Simple outdoor rustic holiday porch

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Painting our front door took us from classic coastal, to rustic holiday with just a few flicks of my wrist.

Well, more like three coats, but who’s counting?!

When I told my husband I wanted to paint our front door to go with our holiday decor, I think he thought I had finally lost my mind. Then the more I asked around, I found that I actually wasn’t alone in my thinking. He asked me what color and when I told him red, he wasn’t really sold. My husband is a visual person and I had nothing to show him, until I was flipping through HGTV magazine.

Like the HGTV Urban Oasis of 2018, our home was also a dark gray with white accents and an aqua blue ceiling. Where our house had a coral door, this house had RED!!

After a little bit of begging and showing him the picture… repeatedly, he finally agreed. Let me just tell you this is where the story almost came to a screeching halt. I didn’t bring the magazine for the exact color, rookie mistake,  and I could not find the right red. Thankfully my husband had come with me, but I’m sure at this point he wished he hadn’t, because my attitude was starting to match the color swatches in my hand.

Time was running out!

The kids were getting hungry, I had a deadline to meet, and for the life of me I couldn’t figure out if this one was too “purple” or that one was too “orange”. Then out of no where, my husband hands me the swatch “Quite Red” and I’m sold. We asked the paint man to mix it up for us. Mr. Paintman hands it to me and says “well that’s a very pretty red you have there.” To which I tell Mr. Paintman that I’m painting my door for Christmas and he responds “that’s perfect then you can paint it back in the spring!”. Mr. Paintman totally got me and I couldn’t help but flash my husband the “see I’m not crazy after all” smile.

Let the decorating commence!

In between coats of the new red front door paint, I sewed pillow covers, hung garland, and set out what I consider our rustic holiday porch.

I wanted touches of Christmas, but I also wanted a look that could carry me well into the new year and even the first few months of winter.

Using a lot of faux greenery, galvanized metal, and rustic ribbon all pulled this rustic holiday porch together.

If you look, the wreath I made for the first week of the Deck the Home Holiday Blog Hop is now on the newly painted door.

Here’s a look at the bells I bought from the thrift store before.

I think one of the reasons I love having a red door, is what the red door symbolizes. In Feng Shui and in old early American times it means “welcome”. It also serves as a symbol of protection and safety in biblical times and along the Underground Railroad. I want all who come to our home know that they are welcome and safe. While in Scotland it is a symbol that your home is paid off, it does not mean that for us at the moment, but hopefully one day.

Paint is an easy and inexpensive way to update a space.

I don’t think it will ever get old what a nice new coat of paint can do. Paint alone has transformed more spaces over the years than any major renovation project alone. Yes, it may seem a little crazy to paint your front door to make decorating easy, but for us it totally works. Who knows, maybe it will stay longer than this Christmas and winter, maybe I’ll paint it back. Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

XOXO,

Brooke

Don’t forget to check out the amazing porches for this week and the Deck the Home Blog Hop!