I’m all about embracing the softer side of autumn,
like what you previously saw in the Fall Home Tour.
but….
Fall decor on my front porch is a little bit different….
for no other reason than because it has to be.
I live just a couple hundred miles from the Arctic Circle, where.
weather conditions include early freezes,
windstorms, rain, and now in October, a blanket of white is due any day now.
Inclement weather isn’t friendly to fresh pumpkins or flowers so
it is pointless to try and force it.
Fifteen years ago this discouraged me until I realized
that I had to quit looking
at all the ways it was impossible and instead focus on ways it is possible to decorate a porch for fall.
This change of perception made a world of difference
and I’m going to share what I do differently than most bloggers do.
Hopefully, it will be a game changer for those who live in truly cold wintery places.
You know- places like Narnia, Alaska, North Dakota, Michigan, Wisconson, Denmark, maybe the Yukon.
Not sure if they even have internet in the Yukon, Canada, yet.
They didn’t even have cell phone signals when I was there a few years ago.
Decorating Fall Porches In Cold States Ideas
First things first- Let’s Talk About Outdoor Furniture
My front porch is covered but that doesn’t mean it stays dry or clean.
Far from it!
A solid bench, iron or wood, is much easier to keep clean than cushioned furniture.
If I didn’t already have a bench that I love,
I would most definitely choose one these for my front porch.
Take a look-
(affiliate link)
Outdoor Romance Bench
Patio Garden Bench
The photo above is not fabulous,
but it gives you an idea what the size and shape of my front porch is like.
It has more of a farmhouse style, with steps leading up to
three tiered levels before reaching the front door.
Let’s hope Santa brings me the lens
I’ve been wishing for. It will help for these types of wider angle photos.
I don’t do any photoshopping to my photos.
It’s kind of what you see is what you get with me.

What Items Soften An Outdoor Space & Are Functional In Wet Autumn/Winter Weather
The gray plaid throw and faux fur rug add coziness and warmth to this outdoor space.
The pillows are for added comfort on the
chilly 28- degree mornings that we have had the past few weeks.
They certainly help keep the backside a bit warmer.
“Sitting on a cold bench waiting for the pups sounds like fun,” said no one, ever!
Definitely, include a warm blanket or two and a couple of pillows.
The pillows are just a few older ones that I had on hand.
I purchased this throw at Joannes.
It isn’t available online, but I found one almost dentical to mine.
(affiliate link)
Lifestyle Plaid Throw

Shoosh! The Outdoor Rug Has A Secret
This is my Sebastian. He’s like finding Waldo in so many of the photos I take.
You can be certain that every rug or blanket laid out is just for him!
My dirty little secret about the area rug is it isn’t really a rug at all.
It’s a large cut of fabric that I folded over
and used to help define the space.
I found one that looks identical to my knock-off version.
(affiliate)
Faux Fur Rug
Dog is unavailable but agrees with purchases of rugs.
Just trying to be creative with my photography in this photo.
How To Use Faux Flowers Outdoors
Instead of fresh flowers I use silk ones mixed in with interesting textural pieces
like the triple stacked pumpkin pick and the round balls that are Lord only knows what.
Your guess is as good as mine on that.
They were things I had on hand along with the greenery.
Everything else was purchased at Joannes Fabric.
Mix in a variety of textures and add varying levels of height.
I used hydrangeas, some berry sprays, and amaranthus.
In the center, I poked in a few weathered branches for a bit of a rustic look.
The key to using faux flowers outdoors is to use them sparingly in 1-2 pots.
This keeps the eyes moving around and makes any obvious imperfections far less noticeable.
What not to do is plop a few silk bushes into an urn or a pot
and not accessorize by adding in some other elements.
That’s not a good look.
It’s always a dead giveaway that the flowers are fake.
The next best give away is when snow hits the ground.
Ya, that’s real obvious then, but we will cross that bridge when we get to it.
Why Faux Pumpkins Are A Must
Just like fresh flowers, those don’t last once those temps dip below freezing.
White ones will get brown spots. Other varieties turn black.
It’s not a good look.
Don’t even try to use them once temps get in the 30’s.
All the larger pumpkins are faux.
All were painted a creamy white except for the large
Funkin Pumpkin next to the bench. I mixed a custom color just for that gal.
Earlier in the season, prior to freezing temps,
I will mix in a few real pumpkins but it’s not something I splurge on.
In our good favor, the fakes are becoming more and more realistic looking.
The Funkin Pumpkin is my favorite so far!
(affiliate link)
Faux Pumpkin
Here I used an old candle jar and wrapped it in a bit of jute for a little bit of texture.
On my front door, I hung this wreath that I also found at Joann’s.
The photo on their website is not an accurate depiction of what the wreath looks like.
Take a look at the Blooming Autumn Flower Wreath.
Am I imagining things here?
For someone, a blogger who doesn’t do photoshop or know the first thing about it,
I think my photo is much better at showing how this pretty wreath really looks.
The only thing I added is the green and white berry picks.
It definitely looked a little sparse in areas.
I also added a pretty green ribbon to string it up.
Now here I’m going to share another tip….
I duct taped it to the top of my door.
Not in a visible area!
It’s at the very tip-top of my door.
I’m so redneck sometimes.
Lol
Just for the sake of it….
I’m including an affiliate for Duct Tape.
Every woman needs that in their emergency design kits & for redneck wreath hanging.
