Decorative Concrete

• If you have a plain concrete porch and want to dress up its appearance, there are several decorative concrete options that can give it an entirely new look. Stamped, stenciled and engraved concrete all allow you to create a pattern in the surface of your porch, so the concrete resembles natural stone, tile, brick or even wood planks. You can pair one of these decorative texturing treatments with a stain or dye to create an authentic look at a fraction of the price. If your porch surface has tiles or stones that are starting to show signs of wear and tear, you can rip them up and resurface with a layer of reinforced concrete as well, which you can stamp or engrave with whatever design you like.
  
  

Columns

• Another way to breathe new life into your porch's look is to add decorative columns. Because they are large and somewhat dramatic, you only need to add a couple to instantly change the look and feel of the entire porch. Columns can easily replace standard 4 x 4 posts to preserve your porch's structural integrity, and you can find columns in a variety of styles, including Ionic, Doric, Corinthian and Tuscan. If your home already has columns but you are tired of their look, cover them with column wraps to change the style. These wraps fit most standard 4 x 4 or 4 x 6 columns and are a quick, easy way to change your porch's appearance.
  
  

Railings

• New railings are another solution for dressing up a drab old porch. If your current porch features metal or wrought iron railing, switch to wood for classic country. Another option is vinyl railing, which can provide a fresh new look for wood railing that has begun to rot. You can also incorporate decorative elements into your porch railing, such as spandrels, lattice panels and balusters, so your porch is as simple or dramatic as you like. Even something as simple as painting your railing a new shade can refresh your porch's look.
  
  

Awnings

• While the primary purpose of a porch awning is to provide shade, you can also use awnings to dress up an old porch. Awnings come in a variety of materials, including vinyl, acrylic, aluminum, metal and copper, and are available both as fixed or retractable structures. Many different colors and styles are available to choose from, and fabric awnings are even available with bright patterns that can add visual interest to your front porch.