Our May Lowes Creative Ideas challenge is to transform our entry, front yard, or garden with some fresh ideas that add much-needed character and maximize curb appeal. With just a few small changes my porch is transformed, and I didn’t even have to spend a bundle to enjoy a happy trip up my walkway!
Here is what my porch looked like “during”. (I forgot to get a shot of the “before” because I was so anxious to clean the furniture and sweep off the porch.)
And here is the after!
And here is a shot of my front door before. Yes, the Easter wreath was still on the door until a few days ago (sheepish grin).
And here is the much improved after.
I purchased two small boxwood shrubs to frame my door and two beautiful hanging baskets. I was going to plant my own baskets, but after some quick math of adding up the cost of new coconut liners and the price of the flowers I wanted it was cheaper (and so much easier) to just buy the gorgeous pre-made baskets.
I love instant flower gratification! Now I just have to remember to water them so they continue looking beautiful.
I added some fun throw pillows to my rocking chairs. The one below is from The Shabby Creek Shop, but you can find a bunch of patio cushions at Lowes.
And here is one more beauty shot of the porch.
And now it’s time for one of you to have some fun! Lowes Creative Ideas is giving away $100 Lowes gift card to one lucky Home Stories reader. Follow the directions in the widget below to enter! (If you are reading in a feed you need to hop on over to the main blog.)
For more great ideas, check out Lowe’s Creative Ideas on FB, Lowe’s on Pinterest, and the Lowe’s Creative Ideas blog!
Disclosure: I am a member of the Lowe’s Creative Ideas Creators & Influencers Network and received a Lowe’s gift card to complete my projects. All photos, opinions, and experiences are my own.
Some NICE planters, new doormat and some new flowers : )! My entryway reeeeeeeeeeally needs it : )!
Nice potted plants!
Thank you Jessica!
I’d place a couple of patio pots out in the front yard.
Thank you.
I would LOVE to get myself some hanging baskets as well!!
I would love to fix up the front porch with some nice paint and some hanging flowers.
I need to do some serious weeding and plant some new shrubs to improve my curb appeal.
I need to add a couple of potted plants at our front door and some flowers in the backyard.
id love to plant flowers outside for the summer!
I’d add some bright potted plants and some pavers along the sides of our walkway
Planting flowers is a great and easy way to bump up your curb appeal! Gotta love flowers!
My front door needs paint, and my flower pots are in need of some flowers!!
We have no flowers at our house in the front/back yards – it needs some color! We’ve got decent size porches, but nothing on them!
Decorative planters and flowers would be the quickest way to add curb appeal.
I would love to add a new cushion to our swing and some pillows to our chairs.
To add immediate curb appeal, I would repaint my porch, add flowers, and add new cushions to my rocking chairs and willow furniture. In fact, we hope to paint the porch this summer and add at least some new flowers. Maybe cushions will be next!
I would love to rip off the old cement steps that are too small for the scale of the front of the house and build a larger deck. It would be much more inviting from the sidewalk!
Would replant all the pots on my front porch and plant a living wreath to hang by front door
A living wreath has been on my “to do” list forever!
We need to paint our house and put up the guard rails on our porch
demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com
I would get a rocking chair or a wooden bench, since the chairs on our front porch are warped and one has a broken seat! I already have outdoor fabric for some pillows, just need a place to prop them 🙂
I really need to update some of my planters!
Love the boxwoods! 🙂
I forgot to ask in my comment yesterday but where did you get that chandelier with the candles?! I would love one for our sun room we recently built 🙂
Thanks!
Jordyn
Thanks Jordyn! I bought the chandelier from Ikea many years ago. Not sure if they still carry them or not.
I’d get planters and put some pretty flowers by my door. Mmmm, nothing like fresh flowers to spruce up some space!
I think your porch looks so great! Your row house has so much great character. I could use that Lowe’s card for many things…..two chairs like you have on your porch, cushions for my outside furniture and towards a new gas grill. We use a grill outside all year round in TX.
I desperately need a new grill too! Ours rusted out because we left it in the snow :(.
If I won the Lowes $100 gift card, I would redecorate my front porch by painting our front door yellow. I’d also change our front porch light and apply beadboard to the ceiling of our fixed porch. In addition, I would either paint or apply stone to the entry way instead of having the basic cement as flooring. Thank you for this opportunity. I love how inspirational your blog is! Thank you!