(affiliate link)
Good Old Duct Tape
There are ways to give your porch a fall style that go beyond fresh blooming flowers
and heirloom pumpkins that are commonly seen all over Pinterest and amongst bloggers.
I’ve covered all my tips and shared what I do to make it work for the state I live in.
My ideas and what I do aren’t going to be ideal for everyone.
If I lived back in Texas, a state that allowed me to keep fresh flowers
lingering outside a bit longer or anywhere that the price of fresh pumpkins
wasn’t 80¢ per pound, things would be decorated quite different.
But no one should feel as if they should forgo
adding a fall touch to outdoor areas simply because the weather doesn’t permit
or out of fear of the banter from truculent biddies.
Create that cozy fall porch and have fun experimenting.
Create a look that makes your heart full of joy and welcomes your loved ones into your home.
In case you missed it,
you keep the inspiration coming by clicking the photos below and visiting some of my other posts.
This week I will be joining these blogs:
Olivia! You are hilarious!!! Your porch looks amazing!!! I love that due temperature challenges, you have to think out of the box! The good news is Christmas should be a piece of cake!! Great job! I’m swooning over your photos! Glad Sebastian likes the rug! Too funny, my dogs end up in my shots just like where’s Waldo also!
Ha ha. These dogs of ours are so like finding Waldo. They crack me up! I just love them all so much. As for the porch…… To be perfectly honest, it drives me crazy that I can’t use anything fresh. I would love to be able to but fresh pumpkins turn to mush and get this weird translucent thing going on. Then there’s the price issue. If and when I do find real heirloom pumpkins up here they always cost upwards of $30 per one pumpkin. Even the Cinderella white ones run about $5 each. Baby Boos are $1-2.99 each.
Christmas is a cinch but there’s negative temps to contend with too. Sometimes I decorate the porch and other times I don’t. It all depends on how I feel. ha ha.
I can’t wait to see your home tour! I just love your pretty yellow cottage so much. It’s cute and elegant all rolled into one nice package.
The bench with blanket and pillows is a nice idea and I love all the white faux pumpkins. The faux flowers add just the right touch of color and the wreath on the door is absolutely beautiful. And I am usually very critical of faux botanicals. All in all, an inviting fall porch.
Thank you, Naomi. I’m not always a fan of faux flowers either but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. Ha ha. They work in small quanitites here and there.
Thank you for stopping by.
Love this idea! Cozy porch and a cup of hot chocolate – what else do you need? 😉 Autumn is definitely the best season for interior decor lovers.
I completely agree with you on all counts, Doris. It truly is the best time of year. Thank you for stopping by. 😀
Olivia, your porch decor is divine! This was very interesting reading. I live in Alabama and have the total opposite weather. I can’t have pumpkins outside because they rot too quickly. And I can’t have fresh greenery for Christmas because its just too hot. And the thing I am most interested in are the pillows and blanket…. mine blow away! Do you tie or duct tape them down too?? I lost a brand new wreath the first week we were in our house. LOL
I love your door and the wreath is perfect on it. And Sebastian is gorgeous!
🙂 gwingal
Hey Olivia! I love your big roomy porch and your dog, and your faux rug! Can’t believe the pumpkin is faux too…it looks so real! Are you able to paint when the weather gets cold or do you have to wait for warmer temps? You’ve worked with what you have and you’ve made it look great!
Hi Florence,
Thank you so much. I can paint indoors or in the garage during the winter but any outdoor projects have to wait until late spring and summer. The porch is due for a much-needed coat of paint too. It’s too cold to paint those raw beams of wood now. I lagged and now I’m going to have to deal with it all winter long. Oh well, it’ll give me something to blog about later. Ha ha. Thanks for stopping by. oxo
Your porch is beautiful! All the little details and I’d never know any of those flowers or pumpkins weren’t real-and honestly I could care less if they’re real or not-they’re beautiful! Great tips!
Hi Olivia! Trying this again…I left you a terribly flattering comment on the Fall Home Tour post but it went into cyberspace and I never saw it printed but it was a good one believe me. I loved reading about Alaska and your unique decorating challenges. Alaska is number one on my Bucket List. Someday, I’ll surprise you and knock on your door. Love your great dog and your writing style. I’d love to invite you to visit me at Bringing French Country Home. Stay warm! Pat
Oh no! That is so frustrating! I looked through the comments to see if I had missed approving one. It is empty. I wonder if maybe I was updating a typo at the exact time you hit send. I read everything numerous times before hitting publish and I still catch typos even weeks later.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoy reading about Alaska. It really is a beautiful state but there are some definite challenges living here. I have done some traveling, Yukon, Canada is even more beautiful than it is here. One thing I highly recommend to everyone who doesn’t mind roughing it a bit is to take a drive up the western side of Canada, go through the Yukon, and cross into Alaska from there. I’ve made the drive twice. It isn’t an easy drive but it’s worth it to see all the beauty and wild animals.
I am very familiar with your blog, Bringing French Country Home. In fact, I believe your fall living room decor was a feature a few weeks ago. I love your blend of rustic with French styles.
Thank you for the lovely comment. Have a wonderful week.
Hi Olivia, Good to hear from you and know that you received my comment. Don’t worry about the lost child; those things happen when you’re dealing with computers. Thanks for the trip suggestions…someday. It would be thrilling to see the Alaska wildlife. Dare I tell you it was 84 degrees here today but the leaves in Denver have finally caught up with the mountains and it is so beautiful against that cobalt blue sky. Have a great week.