Ideas for a Painted Porch

Striped Floor

• For a distinctive yet subtle look, paint your porch floor with a striped pattern. Choose two paint shades from the same color family, but ensure that one is slightly darker than the other. Select a non-glossy formula for the paints because a glossy finish may make your porch floor slippery. Following the wooden planks that make up your porch floor, begin painting each plank, alternating the colors as you go. A brush is a more effective for this project than a roller because the roller cannot get in the cracks between the planks. You can opt to paint all of the planks a single shade first and go back with the second shade once the first color is dry, or you can use two brushes and alternate back and forth as you go. The painting process can be tedious, but the striped effect adds interesting texture to your porch, so you may not mind the work.

White Porch Railings

• To give your porch a country feel, paint all of the railings and posts in a bright white shade. Using white is an especially attractive option for highly decorative rails because it helps accentuate the rails' details. You may opt to paint the entire porch or leave the floor with a natural wood finish for a contrasting look.

Checkerboard Floor

• If you prefer a more sophisticated look for your porch, a painted checkerboard pattern may be the ideal design for its floor. The pattern mimics the look of marble floors in many classic buildings and gives your porch an elegant appearance. Choose two contrasting shades of paint that have a nonslip finish, and begin by covering the floor with two coats of the lighter shade. Once the paint is dry, measure the porch to locate the center, and snap a chalk line to mark it. Divide the porch into 1-foot sections along the sides and width of the porch, and snap additional chalk lines between the sections to create a diamond pattern. You can make the diamonds any size that you prefer, but smaller shapes tend to create a busier look. Place painter's tape along the outside edges of every other row of diamonds, and paint the inside portion with two coats of the darker shade to create the checkerboard design.

Faux Porch Rug

• For a truly individualized look, paint a faux porch rug on its floor. Mark off a large rectangular or square box to serve as the rug, and paint it a neutral shade. You can freehand or stencil a design that mimics the look of a rug. Use your creativity to come up with the pattern that best fits your porch. Geometric and floral designs are two basic patterns that you may want to consider.