With the onset of spring, you might be looking for a few porch design ideas this month. One of the things I love most about visiting my parents up north is their wraparound porch. I spend my morning enjoying coffee while the birds sing and the kids sit outside slurping on popsicles in the summer heat. We use our back patio for the same types of things. Relaxing, enjoying nature, and spending time with family.
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Porch Design Ideas for Simple Outdoor Enjoyment
In some areas of the country, it’s porch season year-round. For many others, porch season seems far too short. Porches are one of the best places to enjoy the nice weather, relax and watch the world go by.
Homeowners continue to improve upon their form and function. Outdoor living space is a hot commodity when it comes to selling your home. Current trends in porch designs and accessories provide great inspiration for this favorite outdoor spot. Keep reading for a few porch design ideas!
Encourage community
Porches on homes in neighborhoods with tree-lined sidewalks and residents from all age groups can create a sense of community. A front porch full of comfortable patio furniture, potted plants, and seasonal décor has a welcoming feel that gives passing neighbors a nostalgic feel. Homeowners can sit out on their porches on nice days, wave to neighbors, and invite them for a chat and some cool drinks.
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Swing into relaxation
Outdoor chairs and sofas on a porch provide comfortable spots to sit, but nothing quite compares to a classic porch swing for relaxation. The gentle movement of the swing helps people unwind after a long day and enjoy the warm air and cooling breezes. Sitting out on the porch swing at night provides the perfect spot for stargazing and watching fireflies.
Exterior dining
A grill on the porch is nothing new, but homeowners have taken it several steps further by creating exterior kitchens on their porches. Adding cabinets and countertops around the grill provides plenty of room for meal preparation and entertaining.
An outdoor dining table only steps from the porch kitchen means everyone can be outdoors before, during, and after dinner to savor the great food and fresh air. Front porch outdoor dining is an excellent idea if you enjoy dining al fresco!
Cushioned seating
While traditional porches often feature wooden rocking and stationary chairs, many porch owners today deck out the area with outdoor cushioned furniture for ultimate relaxation. Chairs and sofas with the same comfort as living room furniture but with all-weather durability have become popular on many porches.
In addition to furniture, porches now feature accessories including artwork, lamps, thicker rugs, and throw pillows.
Improved shelter and safety
Screening in a front porch helps keep bugs out, but it’s not the safest way of keeping pets and children inside as they can push through the screens. Porches with walls that go up halfway and then screens all the way up to the ceiling solve this issue by providing a stable barrier without eliminating the fresh air.
With a secured door, screened windows or panels and the half walls, homeowners can relax outside with their pets and children without worrying about injury or escape acts.
Warmth and illumination
As more homeowners want to enjoy their porches during the day and night, fireplaces have started appearing in these exterior spaces. An exterior fireplace helps fight off the chill of the night. It also provides the beautiful ambiance of a flickering focal point.
Along with a fireplace, homeowners now incorporate exterior lighting on their porch. This illumination extends beyond the traditional front porch light by the door to include ambient, decorative, and task lighting.
Lazy days on a front poor will never go out of style. With today’s porch design trends, those days are more comfortable and stylish than ever before. Will you incorporate any of these porch design ideas into your outdoor living space?
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Diane is a professional blogger and nationally certified pharmacy technician at Good Pill Pharmacy. She earned her BS in Microbiology at the University of New Hampshire and has worked in cancer research, academics, and biotechnology. Concern over the growing incidence of human disease and the birth of her children led her to begin living a more natural life. She quickly realized that the information she was learning along the way could be beneficial to many others and started blogging and freelance writing to share this knowledge with others. Learn more about her HERE.
I love front porches, I had one at my old home and spent quite a bit of time on it with friends and family! I have a nice patio in the back now and would love to incorporate some of your tips : ) great list!
Glad you found them helpful. Sitting on the patio is a wonderful way to relax and enjoy a few minutes of peace and quiet!