Modern Ranch Front Porch Makeover Before and After

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In today’s post, I’ll share our ranch house porch makeover, which dramatically changed our home’s appearance. We added new windows and cedar shingles, bringing a modern touch to the white board and batten siding, while respecting our 1950s ranch’s original charm.

Let’s take a look at how this ranch house remodel started and how the new front porch has evolved since last year.

How Do You Modernize the Front of a Ranch House?

If you are living in a smaller 1950s ranch-style house, you may be lucky enough to have a front porch giving you a great place to relax and enjoy the outdoors. 

When we bought the house, you literally could not see the house!

This front porch was originally covered by overgrown shrubs and in need of a good cleaning.

Nothing a power washer couldn’t help!

The overall structure of the front porch was in great shape but lacked character and modern functionality.

We quickly sketched up a new front porch design that included wood cedar shingles, a new front door and new modern style windows.

Front Entrance With Cedar Shingles

Front porches are a great place to add an accent wall.

Choosing wood cedar shingles significantly improved the house’s aesthetic and texture while keeping the look classic. 

Once Jim removed the overgrown shrubs, the curb appeal definitely improved, yet the house felt a bit dull. 

It might sound surprising, but the black and white color scheme just didn’t bring out the house’s style—it needed a dash of excitement to truly come alive!

We originally were going to install cedar tone shutters but once I priced them out, we quickly realized they were not in the budget. 

Jim had a great idea to added a cedar shingle accent wall to the front porch to add some warmth and stay in the budget. 

The renovation included new windows and white board and batten siding with black shutters for a farmhouse style.

Front Porch Accent Wall Stain Color

Cedar shingles naturally have the warm reddish brown tone we wanted so it was a win win! We applied a clear coat of preservative to enhance the color and protect the shingles from fading.

However, if you are looking for a different stain color, you will be glad to know that there are several different color variations to choose from. Simply visit your local home improvement store and and ask for exterior wood stain. 

When picking a paint or stain color for the front of your your house, be sure to consider the overall style and existing colors. Find something that coordinates and creates a cohesive look.

Ranch House With Front Porch and Garage

Older ranch-style homes for some reason, often did not include interior access to the garage.

Seems silly to not add a door leading to the garage but oddly enough, it was common back in the day!

As part of our ranch house renovation, we added an interior door leading to the garage, boosting both functionality and aligning with todays living standards. 

We considered staining the garage door the same color as the front porch accent wall but ultimately decided to paint the garage door white, leaving the front porch the accent feature.

Adding a Pop of Color and Texture

The front of the house is now beautiful with a welcoming front porch. 

We added new house numbers and two wood addirondack chairs making it a great space to relax.

I love how the new black door coordinates perfectly with the existing black rod iron porch columns.

We originally planned to install wood columns but to stay on budget, we opted to keep the black metal columns as they were in good shape. 

We applied a fresh coat of black metal paint and they looked amazing!

Modern Ranch Front Porch Ideas

Creating a Small Seating Area for Outdoor Living

A front porch is the perfect spot to have your morning coffee or read a book. 

We wanted this ranch front porch to be a reflection of the newly remodeled interior and be a welcoming entrance into the living room.

Even a small front porch like ours, can be cute and cozy by adding decorative elements and planters full of flowering annuals. 

If you have not seen the interior renovation, be sure to visit this post, ranch house makeover. 

The Role of Lighting and Landscaping in Your Front Porch Makeover

Lighting, whether through recessed options or fixtures, enhances nighttime ambiance. Additionally, string lights offer a cost-effective method to boost evening charm.

Choosing Outdoor Light Fixtures for Ambiance

Jim added all new recessed lighting on the front porch and the new light fixtures on the garage tie in perfectly with the overall modern farmhouse theme.

Lighting plays a huge role in curb appeal, so don’t overlook how the front of your house looks at night!

The solar walkway lights and flower bed lighting options available are fantastic. They significantly enhance both functionality and aesthetics.

Landscaping Ideas: Low-Growing Shrubs and More

The front of our house needed a full overhaul once Jim was done ripping out all of the overgrown shrubs. 

We opted to plan two low growing ornamental trees on each corner and lower growing shrubs the porch and front home home.

The last phase of our landscaping project involved hydroseeding the front yard, which dramatically increased our home’s curb appeal. The transformation is simply stunning!

I am very curious to know, who has a ranch front porch makeover on the horizon?

If you are looking for more curb appeal ideas for the front of the home, visit these posts, how to add curb appeal with a portico and 15 covered porch ideas.

Ranch House Makeover Series Posts:

• Cute ranch renovation house project (the start and full tour of the home before we started remodeling)
• The day we gutted the interior (see the demo process of the entire house)
• Ranch house makeover (before and after of entire house)
• Small ranch house exterior makeover
• White kitchen cabinets with white countertops (kitchen before and after)
• How to elevate a ranch interior with arched doorways
• How to add curb appeal with a new front door (see how we installed a wider front door)
• How to build wood shelves in a closet (see how we transformed an old coat closet into a pantry)
• DIY Fireplace Makeover (how to paint a dated stone fireplace with white paint)