When you hear the words “front porch,” you might immediately picture a simple farmhouse porch with a couple of rocking chairs and other rarely used furniture. This may often be the case, but a well-designed house can make a front porch an extremely useful feature and provide other advantages.
- It can meaningfully connect a home’s interior to its exterior.
- It may serve as a real extension of your living space.
- It could be used as a nice cozy spot for an al fresco breakfast.
- In season it’s the perfect place for entertaining guests or neighbors.
- It can transform the appearance of a house, no matter its style or age.
- It can add a beautiful dimension to an otherwise austere facade.
- It will boost a home’s curb appeal and add personality.
Enjoy additional photographs of this classic country House Plan 5678 with a beautiful wraparound porch.
As you can see, there are many benefits to be had if you have a lovely front porch on your house.
Now, if you’re planning to add a front porch to your property, here are some things you need to consider:
- How would you like to use your front porch?
This will help you determine how big your porch needs to be. For example, a veranda with only a small breakfast table and two chairs does not require a lot of space. But a porch for dining and entertaining will take up more space on your property. Hence, it is important to consider how much room is needed if your yard is smaller.
- When will you usually use your porch?
You might want your porch to be usable all year round, so consider including details that will allow you do so. However, you have to keep in mind your region and climate, as these can determine the placement of your porch, materials to be used and even the design.
- How convenient do you want your veranda to be?
The entry to and from the portico into your house should be conveniently placed in order for it to be easily accessible. An easy path leading to and from the porch will encourage good traffic flow. This can be achieved by installing large patio or French doors that are also great sources of natural lighting for your home.
- What do you need to consider in terms of safety?
Each state and city has their own sets of rules and regulations for residential and commercial structures, which include porches. In colder places, for example, the foundation of a portico should be deeper than the frost line to ensure the structure will stay intact as the soil freezes and thaws. This is why it’s important to work with architects and licensed contractors to ensure that your veranda will comply with industry standards.
- How do you want your porch to look?
Beautiful 3-story coastal House Plan 9323 with two large covered porches. Enjoy additional photographs of this new narrow lot design from The House Designers.
If you hire licensed architects to create a layout for your porch, it will be designed with scale and proportion in mind. But to give this home feature a personal touch, you can search for inspiration online and then, discuss the things you want with your designer. To give you some good ideas, here are some charming porch plan types to explore:
- Rustic – Typically, you’ll find rich wood textures in this kind of terrace. It may even have a fireplace made of stones to give the space a log cabin feel.
- Seaside – This porch is the perfect spot to enjoy the stunning view of the ocean and surrounding areas. You can install large French doors to allow more natural light in.
- Screened – Screens make your veranda more useful as it can be used more often and for more activities. Plus, it’s a protected spot where little kids can safely play.
- Open – An open porch is a breezy porch as it has little barriers to let the wind and sun in. This is the best option for homes with breathtaking views.
- Classic – This is characterized by brick or cement columns and floors with wood railings. This is also an open and airy space.
Once you have made up your mind about the size, design and other elements of your front porch, be sure to work with a trusted architect to ensure the best result.
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Christine Cooney
Christine has over a decade of experience as a house plan and floor plan expert. Outside of providing her expertise to customers to help them find and build their dream homes, her passion and knowledge of the home building industry allows Christine to guide families and builders through all of the important steps from finding plans to building custom homes that meet the expectations of today’s new home owner. Christine’s years of knowledge of the diverse trends and needs of the modern homeowner has made her into an authoritative and trusted voice in the online house plan community.