Does your home have a happy porch?

September 27, 2026September 26, 2026 Tex Appeal staff The Happy Porch Project

By SHARON WHITE | Photos by JANE GIBSON and courtesy of NICOLE BRACKETT

Nicole Brackett simply lives for the autumn season, which begins very early for her. On the first day of August — with temperatures soaring to a blistering 100 degrees — Brackett excitedly told her husband: “It’s August … Do you know what that means?”

For Brackett it means preparing to decorate her porch — and many others — for fall. Last year she launched her porch design and decorating business, The Happy Porch Project. Brackett said she got the idea when she saw similar services advertised in Dallas, but realized there wasn’t anything like it around the Temple area.

After growing up in Lorena, Texas, Brackett moved to Colorado for college. Never having experienced a true fall, she fell in love with the cozy autumnal days and seasonal colors in nature that were more magnificent than she ever imagined. Brackett also fell in love with (and married) her husband, Mike. They lived in Denver for six years before returning to Temple to be closer to family. And, along the way, she brought her love for all things autumn back to Central Texas.

But, how could this busy mom with two young children get the word out about her new business?

“I put ads on Facebook and created a website,” Brackett said, “I even went door to door with flyers, toting my two kids with me.”

After accepting several jobs, her work began. She searched out autumnal décor from thrift shops and estate sales. She found a wholesale business where she was able to source her pumpkins. And, she went crazy after discovering a retail barn with a trove of treasures called Sarsaparilla Chic.

Brackett admits decorating porches is not a one-woman show. She gets her entire family involved, including her husband and children.

“Last year, my 4-year-old was helping bring pumpkins up steps and my husband was hauling hay bales.”

She also gets inspiration from her mother, Patty Wendt. “I think I got a lot of my love of design from her,” Brackett said. “Mom had tubs and tubs of decorations she brought out for every season and holiday. And she always let me help. So now, if I’m stuck on a porch design, she’s always there for me.”

The Process

After contacting Brackett through her website, a client can set up an appointment. She will come to your home and evaluate your space. She says, “I have to get my eyes on the porch. Every one is different in height, length, width, so every porch design is individual.”

She discusses specific styles, showing clients sample photos: traditional, farmhouse, modern, boho, etc., allowing clients to incorporate their own decorations into the design. She asks about the budget and usually recommends two packages.

When all is determined, she plans a date for the setup. On the day, she brings all the décor (including hay bales, pumpkins, rocking chairs, rugs, wreaths, etc.) and is finished within hours. Finally, the client lets her know when to clear off the porch and take everything away.

“When you decorate your porch, it really is a gift to the neighborhood,” said Brackett, whose designs can include up to 50 pumpkins, followed by additional items like scarecrows, lanterns, buckets, crates and mums, which add color, texture and layers. And, as she puts it, “brings warmth and personality to your steps.”

Her decorated porches can stay in place for weeks since the autumn season is quite long, even encompassing Halloween and Thanksgiving.

When asked if Brackett would consider growing her business to include decorating for other holidays — with baby number three on the way — she reflects, “I might expand eventually, but for now I’m sticking to fall.” And, she promptly adds, “This is the fruition of a literal dream of mine — to bring pumpkins to porches.”

You can find Nicole Brackett at thehappyporchproject.com