I revamped my porch to survive the Covid lockdown!!! In the 38 years of my existence, the past 6 months have been the longest duration that I have spent locked up at home. With Covid-19 regulations, we had to alter our lifestyle and stay at home locked down. Working from home and homeschooling my kids has changed my home into a very stressful environment.

The home was a place of comfort and relaxation, but now common spaces have become temporary offices and study areas.  It is for this reason I challenged myself to revamp a space at home which would give my family and I a place to relax and get away from our working stations.

I revamped my porch so that when we are done with our very hectic workday at home, we could sit in a comfortable chair and watch the world go by.

Here are 6 elements that have helped me revamp my porch:

Add good furniture

 Firstly, I think the size of your porch is significant. Do you have a long and narrow balcony or a wide deck? It’s very important to leave enough room space, when deciding on your outdoor furniture for your porch, so you could walk comfortably. It’s also important to look at whether the porch is exposed or whether it has an overhead covering. Will the furniture sit on soft soil and grass, or on a rough surface like a wooden deck or paved patio? You should select your furniture based on the climate as well.

You’ll be relaxing on your outdoor furniture so make it comfortable. Also, if your chairs do not come with cushions, you can buy your own cushions and pillows, or make them yourself. But you should make sure to use outdoor fabric of good quality which is fade and mildew resistant.  You could also use Chaise lounges, rockers, and recliners which are great for outdoor relaxation too. Before you buy them, make sure you try them out first.

Add a green wall

 There’s just something about having a lush tapestry of plants at your front entrance – clinging to the side of your porch wall —which gives vertical gardens a real wow factor. Green walls (What are green walls?) are not only stunning garden features, they are real problem solvers as well. In smaller homes, green walls allow you to expand your greenery area without using up the floor space.

Green walls are a good focal point for any outdoor room and also can help to create privacy and separation from neighbours. Green walls help to break the monotony of painted walls and also creates a calming backdrop. In summer the green wall helps to absorb heat and cool your patio or porch.

Add pot plants

 Pots Plants are great for patios and porches, but the mid-morning sun blasts my front door and with the South African heat and my lacking remember-to-water-skills, that is a recipe for disaster. So, I opted for a few artificial pot plants to match the design of my porch. 

Have you seen all the lovely artificial plants that Silk By Design carries? They are extremely realistic looking. None of that silk fabric is trying to look like a leaf and fooling no-one. Their plants actually look real. Besides that, there is a huge range of trees that can be found from roses to olive trees, Silk By Design has it all.

Add hanging plants

Hanging planters add color to a porch, patio, or deck.  There is a wide range of plants, flowers, and greens to choose from.  Hanging baskets, just like green walls can also provide privacy when strategically positioned on your porch. If you want a multitude of colours or you are just using floating ferns, foliage baskets will do wonders for your porch.

Add good lighting

A well-lit porch is a welcoming, safe place and a chance to set the tone for you to relax. This is also a good starting point for developing an outdoor lighting scheme.  Finding the right porch lighting adds more dimension of architecture to your house. For an amazing effect on your house, there are types that wash walls uplight and downlight. If you have intricate exterior designs or not, these highlights enhance the appearance of your home and the privacy factor when mounted all over the house’s perimeter.

Add a water feature

 You don’t need to spend hundreds of Rands to purchase a water fountain. You can enjoy the benefits of a porch water fountain by making your own feature. Just by staking pots and adding a pump and water, this will produce the relaxing sound of beach waves.

This has kept my family sane during these hectic times. Instead of keeping my family locked up looking at the four corners of our walls, I gave my kids a place to chill.  Dress your patio from top to bottom to make even the smallest space feel like an inviting retreat.