I love your boxwoods and that is exactly what I would buy. My porch also needs a fresh coat of paint. Love the colors you chose for your porch. Thanks for the giveaway!
My front porch is on the small side but I have wide brick planters lining the sidewalk and porch that could use some sprucing up with annuals and some perennials. I’d also paint the porch trim and get some new house numbers that I’ve been eying from Lowe’s!
I’m trying to decide if I would get a bench for my porch like I’ve been wanting for a long time, or use it in our front yard (which we are working on landscaping right now). I love your rocking chairs!!
I would add some new furniture and pillows to my front porch.
Liked you on FB!
Thank you!
To add some easy curb appeal I could really use to paint my house trim and shutters what a difference some paint can make !
For curb appeal, I would redo my garden and add some beautiful patio furniture!
Your baskets are beautiful. I think my favorite thing is your rocking chairs. I LOVE them!
I need a new pretty mailbox
My porch could sure use a little glam. I love the huge planters. Such big impact!
I would replace our rickety wooden railing with a plastic one.
love those boxwoods-i’m always trying to add greens. is there a trick to knowing what will stay small and compact in those urns? help!
I seriously have no idea if these things will make it in the urns. But they were only $14 each and I figured if they make it a year I’ll be happy :).
My porch is in DESPERATE need of flowers!! I have a beautiful wrought iron flower piece that is pretty bare looking right now 🙂 Love your porch! Would LOVE to come over & talk paint colors with you & have a cup of coffe 🙂
I would love to have my own home to add curb appeal to. I’m currently renting so I’d probably decorate my door or add a front porch swing. Something removable that I could take with me when I am able to decorate my own home.
I’ve always wanted to have a red front door, so that would be first. Then I’d get some gorgeous hanging baskets to frame the doorway!
I would like to add some edging bricks around the flower bed.
buy some flowers/shrubs
thanks
i would add some outside furniture- yours looks amazing!!
Love your boxwoods. I have some small plants and fruit trees that just aren’t making it. I want to pot them with REAL soil and spruce up the front entry (no porch here, sadly!) Getting ready for summer!
Having just moved a bit more than a month ago, my front porch is looking quite sad! I need cushions for the chairs that I put out there and definitely some flowers to add some color.
To add more curb appeal, I would love to get a new garage door (our existing one was dented and broken by the previous owners), repaint our front door (the new locks we had put on are a different size than the old ones, so we have unpainted door around the new lock), and replant new bushes (the one on the end is about half the size and might be dying)!
It’s amazing how just small changes make such a big difference. I recently purchased a large planter for my front porch and would like to fill it with some beautiful plants from Lowes and possibly update the porch light! Thanks for offering this giveaway!
I would get some supplies for my lawn-it is brown and I want some nice green grass for summer!
Love your porch – I really would love to update my bushes and add some colorful flower planters.
Lovely porch, all comfy and welcoming. I miss my REAL porch at my house we had to leave thanks to eminent domain 🙂 This house just has what I call a stoop and the HOA sucks because you have to get permission for everything. There are some places O would like to add color to and I saw some awesome urns I would love to have beside the front door.
We’ve done a lot to change our front porch so far. Pulled out overgrown evergreens, added new furniture, etc. BUT, our dream is to add a handrail, and a curved roof over the doorway. Plus I want to add a paver walkway going out to the street. Always something to do. The above link shows what it looks like now, minus the two rockers we’ve added since these pics were taken.
Love the white rockers and plants. I have an old church bench on my porch that needs painting, can’t decide on the color.
The throw pillow is divine! now…don’t forget to water those flowers! 🙂
I want to add shutters to the front of our house – talk about curb appeal!!!
I need to repaint my front door!
Cute makeover! I love the rocking chairs!
Great giveaway and very much needed at my house! I want to repaint the front door, add a new rug, and repaint the light fixture. A new curtain to one side of the door on a small window would be nice, too!
Great giveaway!! I’d add a few more plants or bushes in the beds.
Painting or staining our front door tops the curb appeal list!
To update my curb appeal, I’d add New cushions, fresh paint on my wicker and lots of plants….it pulls me outdoors in the evenings! Also, we have this crazy ground cover that wants to grow over the walkway, I’d love some sort of pretty barrier (edging?) to keep it in. I’m sure Lowes would have the perfect solution 🙂
I want to paint my rocking chairs and my front door!
