Closed In Front Porch Ideas

Narrow Screened Porch With Wooden Table And Chairs

This porch has been finished with drywall and plaster walls and ceiling, just as you would see in the interior of the home, and low-pile carpet to ensure it can endure high traffic as people enter and exit the house. The seating area and table provide two people plenty of room to relax and enjoy the weather.

Front Porch Ideas To Elevate Your Homes Curb Appeal

For a house that needs a refresh, implementing front porch ideas is a smart way to add curb appeal without spending like crazy. Still, designing a front porch is not a task to take lightly. If home is where the heart is, then the front porch is where the soul resides. Each front porch is not only unique to your house, but its unique to your style. This is a place where you can express yourself and your creativity, says Jennifer Hunter, owner of Jennifer Hunter Design in New York. No matter the type, a porch provides the ideal opportunity to add seating and decor so you can play with the aesthetic and blend it in a way that connects your interior with the outdoors by using weather-friendly materials. Before you dive into designing, consider the type of porch you have. Is it front entry or wrap around? Does it offer space for ample seating? Should you add greenery or a sculptural element, or even a new doormat?

Pair Simplicity With Scenic Spaces

The best seat in this beach house is an Adirondack chair on the second floor’s Gulf-front porch. The horizontal rail, chosen here rather than the conventional vertical pickets, provides a seamless view and a clean, stylish look. Simplicity is the ticket here: When you’re at the beach, what more could you need?

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Harmonious Porch Color Scheme

This is a great place to take a look at this front porch because it ties into what we were saying about the previous design. You can have a totally harmonious color scheme if you want one, it can be a beautiful porch design if you do it right. But its not just about color. The tone of your colors matters just as much or more than the colors themselves.

The color palette here is obviously blue. But notice how the tones are so varied.

• The pots are a very dark blue, almost black.
• The front door is a medium blue with matching mat.
• Siding is a lighter shade of medium blue.
• Stones have more muted shades of dark blue throughout.

While every color is blue, theyre so varied that each color manages to stand out and have impact.

Another great choice here are the white columns and door trim. Using white is a great was to outline important areas on the home like doors and windows.

Porch plants are also great choices and we recommend them for just about any front porch. They add so much life and vibrancy to the design as well as colors you wouldnt otherwise use. And they can be changed seasonally however you like.

Some of our favorite front porch ideas use a harmonious color scheme.

Dining Room With Wood Floor And Skylights

This enclosed porch has been finished to be a functional dining room with lots of natural light. Notice all the windows and the two skylights. Theres also a chandelier to light the table area when the sun goes down. While not a huge room, this space still features seating for eight with surface area lining both walls. The full-room rug makes the area feel homier.

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Wood And White Paneling With An Angled Ceiling

The natural wood framing and wood-colored wicker furniture coordinate well in this porch. Also, notice the angled ceiling, complete with skylights and a ceiling fan. The carpet is a nice touch as well. When youre building or enclosing a porch, weigh the cost of changing the slope of the roof versus adding on to the existing roof. In a side porch like this, its easy to create an adjoining roof with a different slope than that of the rest of the house, and it adds a lot of visual appeal.

Paint Your Front Door

Contemplating front door color ideas for a door refresh? From timeless favorites to more contemporary shades, theres a wealth of inspiring spring hues to consider. You can even paint your door according to Feng Shui front door color principles, too.

Muted shades like this blue are a perfect partner to traditional homes, too, ensuring the front door is attention-grabbing but sympathetic to the architecture, as demonstrated in this space by .

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Mix Modern Touches With Southern Classics

On this porch, or piazza, classic white wicker furniture is dressed with zesty, bold pillows in a fun pattern. Together, the classic white wicker and the modern India-inspired motif are marked by striking color, natural textures and materials, and classic Southern design with a modern, upbeat edge. The elegant white, barrel-style garden stools are multi-purpose. In this porch vignette, they are positioned in front of the sofa, creating extra seating or a perfect place to rest a book, lamp, or drink. The plants on this porch are subtle, with a red flowering planter that complements the hues included in the sofa pillows and a classic fern in an earthy golden pot.

Treat Landscaping Like Decor

Classic blue hydrangea blooms take center stage around this neutral-toned patio dining space. This botanical oasis couldn’t be more inviting for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and drinks taken al fresco. It’s spacious and cozy all at the same time, with visual depth and design features inspired by nature. Clusters of plants and flowers add pretty nooks and countless garden vignettes that the eye can’t get enough of when scanning this sanctuary. From a screened porch to an ivy-adorned wall to a tree growing, canopy-like over the space, it is an outdoor paradise, a garden escape in your backyard, tucked unassumingly in your neighborhood.

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Type Of Front Porches

Porches come in a bunch of different shapes, sizes and designs.

• Open Porch: These are often called a front landing or stoop. They dont have any sort of roof or covering.
• Wraparound Porch: These are more common with older homes but we still use them on new homes from time to time. The porch wrap from the front of the house, around the side and sometimes all the way to the back. They can wrap around one side or both.
• Screened Porch: These porches are enclosed by screened windows and doors so you can enjoy the open air feel without the bugs.
• Covered Porch: Covered porches have a roof so you can sit out on the porch in the rain but not wall coverings so theyre completely open air.
• Enclosed Porch: A fully enclosed porch, also called a 4 seasons porch, has a roof and walls with real windows and doors, not screens. These porches can be locked up and are sometimes heated and cooled.

Knowing the type of porch you plan on building or decorating will influence your design.

