Designer Deborah Hastings shares her favorite style tips to get the most of your home’s porch this season.
Being married to a builder, I have lived in a lot of houses. We built most of them, but the one house we purchased that was already built was because of the porch. The house was on a beautiful lot and had a fabulous porch overlooking a shaded pool with a waterfall. The porch drew us outside for dinners, afternoon naps, and visiting with friends—and all of it was better on the porch. A porch or patio space is an affordable luxury for most. If you are planning to add a porch or want to add some pizazz to your seemingly under appreciated porch, consider some of the following ideas as you plan to up the style.
1. A breeze. The actual design of the porch can help this. A covered space with airflow from opposite sides draws air across and keeps things cooler. If that is not possible, fans can move the air. People vary in how much outer wall they choose to leave open. Screened or not, the amount of unobstructed area between the covered space and the outdoors will affect the “feel” of the porch.
