5 Décor Ideas for Your Front Porch

The kitchen may be the heart of the home, but the front porch is like a handshake, welcoming visitors, serving as a connection point with the neighborhood, and role-playing as the first (and sometimes only) impression for passers-by and neighbors. And just as your handshake style is important (too soft, and you come off as wimpy; too hard, and you seem aggressive), your porch’s style gives visitors a preview of what’s inside. “The porch is the calling card of your home,” says Susanna Salk, a design expert and author of Weekend Retreats (Rizzoli, 2009). “Don’t neglect it or, worse, use the space as storage. It’s an extension of the soul of the house.”