How to Refresh Your Porch in One Weekend, According to the Experts

When the weather warms up, the porch is the place to be. You can turn yours into the best seat in the house, and you don’t need a renovation or a massive budget to get there! A few smart swaps, a little color, and the right lighting can completely transform a porch in one afternoon — so imagine what you can do in an entire weekend! We asked some of Louisville’s favorite home and garden shops, including Summer Classics, Digs Home and Garden, and Steepleton, to share their favorite porch decor ideas that you can pull off before Monday.

Start With an Easy Refresh

Before you shop for a whole new furniture set, try updating small things. Chances are, you’ve already got some of these basics on hand. Summer Classics Louisville Owner Allison Carothers recommends starting with the “soft stuff.”

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“Adding an outdoor rug makes a huge difference, and so do pillows,” Allison says. “Pillows have come such a long way with fabrics, leathers, tassels, and fringes. You can add a lot of personality.”

Shade counts too. Allison likes outdoor umbrellas, and points to scalloped and tasseled styles as current customer favorites.

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In the evenings, Allison turns to portable touch lamps, available in both table and floor versions. She’s also a fan of Candle Sand, a new addition to the shop, which lets you turn any vessel into a decorative candle.

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If your porch is small or you feel overwhelmed, you don’t have to sort it out alone. Allison suggests bringing photos and measurements and letting the store’s designers sketch a layout for your space. “It’s curated for the client,” she says.

Style It Like a Pro

Styling the items on your porch makes all the difference between a space that looks well thought out and one that looks like an afterthought. Ben Palmer-Ball of Digs Home and Garden recommends starting with greenery and color.

“Use different sizes of pots, a group of three or four, in patterns or colors that complement one another,” Ben says. “If you’ve got outdoor furniture, pull the colors from the upholstery or the pillows so it carries through the space.”

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And his favorite piece this season will move with you. “One of my go-to pieces this year is a little bar cart or serving cart that you can wheel out onto a porch or terrace,” he says. “You can put plants on it, or some acrylic dinnerware you want to leave out, and roll it between your seating and dining areas.” Top the cart with a serving tray in a fun color or pattern, and you have an instant focal point.

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A rug can ground a seating group, but Ben offers a word of caution. “I don’t recommend an outdoor rug that’s fully exposed to the weather,” he says. “It can get wet underneath and hold that dampness, which leads to mold. And it can deteriorate the rug if you don’t have a pad under it.”

His fix is to use rugs on a covered porch or in spots with a little protection from the elements so they last longer.

For ambiance, Ben is also a fan of outdoor lighting. “Pull in some lanterns with candles or little rechargeable outdoor lamps,” he says. Digs carries a line of outdoor-rated fixtures in a variety of fun colors, styles, and sizes, including floor lamps. The best part? You can swap out the shades by season.

And don’t underestimate a simple set of overhead string lights. “That always makes it feel festive,” he says. One note: check the rating. If your space is fully exposed to the elements, look for string lights that carry a “wet” rating. If it’s a covered porch, a “damp” rating will do.

Invest in a Comfortable Gathering Spot

For a change that lasts well beyond the weekend, Steepleton Owner Gunnar Graven suggests starting with the furniture itself. Swapping out your old furniture is easy and efficient. “A simple weekend upgrade is replacing older patio furniture with maintenance-free poly furniture,” he says.

When choosing your new porch furniture, make sure you invest in pieces that will last. “We’ve seen a major shift away from disposable outdoor furniture toward products homeowners can enjoy for decades,” says Gunnar. “Two brands we highly recommend are Berlin Gardens and Polywood.”

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Both lines are made from durable recycled HDPE that won’t rot, crack, splinter, peel, or need yearly staining. The color runs throughout the material, so it looks good and holds up season after season.

Berlin Gardens stands out for its Amish craftsmanship and customizable colors and designs. Polywood offers American-made classics like Adirondack chairs, dining sets, and deep-seating collections.

From there, you can build a reason for family and friends to congregate. “Adding comfortable seating around a fire table extends the outdoor season and turns a patio into an outdoor room where family and friends naturally gather,” Gunnar says.

If you want to elevate the cookout experience, Gunnar points to the rise of outdoor kitchens, where a built-in grill or griddle “can completely change how families use their backyard.” His guiding principle is simple: think of your space as an extension of your home.

Your One-Weekend Refresh Plan

All three of these local shops are Louisville mainstays, and their experts can help you find a fix that fits within a quick turnaround. Pick one project per day or tackle them all at once and watch your porch blossom into the space you always imagined it could be!

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For more design inspiration, check out our home features!