How to Decorate Your Front Porch With White Wicker Furniture

Cushion Color

• The beauty of white wicker furniture is its neutrality. It lends itself to any color addition, and can take on almost any style. For example, create an oceanlike atmosphere using striped blue on white weather-resistant cushions. For a modish arrangement, choose something in solid black, silver or tan. When you're after country-casual, look to bright, summery floral patterns. Let your home's style take the lead. An attractive front porch can be the precursor to what lies inside.

The Porch Floor

• Dark or mid-tone flooring makes white furniture stand out. But new flooring or decking is costly, so when what you have isn't working for you, an indoor-outdoor rug can be a relatively inexpensive alternative. A colorful rug can be the starting point for the porch design. If weather extremes in your area have you dreading the upkeep of a rug, paint one on the floor instead. You can have durable porch-and-floor paint tinted to any color imaginable. Start with a sketch of your rug's desired design. Use painter's tape on the floor for even rug edges and to section off a pattern for painting. Don't forget to paint a natural-looking fringe. Pull a color or two from a real or faux rug for the accessories.

Accessories

• Beyond plants, you might not think to accessorize a porch, but the alfresco setting is like a toned-down extension of your home. Accessories that hold up to a cold, hot, wet or humid setting include those made from sealed wood, painted wrought iron or kiln-fired pottery. Dec the porch with just a couple of items such as a painted wood statuette, iron art mounted to a post, a freestanding propane fire pit for cool nights, or a group of colorful pottery vases with or without fresh-cut flowers. Too many accessories can make the front of your home appear cluttered or messy from a distance -- a few bright pops of color will do.

Other Furniture

• Wicker is texture rich. To form visual balance, your outdoor space will benefit from a variety of weather-ready textural elements, such as shiny, mosaic-tile nesting tables, ceramic plant stands, a tempered-glass coffee table, a sleek powder-coated aluminum chaise, or a painted-wood patio swing or rocking chair. The right mix of texture and colors surrounding a white wicker set boosts a porch from ordinary to extraordinary.