I would add some cute chairs…maybe a bench…with fun pillows.
Our home could really use something CUTE on the table between our chairs out front. And a welcome mat, out front planters look a little lonely without a welcome mat between them. 🙂
I would love to get some new pots and flowers to brighten things up a bit!
I would replace the flooring
I’d like to add some rockers to the front porch & change out the lighting. Thanks for the giveaway.
twelve30(at)gmail(dot)com
I would rent a power washer to clean my diiiiiiirty soffits, then paint them a beautiful, crisp white. Then I’d replace the vinyl siding above my front door with a transom window with my house number on it. Thanks for the giveaway, Beth!
New house with a much needed overhaul…so MANY ideas for creating some curb appeal, anything would be an improvement 😉
I just purchased a home and my house could use some colorful flowers out front. And, maybe some new grass- my yard is 98% weeds, 2% grass.
Add some plants.
The Front Porch.
I would plant some much need flowers and paint our front door!! Your porch is amazing-so inspiring!! Thanks for a chance – Smiles Jackie
I’d add some rubber edging around our flower gardens (I’ve seen it at Lowes!).
New paint & a little landscaping.
I’d like more flowers and new paints.
I tweeted
https://twitter.com/MsCarolsueA/status/207640669509009409
I would plant some colorful flowers in the yard
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
I’d repaint our 1990s maroon shutters and front door (on my list) to increase curb appeal.
I’m actually looking right now to replace my outside wicker chair cushions and thinking about painting the walkway to make it look fresh.
Love the updates! I hope to have a new front door by the end of the summer.
What a lovely transformation! I’d use the Lowe’s card to help us convert the attached garage into a sewing/crafting/guest overflow room! We’ve closed on the house today and awaiting the finalization of everything! (Seller papers did not arrive on time as he is out of town).
I think I would imitate your boxwoods in the planters – they brightened up your door so well!!
We also need to do some SERIOUS weeding (we have a lot of waist-high monsters that need to be ripped out) 🙂
I need a couple of tress in the front! 🙂
I’d love a Lowe’s gift card. My porch is pretty boring!
Do I have to pick just one thing?? I need cushions for my bench, but I also need flowers for my pots!
I would love to re-paint my front door and replace the lights on either side. Thanks for the chance to win!
gina.m.maddox (AT) gmail (DOT) com
I would add some flowers and a fountain
The porch is beautiful! I could do some damage with that gift card. 🙂
Love your changes!! Especially the flowers, I always kill them too:)
I would add some hanging baskets to our porch.
your porch looks very nice. On my porch, I would add some more plants to my front beds, a couple of hanging plants, and a flag bracket.
I love the rockers!! Great porch!
I would add in some planters with flowers and reeds of grass. It would give the not so barren look. Perhaps an Adirondack chair in the corner.
I really need to get a new front door. When I had carpet installed about 4 years ago…when the guys where leaving they took off some of the front door pieces (the decorated ones on the front). They said they didnt…and I never got reimbursed for it. I would LOVE to get a new front door….one that looks nice again!!!
For some easy curb appeal I’d paint my front door (it sorely needs it!) and get a few colorful planters. Your porch looks great btw 🙂
Love It!!! Great job!
I would add flowers and rocking chairs.
what a FUN giveaway! Your front porch is gorgeous! I’d love a new light, lantern style light fixture for my front porch! xo
We need new patio furniture–and of course some pretties to go with it to add color…
That’s beautiful! Love the candlelier. You reall did a great job on the porch. Looks so inviting. Just waiting for a couple of friends and a glass of lemonade! 🙂
we just started sprucing up both our front porch and back patio. so far, the front got a beautiful new bougainvillea plant and some new succulents; next i’ll be painting a bench and adding more colorful plants…
Pretty porch, just calling out for someone to sit, read a book and enjoy some lemonade.
I would plant some new flowers in front of my walkway.
Love those little changes you did! I would definitely add something to our yard to separate us from our neighbors. We have a desert landscape and all of the houses in this neighborhood look exactly the same. I am thinking a porch swing, or some big red flower pots. I don’t know why, I am drawn to red lately as an outdoor color. I think it’s a good coordinate to go with tan stucco :/
Thanks for hosting the giveaway!
Planters, paint and a couple of rocking chairs wouldn’t hurt.
