Is your front porch or deck boring and uninviting? Check out these tips for selecting a stylish front porch swing. Creating instant comfort and decor for your outside space!
When the cooler evenings of late summer and early fall arrive, there’s nothing better than watching the sunset from a comfortable front porch swing. A beautiful porch invites us to bring our lives outdoors, invites our friends and loved ones in. Encouraging us to step away from our hectic lives for a moment and just be.
A well-designed home creates a space where we are truly comfortable. That space isn’t limited to the insides of our homes. Creating an inviting and stylish exterior design requires just as much thought as an interior design. As a result, furniture is a large part of that. This week, we will focus on how to choose the right front porch swing for your exterior.
Consider your front porch space
Whether you have a large covered front porch, a deck, or no porch at all. There is a swing that will suit your needs, but you must first consider location and space. In choosing a location for your front porch swing, make sure that you have sufficient space. A gliding swing requires no overhead support and much less space than a traditional hanging swing. So it can be used in almost any space with minimal effort.
If you have a porch with beams sturdy enough to support the weight of a hanging swing, you’ll also need to have sufficient space for the swing to move freely. Plan at least 4 feet of swinging room and 6 inches of space on each side. Standard swing sizes are 4, 6, and 8 feet. Therefore, you’ll need approximately 2 feet per person with extra room for larger adults or wiggly kids. 17 inches off the floor is a good starting point for hanging height.
Choose your swing type
The traditional porch swing is a wooden hanging swing, but there are many other choices available: gliding, a hanging swing/stand set, a single or double, hammock, unusually shaped swings, or even a porch bed!
Select the right material for a front porch swing
Whether your swing will be exposed to the elements or not will greatly influence what type of material your swing should be made from. Teak and cedar are good choices for a porch swing that will be exposed to weather, as they naturally resist rot and decay and weather well. Other woods such as oak, maple, or pine, metal, wicker, and repurposed headboards, chairs, doors and even wooden pallets can be used to create beautiful front porch swings.
For assistance in designing your swoon-worthy front porch space, feel free to post comments or ask questions!
For further information: This Old House
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