A Small Nautical-Looking Front Porch

Navy Style

• To create a bit of a formal mood, go military with a Navy-inspired nautical porch. Complement a white wash paint job with some navy blue accents. Sleek, aluminum navy chairs with a small but tall glass-top table can provide a conversation area while keeping an open, uncluttered feel on a small porch. Some braided rope and a hot glue gun add unexpected accents: Trim furniture or shutters with it, or wrap it around a porch post. A polished wood wheel or brass bell lends a formality.

Beachside Cottage

• If you've always dreamed of a home on some tropical key where you can lounge lazily in the sun, create a surfer-style beach cottage atmosphere. A small glider couch in a tropical print makes for comfortable lounging. Hang lightweight, white sheer panels in the windows or from tension rods set between the porch posts to help keep that breezy, airy beach feel. Stick to a cool color palette, such as sea foam green and aqua. You can use seashells liberally by hanging them on walls, hot gluing them on flower pots or lining up a collection on a windowsill. Complete the look with wind chimes made of a natural substance, such as drift wood or sea glass.

Smooth Sailing

• To achieve the bold, colorful look of sailboats at sunset, incorporate them to warm up your small porch. Bring in shades of indigo, hot pink and golden yellow in fabrics and cushions. One or two wicker chairs with a small side table create a cozy seating area. Drape a cargo net from the porch rails, and hot glue some rubber or plastic tropical fish to the net and put planters in macrame holders. Ferny, tropical-style foliage overspilling the edges brings in a touch of nature. Set out some candles as a finishing touch.

Costal Lighthouse

• Give the porch a weathered, rustic feel with wood rocking chairs painted using a crackle treatment. Neutral colors, such as shades of brown and off-white, are good color choices. Top a lobster trap with a piece of weathered wood for a little table to set your coffee down when you kick back in the evenings. Beach grasses in faux stone planters arranged at the entryway or lining the steps give a warm welcome to approaching visitors. Driftwood, lighthouse plaques or metal boat parts from a salvage yard that are tinted with patina make fitting accessories. For ambient lighting, use oil lamps suspended from an overhang for a warm glow on cool evenings.