I don’t have a porch but I would love to update my urns and window boxes!
What a great giveaway. I need a new outdoor rug so bad adn this $100 would help me get it! Fingers crossed!
I can’t find where to enter the contest for the gift card??? Can you help?
Yes, there should be something that says raflecopter. You sign in and follow the directions for your chance to enter.
your front porch looks great!
Your porch looks GREAT! The boxwoods and hanging baskets are perfect and I love the rockers. I just posted about my front porch AND back deck so will go see what to do to enter the Lowes contest. XO, Pinky
Your porch looks mint and I love the boxwood shrubs. I would definitely add boxwood, a bench & flowing shrubs to add curb appeal to my front door/yard. So $100 would help! Thanks so much.
I have a condo – but I could use cuter doormats and more flower boxes or patio chair cushions!
We just got done re-doing the front but the porch is small and boring. I would do something to jazz up around the door. Maybe a new door! YES! A new door! Love your blog and all the giveaways! Thanks for the chance!
It’s been giveaway craziness around here lately!!
awe i wish we had a porch. see, we live in a hole in the ground aka a basement that we rent and therefore no curb appeal to be had from us. those rockers or so cute though.
i would absolutely put in a new front door and also some flowers to add some color:)
I love the boxwoods, and the rockers!
Flowers are ALWAYS my quick fix!
Wow- what a great make over. So pretty!
Your porch is so adorable!
It is looking GREAT! You’re two outdoor spruce ups are good motivation for me!
I love your blog! If I win the $100, I would buy paint for my front door and also add some new planters.
I would love some new annuals and a couple of outdoor pillows.
I would like to make a tospy turvey planter for my deck
I would repaint the front door and put new cushions on our swing
I need to add some color in my beds at the front of our house to brighten it up. we have a lot of green but not much color!!
The first thing I would do-paint my front door and change out the hardware!
I would buy some planter boxes for our front porch.
Ooo man I’m getting so excited to move into our new house. We’ve never had a place with a porch, and this would be an AWESOME giveaway to win to start decorating. I’m all for some flowers and maybe a dash of new paint!
you can never go wrong with a burst of color to brighten up a space.
We are working on planting some junipers and flowers on our front hill. We are also going to paint our front door.
Very cute! You’ve inspired me to make some changes on my front porch.
Oh, mine needs so much work. I would first get a new porch light & mailbox. Mine is rusting out!
I would love to paint my front door red and plant some flowers around the light post in the front yard.
Thanks for showing how a small expenditure and some effort makes a real difference. Sprucing up is contagious!
Oh my gosh- I am Coming over to hang on that Porch!! Looks so nice a cozy! I love what you did to it!! Thanks for the giveaway too!
Oh and I would LOVE to add some Color to my front area!! TY!
I would add a cushion to our porch chair, and maybe some wall decor on the actual porch. Some plants too would DEFINITELY help, lol!
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I so know what you mean about the coconut liners. I need to buy a couple but I am just far too cheap.
Love your porch.
Why in the world are they so expensive :(?
To add curb appeal I would love to paint my front door and the trim around the garage! I would also love to get some pretty colorful plants!
I simply love your blog and your cute ideas! Someday I hope my porch is as cute as yours 🙂
Thanks Danielle!
I love the boxwoods in the planters.. i confess I would copy that idea. (But remember, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! )
I would put a railing and make my front porch go around the side of the house. Thanks
Hey there! Just stumbled across your blog and I love it! Love what you did to spruce up your curb appeal 🙂
If I were to update my curb appeal I would probably put some plants our front and paint our floor on the front porch since it is in need of some TLC.
Stop by my blog and see the improvements we have already made to our house 🙂
Cant wait to see more of your amazing work!
I love the classic look of the boxwoods in the planters. Clean and easy.
My front porch doesn’t welcome a soul but at least its clean. Plan for this week: rip out one monster, space-eating shrub and mulch. And then after I win this gift card (ahem!) I’m off to buy some grasses.
I’ll post pics and link back, IF I WIN. #subtlehint #pickmepickemepickme
To add some easy curb appeal, I would probably paint my front door and maybe the shutters too. And then add some colorful potted flowers.
Beautiful. I love your porch! My house doesn’t have a porch and I sure wish it did.
Cute porch. I love the updates you made to spruce it up.