16 Beautiful Fall Porches to Inspire Your Own

It is officially fall: The leaves are turning and pumpkins and apples are ripe for the picking. In the spirit of the season, many of us have taken advantage of the cooler weather and made the trek to our nearest orchard or farmers' market to pick up several autumnal mainstays, including gourds in mums (this is a socially distanced activity that we have treasured over the past few weeks). The end goal of our scavenges? To turn these seasonal motifs into a stunning porchscape—after all, if we're spending more time at home, we might as well make it beautiful.

But there's more to crafting a nuanced, visually pleasing porch tableau than simply plopping these treasures along your steps. The best designs feel engaging and balanced—and this requires bringing a diverse volume of objects into your vignette. Just as important? Decorating by scale: You want to fill, but not overwhelm your stoop. Keep these guidelines in mind as you plot out and shop for your porch (doing so will save you multiple trips back to the store, or prevent you from buying in excess). Also remember that shopping often isn't necessary for this project—the best source for almost all of your fall decorations is your own backyard. Rich red leaves, fallen branches, and dried summer flowers are all within reach this time of year, so take advantage of them by setting some aside during your fall clean up to repurpose them into your designs.

For the best results, leverage your porch's existing architecture to introduce height where possible. Adding items like corn stalks (which can be secured to support posts or around your door's frame) will help you take advantage of some of that unused vertical negative space—and let you bring more fall motifs into your creation. Don't, however, overlook less expected items, like unripe pumpkins and terra-cotta pots, or DIY crafts, like paper bats and fuzzy spiders. All will take your fall porch to the next level. Ahead, you will find some of our favorite fall porch designs from this season, and learn how to recreate them yourself.

"My approach to decorating our porch came from nature," says Shannan Haupt of Tea House Designs of her leave-strewn porch, defined by cozy textiles, chopped firewood, small pumpkins, and a basket of branches. "I shopped my home for accessories I already had and looked to falling nature to provide the rest!"

Toni Mogensen melded the old with the new to pull this nuanced look—including a garden stand filled with miscellaneous ceramic and terra-cotta pots, mums, a plaid throw blanket, and hanging baskets of dried foliage—together. "I always love a touch of rustic mixed with cottage vibes. I finished the look with the lots of pumpkins and mums for the season," she says.

According to Ruthie Jackson of Miracle on Thirty Fourth, it's all about bringing focus to your door. "Add something cheery front and center, like a colorful wreath and door garland. Let there be light. Lanterns (battery operated or lit) are a great way to spotlight your entry as the nights arrive earlier," she says, noting to get creative and "use free goodies from your yard. Mix in colorful leaves and pinecones for a layered and relaxed feel. And you can never go wrong with a gaggle of pumpkins in different varietals. Stack them for added interest."

"I wanted to inspire those with any size porch," notes Cindy McClendon of The Vintage Road on her petite setup. "By just adding a few simple things like colorful mums, baby pumpkins, and a throw blanket, you can give an inviting and cozy feel to your space!"

Jenna Sue of Jenna Sue Design Co. knew her home's stone turret entrance was a prime canvas for Halloween décor. "I couldn't pass up the opportunity. All we needed were a few simple, spooky touches to bring our haunted house to life—bats, spider webs, painted ghost pumpkins, and black cat silhouettes," she says, noting that she pulled this together in one day, using a mix of DIY and inexpensive finds.

"Living in Canada, our growing season can sometimes be a bit short for pumpkins to mature—so I always end up with a bunch of green ones from my garden," explains Deborah of B Vintage Style. "This year I decided to use up the extras on the front porch with some pretty burgundy mums." The result? An unexpected color palette that felt fresh, as well as seasonal.

Kristine Stark of Farmhouse Green fell in love with this years' vibrant purple mums and decided she wanted to craft a porch that popped with color. "I added the green and peach pumpkins because I just loved how they complemented each other," she says.

Modern, hand-painted stacked pumpkins, creepy-crawly spiders, and spooky flamingos make this peachy-pink-centric porch vignette by A Beautiful Mess a standout.

To create a maximalist porch design that included a myriad of autumnal materials, but didn't overwhelm the front of her house, Jackie Greaney prioritized balance. Choose a single color for your florals (like these burgundy mums), she says, and then add in enough pumpkin and gourds for equal volume.

Even if you don't have an adorable pup (like Krewe, the labradoodle at the center of this photo by Karon Padgett of Triple C Farmhouse), you can easily recreate this simple, but elegant porch—all you need are muted pumpkins and mums. Pastel or white pumpkins (paint them if you have to!) and gourds pair well with bold-hued flowers. When arranged with a few cozy camel and cognac pillows, they create a focal point and add a bit of color to an otherwise neutral design.

You don't need much to get your porch ready for cool mornings or chilly nights. Take this side-porch vignette, created by Michael Wurm Jr. of Inspired by Charm, for example. Throw blankets, gingham pillows, bistro lights, and a smattering of fall mums (planted in galvanized metal pots) and pumpkins are all it takes to transform your outdoor living space.

Looking for classic fall porch inspiration that still strikes that Halloween-ready note? You've found it at designer Casie Reeder's home. Combine pre-carved pumpkins (that can be reused each year) with fresh iterations from the patch for a spooky touch; work in some hay bales for texture and depth; and naturally add height to your design (stacking gourds will get you there). To finish off the look, introduce some Halloween whimsy with tastefully spooky elements, like these oversized spiders.

Bold colors, country motifs (note the rooster pillow and stone statue), and beautiful textures make this fall porch design by Jen Morris of Beaver Creak Farmhouse beautiful. We'd argue that the vintage picnic basket and curious kitten steal the show.

Make like Rebecca Heart and combine a variety of plants to reimagine her lush porch design. The more greenery you use in the background, the more color you can bring to the foreground without overwhelming passersby, she says.

If your front porch has multiple layers, use each level to create patterns with your décor; this adds depth to your overarching design. Kara Allen's stoop, for example, alternates dried corn husks with brightly colored florals and pumpkins. Keep them separate or combine them to create a voluminous look that draws the eye in and up.

If you love the look of fresh flower garlands, but live in an area where it gets cold early, try dried options. This will also allow you to add some blooms that aren't usually available when the weather turns, like the dahlias that are pictured here on the front of Caroline Titus' sweet cottage. Use wire to tie them to porch supports or weave them into a garland. Finish the look with mums, fresh pumpkins, and flower bouquets—and don't forget to take advantage of any areas that can reinforce or give your porch more dimension, like window boxes or ledges.