I’m sharing 17 gorgeous screened in porches that are filled with smart, budget-friendly screened porch decorating ideas, including ideas for furniture, flooring, lighting, decor and more.
I absolutely love a good screened in porch.
When we moved into our house years ago, my parents kept talking about how great the screened in porch was. And while I liked it, I didn’t really get why they thought it was so amazing.
Well, now I get it. Getting to enjoy fresh air and sunshine with a roof over your head and zero bugs? That is a major win.
Decorating a screened porch really is different from decorating any other room in your house.
Porches a lot more protected from the elements than a patio or deck, so you have a more flexibility when it comes decorating. Which means you can create a much cozier space than a patio, with art, accessories, and pillows.
But a screened in porch also isn’t quite the same as an interior room. Even though they’re a lot more protected, the things on a screened-in porch will still be exposed to moisture, temperature swings, pollen, and dirt. So you have to be a bit more careful about the materials you use.
Thanks to our big, awesome screened-in porch, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to decorate a screened-in porch so that it look cozy and beautiful while making sure it is durable enough to stand up to whatever mother nature manages to throw at it.
And today I want to share a simple guide to decorating an amazing screened in porch. I’ve included lots of photos of gorgeous porches to provide plenty of inspiration and ideas for everything from furniture to finishing touches.
(To see more photos and details about any of the beautiful porches below, just click the link below the photo).
Screened in Porch Decorating Ideas
Start with the room’s purpose
Before you can really get into all the details of decorating, you need to think about how you intend to use your porch.
Will this mostly be a space for relaxing? Eating meals? Entertaining?
How you plan to use your space will help determine the best layout and the best type of furniture to use.
If you want to create an outdoor dining space, a big dining table is a must. If you plan to send your kids out here to play, make sure you leave plenty of room for them to play. And if you can’t wait to curl up with a good book during the next rainstorm, make sure you have a cozy spot whether it’s a hammock, a sofa, or a cushy chair.
If you have a large porch, you can divide it into different zones for different purposes.
We have a very long porch so I divided it into three distinct areas – an eating area with a dining table, a living area with a couch facing two chairs, and a napping zone with a daybed.
Choosing the best furniture
There are a few different ways to get amazing furniture for your screened in porch. The easiest is to buy outdoor furniture. You can trust that outdoor furniture will stand up to the elements and there are lots of great choices from sofa sets to rocking chairs to egg chairs.
Of course the downside to traditional outdoor furniture is it tends to be expensive and it can often end up looking generic.
Bring indoor furniture outside
One of my favorite ways to really expand the furniture possibilities for a screened in porch is to use indoor furniture.
While indoor furniture wouldn’t be a great fit for a patio or deck that is fully exposed to the weather, a screened-in porch provides enough protection from harsh sun and heavy rain that indoor furniture often works just fine!
You do want to choose your furniture pieces carefully – look for wood or metal furniture pieces that are well made and sturdy. (Upholstered indoor furniture probably isn’t the best choice for outdoors, even on a protected porch.)
Once you’ve chosen your furniture, you’ll need to make sure that you seal it well to protect it from the elements. I have a post that walks you through all the ins and outs of making indoor furniture safe to use outdoors if you want more details.
I have used benches, tables, chairs, and cabinets meant to be used indoors on our screened in porch over the years and all have held up well.
Make your own furniture
If you’ve ever thought about building your own furniture, building outdoor furniture is a great place to start.
I love making furniture because when you make it yourself, you get to make it exactly the way you want – you choose the size, the finish, the style, everything.
If you are looking for ideas, I recently shared a huge collection of amazing DIY outdoor furniture ideas. There are ideas for couches, chairs, benches, tables, and more and each comes with a full tutorial to help you recreate it yourself.
Add a swinging porch bed or hammock
If you have enough room on your porch, I highly recommend adding somewhere to relax with a book or even take a nice nap.
I have a comfy daybed on my own porch, but a hammock would also work great. Or even better, hang a swinging bed. A swinging bed is basically a daybed hung from the ceiling and they are the epitome of relaxation.
Add some great lighting
Once you’ve figured out your furniture, it’s time to think about lighting. If you ever plan to use your porch in the evening when the sun goes down, you’re going to need good lighting.
