Don’t worry…it’s all family friendly here! Giggle : ) If you saw the Halloween Negligee post then you know what I’m talking about!
If not…. then I’ll get you up to speed!
I always like to decorate the outside of my house just enough so passersby’s might say, “Hmmm…. I’d like to see more!” I call it the Negligee Effect :))
And how appropriate for Valentine’s Day!! ; )
At my home, I focus on two areas: The Porch and The Corner
The Porch!
The space we call the porch is so important because it sets the tone for our homes! This is not a place to neglect!
We greet our guests and often visit for short periods of time on our porches. What we want this space to say is, “I’ve been waiting for you! Please come in!” In other words, our porches should be treated as an outdoor living room! Because we all have porches of different shapes and sizes, let’s just make a simple list of what we need to make any porch inviting:
1. Fresh flowers or greenery If you live in a region where plants can actually live outside in the winter, then be sure you have fresh flowers or greenery on your porch. This, more than anything else, makes this space come alive!
Ok, and now for those of you who live in areas with sub-zero temperatures let’s talk options! I use a lot of cute iron picks in my pots. Just be sure to place them at varying heights so as to give the appearance of a full pot of flowers! This will add color and life! I can’t believe I’m even saying this, but I have seen some artificial greenery that really looks REAL. I don’t think we want to resort to artificial flowers because they will look fake if it is 20 degrees outside, but some greenery mixed with the iron picks could be just the touch needed without looking too contrived.
2. Create a visual focal point Depending on the configuration of your porch and considering whether or not it is covered, think about placing a table! It does not need to be large but will provide you with an area to accessorize — this will make it feel like an extension of the interior. In order to make my porch feel “homey” I placed both a table and a mirror and then flanked the mirror with outdoor sconces!
In accessorizing for Valentine’s I had so much fun “dressing” this table and mirror. First, I created a little tutu for the mirror by hot gluing mesh ribbon together to make it look like gathered fabric! I then wrapped it around the border of the mirror. My mirror is actually so heavy I didn’t even have to attach it; the weight just holds it in place! I love how cute it turned out!!
Second, I found an oversized flower and some floral picks, tied them all together with more mesh ribbon and attached them to the top of the mirror.
And finally, I added some light-weight pillow hearts (you can hot glue on the actual mirror part with no damage), a few pink glitter hearts and a simple heart garland. As a finishing touch I added a few red pom poms to give the allusion of a tie for the garland.
For the tabletop, I found a light-up XOXO and adorned it with some light-up hearts, cupid arrows, and little heart arrangements I made with the leftover glitter heart picks. As a finishing touch, I carried the rose theme from the top down and hung a red rose garland across the front of the table.
3. Create Balance Because I have the table and mirror which is visually heavy on the one side of my porch I needed to put something visually heavy on the other side. This is not about symmetry (that is a different discussion), it is about visual weight. The weight does not have to be even, but it can’t look lopsided! I settled on a large black mailbox! And how cute are these oversized Valentine envelopes??? Love! Love!
To push our Valentine look over the top, I used fishing line to hang these glitter cut-out hearts! As you are seeing, I love to incorporate all that empty “above-the-tallest-person-I-know” ceiling space!!
I just have to do a shoutout here to BaBam Wreaths! She handmade this fabulous Valentine’s wreath for my door!! Thank you! Thank you! Check out her Etsy store because she does a whole lot more than just Valentine’s! Her Easter wreaths are to die for!!!
See a few of my favorite picks from her shop below!
The Corner!
I have a corner of my home that sits on a street named Lovers Lane (how appropriate!) and I love decorating it! It is a fairly busy street and I think I enjoy decorating it so much because it gives me a chance to only be creative but to visit with my neighbors! I often get the opinion of those walking by and they tell me what they like to see!! It’s fun!
You may not have a corner that cars drive by, but whatever your negligée area is…. make it your own! Make it inviting!
I actually had a sweet lady who knocked on my door and said, “I just want to meet you!” She enjoyed seeing what I did outside and wanted to see if we could be friends!! Fast forward 6 years — we have spent many many hours together and she is one I call a “dear friend!” So remember…..don’t neglect what the outside of you house is saying! Make it say, “Welcome!”
Shop some adorable Valentine porch decor favorites below!
Hugs… Jennifer