I feel like I’m reaching that point in parenthood where I’m starting to get parts of my life back. Baby steps—but it feels like we’re finally turning a corner.
A lot of the rooms in our house were never really decorated, so they don’t always feel as warm or homey as I would like. Our back porch is where my wife and I spend a lot of time talking, relaxing, and taking in the environment. I wanted it to feel like an actual place to unwind—not just an empty, unorganized space.
The goal is a warm, cozy, green, and modern porch. These two vertical wall planters were one of the first steps.
Starting With an AI Porch Design
I started by taking a picture of the porch and asking ChatGPT to decorate it in the style I wanted. The resulting concept gave me a full plant-wall design with two vertical hanging planters, a center hexagon shelf, lighting, greenery, and a few smaller shelves.
This project only covers the two vertical wall planters. I’ll add the other pieces later and eventually include a picture of the completed porch.
Before cutting or mounting anything, I used painter’s tape to lay out the entire design directly on the wall. This was a huge help. I adjusted the board length, spacing, and height until everything looked and felt right. It was much easier to move tape around than to explain to my wife why the porch siding had 47 unnecessary screw holes in it.
Materials
- One 1×6 pine board
- Two black plant hangers
- Dark Walnut wood stain
- Clear polyurethane
- 2-inch exterior wood screws
- 300-grit sandpaper
The hangers were about $6 each. The pine board cost approximately $14, and I still had wood left for the next part of the porch project. My total new-material cost was about $26 because I already had the stain, polyurethane, and screws.
Tools
- Beat-up Craftsman sliding compound miter saw
- Milwaukee drill/driver
- Milwaukee hand sander
- Tape measure
- Pencil
Step 1: Cut the Boards
I cut the 1×6 pine board into two 30-inch pieces.
I also noticed that the wood was made in Sweden.
The Swedish, Swedish…
If you know, you know.
Step 2: Sand Everything
This was not advertised as presanded wood, but it was already fairly smooth from Home Depot. Instead of working through several different grits, I went straight to 300-grit sandpaper.
I used the hand sander on the face, edges, ends, and back of both boards. Once everything felt smooth, I wiped away all the sanding dust and prepared the wood for stain.
Step 3: Apply the Stain
I used Dark Walnut stain—and I was honestly pretty unhappy with how not-dark the Dark Walnut looked.
Rub on, rub off…
Shh. I didn’t rub it off.
I applied two coats and let the stain sit and soak into the pine. The final color was lighter than I originally wanted, but it is what it is. I’m going to use the same finish on the remaining porch projects so everything matches.
At this point, it is too late for me to care enough to turn back.
For your own project, follow the application and drying instructions supplied with your stain.
Step 4: Protect the Wood
Once the stain had properly dried—because I totally followed the recommended drying time—I sprayed on several coats of clear polyurethane.
Make sure you coat every side of the wood, including the back. Sealing all sides helps protect the boards from porch moisture and reduces uneven moisture absorption.
Step 5: Install the Plant Hangers
I wanted the plants to have plenty of room to hang and grow, so I positioned each hanger near the top of its board without putting it directly against the edge.
The hanger itself sits approximately 5 inches below the top of the board, measured to the hanging arm rather than the mounting bracket.
Before installing anything, I predrilled the holes for both the hanger brackets and the wall-mounting screws. Predrilling helps prevent the pine from splitting when the screws are tightened. I then installed the black hangers onto the finished boards.
Step 6: Mount the Boards
Remember the painter’s-tape layout from the beginning? This is where it paid off.
I centered each finished board directly over its tape outline and ran in the 2-inch exterior wood screws like there was no tomorrow. The tape had already helped me work out the spacing and height, so there was no need to stand there holding a finished board while repeatedly asking, “Does this look centered?”
Mounting depends on the wall behind your siding. Make sure your screws reach solid framing or suitable backing, or use exterior-rated anchors appropriate for your wall and the loaded planter weight.
The Result
The hangers stick out from the wall a little farther than I expected. However, I think everything will flow better once the rest of the plant wall is finished.
As the hanging plants grow, that extra distance should give them more room to spread and trail without being pressed against the siding. I’m happy with how the boards turned out, and I think the hanger position will prove to be the right choice.
This was a genuinely easy, beginner-friendly project. It took only about 30–45 minutes of hands-on work, not counting the stain and polyurethane drying time.
It goes to show how a simple idea, a little planning, and some basic handy work can completely change the look and feel of a space.
Completed porch photo coming soon.
The rest of the porch wall is still coming. The plan includes the center hexagon, additional shelves, more plants, and a few finishing touches to pull the warm, modern, green look together.
One small project at a time.
Build things. Learn things. Make mistakes. Redo things. Have fun. Repeat.