Hang a chandelier
If your porch is already wired for lighting, you may want to consider giving your current lights an upgrade. There are many nice outdoor light fixtures available.
If you are hanging a light over a dining table, a chandelier makes a nice touch – just be sure to choose one made of sturdy materials that can stand up to moisture.
Add a ceiling fan
A ceiling fan can also be an awesome addition to a screened in porch. Screened in porches obviously aren’t climate controlled and having a ceiling fan will allow you to enjoy your porch even on hot summer afternoons.
Add string lights
If your porch isn’t already wired for lighting, adding string lights is a super cheap and easy way to add plenty of lighting.
Our huge screened in porch has only one small wall sconce that lit less than 25% of the porch but I didn’t want to deal with the expense or hassle of hiring an electrician to add more lighting.
Instead I strung string lights all across the porch and plugged them in at one end. Not only do they provide plenty of light, they also make the whole porch feel more warm and cozy.
Add more privacy
Some screened in porches look out over nothing but a beautiful view, but many of us have neighbors that we can see from our porches.
If you want to add some privacy, you have a few different options.
Add curtains
Curtains are a great way to add privacy and also help soften the porch at the same time. Curtains can also help keep rain out if you feel like some of the things on your porch need a bit more protection from the weather.
Just be sure to use a material that can hold up outdoors.
Add a privacy wall
Another option for adding a bit of privacy is to add a wooden privacy wall. You can create a large wall that blocks everything or create the feel of a wall by hanging a large wooden art piece.
Upgrade your flooring
In any room, the flooring can make a huge difference to the overall look and feel of the space. Flooring options for porches are a lot more limited than indoor flooring options. But even if you can’t completely replace your flooring, there are still ways to give it a major upgrade.
Paint your floor
Whether your floor is wood or concrete, it can be painted with porch and floor paint for a completely new look.
Our own porch had green Astroturf carpet when we moved in, but when I pulled it up, I found a plywood floor underneath. I painted and stenciled that plywood and now it looks amazing.
Add rugs
And even easier than painting, you can always just add some great rugs.
It’s best to choose outdoor rugs so that they hold up well. You can use one large rug if you have a smaller porch or if you have a large porch, use coordinating rugs to define different seating areas.
Make it cozy with accessories
What really makes a porch feel cozy and like a real part of your home, is all the little accessories that bring in color and texture and character. We almost always have great pillows and art and chachkies in our indoor spaces, but it’s something that tends to get overlooked outdoors.
Bring in pillows and blankets
Nothing cozies up a seating area better than a few throw pillows and a blanket. They make the whole space look inviting. Pillows and blankets are also a great way to add more color and pattern to your space.
Hang art on the walls
We often don’t think to hang art on the wall in exterior spaces, but if you have blank walls on your porch, hanging art is a great way to really pull the room together.
Wall art can be almost anything including a basket wall, geometric wood art, a wooden screen, a wreath, a wooden sign, or metal art.
However, this is one place where I wouldn’t recommend using traditional photo frames with glass fronts since it would be nearly impossible to keep the glass clean.
Add accessories
You can add large accessories like stools, large lanterns, side tables, and plant stands throughout your porch.
And if you have side tables or a coffee table, don’t forget to accessorize them as well. Candlesticks, special shells and rocks, vintage tabletop fans, lanterns, trays, and planters work well.
Don’t forget plants
And finally, every porch looks better with a few green plants. Adding plants helps bring the space to life and connects your porch to the greater outdoors.
Protect your porch decor
Once you have your porch looking beautiful, think about how you can best protect the things on your porch.
Think about the weather where you live. If you get a lot of high winds, you probably won’t want to leave breakables on your porch.
If you have a stormy season, you’ll want to bring anything that might be damaged inside during that time of year.
If you live where you will only be using your porch part of the year, during the off season you may want to bring your cushions and accessories inside or cover the furniture with furniture covers.
I hope these ideas have inspired you to make your own screened porch a more warm and inviting place to be!
Want more outdoor inspiration? Here are some outdoor DIY projects I think you’ll like:
- Inexpensive Screened In Porch Makeover Reveal
- How to Paint Outdoor Furniture like a Pro
- How to Repurpose Indoor Furniture for Outdoor Use
I’d love for you to pin this post on Pinterest!
Google Web Story: 17 Affordable Decorating Ideas for Screened-in Porches
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