that makes us all want to get a little cozy. So why not bring that same appeal to your porch? Designer Tom Stringer draped a luxe throw blanket and patterned pillow on this wooden chair, making this small porch corner autumn-ready.
What better way to dress up your porch than with some seasonal plants and vegetation?
“The porch area is a great place to have fun with style and color,” landscape architect Janice Parker says. “Beautiful pots and containers, of which there are so many available, with seasonal plantings are always fashionable. Fall is the perfect time to plant colorful mums and ornamental kale; I love to surround the planters with pumpkins and gourds from the local farm stand for added interest.”
As this porch from Nick Olsen proves, you don’t have to leave all your best design ideas inside. Instead, the designer gave this porch a homey appeal with a rug, ample seating, and two matching table lamps. The finishing touch? Subtly seasonal accents.
“In lieu of the standard pumpkins, gourds, and hay bales, this fall I prefer to decorate porches with all manner of tole objects: flowers, topiaries, urns, Moravian stars,” Olsen explains. “They don’t wilt, and their patina becomes even lovelier as they’re exposed to the elements.”
When in doubt, you can’t go wrong with a symmetrical arrangement. Blogger Monika Hibbs created the perfect soothing look, thanks to matching accents and a muted color palette.
Cover your chairs for a festive fall dinner. Slipcovers in beige tones will make furniture look and feel more cozy. The outdoor area in this Jackson Hole, Wyoming, home is rustic and autumnal.
Draped throw blankets are a chic styling touch at this northern Mexico ranch. For an extra dose of fall, choose a palette that blurs the lines between your decor and Mother Nature herself.
Speaking of Mother Nature, give the great outdoors some extra love by covering your porch with earthy accents. Terra-cotta planters are gorgeously rustic at this 17th-century house in Italy’s Puglia region. The ceramic tabletop adds rich color and texture.
A festive front entryway on Modern Glam features a warm fall palette, cornstalks, and pumpkins galore. The white and orange gourds complement the pale blue front door, while copper accents offer a cozy autumn color.
Blogger Michael Wurm Jr. of Inspired by Charm proves that just a few decorative accents—including pumpkins and pillows—can transform your porch into a seasonally strong fall hangout.
Want to take your porch seat to new heights — literally? Check out this setup from Modern Glam. A modern hanging chair—suspended using rustic rope—is outfitted with autumn-inspired throw pillows and a pretty plaid blanket and cushion.
If you want to soak up those delightfully cool fall days, add a chair or sofa to your porch, as seen on Modern Glam. An assortment of cornstalks and pumpkins play up the seasonality.
Lucia Tonelli is an Assistant Editor at Town & Country, where she writes about the royal family, culture, real estate, design, and more.
Kelsey Mulvey is a freelance lifestyle journalist, who covers shopping and deals for Good Housekeeping, Women's Health, and ELLE Decor, among others. Her hobbies include themed spinning classes, Netflix, and nachos.
Sofia Quintero is the Editorial Assistant for ELLE DECOR. She helps out with all aspects of print production and is a frequent contributor to elledecor.com. She graduated from university in Paris, and is originally from Costa Rica.
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