Get Tropical With Palms And Lime Green

Miami designers Mimi McMakin and Ashley Sharpe of Kemble Interiors were inspired by the surrounding gardens and vintage Palm Beach style when they created this tropical patio. Verdant leafy palms frame the central seating space, anchored by a bright green sofa and warm woven chairs. A lime garden stoola favorite of porches, patios, and gardens everywhereoffers additional seating or a perch for a cocktail to this lush loggia patio.

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Indoor Porch Color Scheme

A patriotic-inspired color palette makes this indoor porch the perfect summertime entertainment station. Gentle reds and pastel pinks mingle with soft blues and crisp white to create a bright, all-American look. Heavy-duty indoor-outdoor fabrics ensure the furniture can stand up to everyday wear and tear.

Add Texture To Floors

If your floors are a little drab or made of concrete, there are lots of ways to add texture to your floors Consider using tiles a small porch. While ceramic tiles are a bit more expensive, they look fabulous on a small porch and can cover it completely for less money than a larger porch.

For large porch decor ideas on a budget, consider using faux deck tiles. These tiles can also be used on a small porch floor, and can be placed directly over your existing porch flooring. Simply snap the tiles together to create a faux deck that gives the appearance of wood.

This is great for smaller porches in apartments or in urban areas where there is more concrete. You can get the serene feeling of wood without spending tons of money on redoing your entire porch. Want to feel the grass under your feet while standing on your front porch? You can also add a layer of faux grass or turf to your front porch. Why not? Its your house, do what makes you feel comfortable!

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Add Polish With Upholstered Pieces

Thoughtfully chosen fabrics for the upholstered outdoor furniture give this porch polished appeal. Touches of burnt orange play off of the undertones in wood details. The burnt orange adds warmth and mixes well with the pops of leafy green in this beige-toned space. A large, metallic-framed mirror adds a bold focal point. The fireplace is framed by simple pillar candles and, in lieu of a fire, another tropical, leafy plant resides in the firebox, beneath the simple, warm wood mantle. A large central ottoman serves a trio of purposesit can be used as an ottoman, as additional seating, or as a place to rest a book.

How Can I Make My Small Porch Look Inviting

A unique entry to the porch adds personality and invites people inside!

These are our favorite methods to add a unique entrance to your front porch:

• Paint a pattern or small mural around your door.
• Hang interesting wind chimes on the porch edge.
• Install ornamental cast-iron trim around the edges of the roof overhang. You can sometimes find patio lace at junkyards, or you can buy cheap plastic patio lace at building depots.
• Install a humble water feature on the edge of the porch.
• Place objects of interest to you on the porch to express who you are. If your hobby is geology, add interesting stones and crystal formations. Adding personality makes your front porch unique and is a great conversation starter.

You can also consider adding gargoyle statues or dragon sculptures if you want to showcase your untamed side to your homesteading friends.

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Invite Nature With Organic Textures And Tones

The stone fireplace creates a focal point, adds a heat source, and visually links the porch with the rock columns inside. The fireplace is practical and stunning. Flanked by container-columns that hold chopped wood, it is a year-round focal point for the room, and in winter, it becomes a practical feature, ensuring that no one will need to go outside to chop wood in the cold weather. The light-wood furniture is arranged in a “U” formation to create an optimal seating arrangement for the space. The cushions are covered in a lovely, soothing, ocean-toned fabric, which complements the light wood of the furniture and the earthy, light sandstone hues of the fireplace.

Go Nautical With Classic Details

A front porch gets the nautical treatment, without looking cliché, with blue-and-white patterned pillows and a striped rug. Carved teak furniture and a rope-woven side tablein honey-warm tonescomplement the sea-inspired blue textiles and home’s deep-green exterior. White detailsupholstery, coffee table, lampshade, ceiling, and trimadd brightness and contrast.

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Use A Bold Color Accent

Design by Chango & Co. / Photo by Sarah Elliott

This modern farmhouse in upstate New York from NYC-based Chango & Co. has bright cherry red double doors that add punch to the black and white porch. Matching black rocking chairs with red-and-black check throw pillows, red side tables and gray throw blankets and a pair of sconce lights make it inviting and practical.

Functional Furniture And Seating

While this isnt an option at every home, adding functional furniture and seating to your front porch can really turn it into an expansion of your home and a space that your family and friends can enjoy.

The size of your front porch will greatly impact the furniture and seating options available to you. Some of the options include seating such as rocking chairs, benches, swings and dining furniture. You could also add side and coffee tables, lighting and other furniture accents. For larger porches, a full seating set could be an option. Even if you have only a small porch, you could still add a piece of accent furniture to add some character to the space.

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Intimate Porch With Wide Window And Sheer Curtains

This decorative porch is the perfect place to enjoy a meal with family or friends. Theres a small sitting area for talking before or after your meal, and the table is the perfect size for intimate gatherings. The sheer curtains allow some privacy and light filtering, while the uncovered windows at the top and the chandelier guarantee youll always have enough light, no matter the weather or time of day.

Use Elevation To Create Scenic Views

In this picturesque porch scene, the vaulted pitch of the arbor mimics the lines of the garage roof behind it. The entire seating area is elevated, offering a scenic view of the swimming pool below. A ceiling fan under the arbor assures year-round comfort, even in the swelter of August. It’s ideal for pool parties, afternoon lounging, and leisurely dinners.

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Rocking Chairs With A View To The Pond

This screened porch isnt very large, but it doesnt have to be big to give you a place to sit and enjoy the view. If you have an expansive property with an open view, this may be all the porch you need. The railing was already in place, and the framing for the screens isnt very expensive. Extending the roof would be the most expensive part of this project. I would suggest completing the furnishing ensemble with a small table between the chairs to hold your glass of iced tea.

How Do You Style A Front Patio

Style a front porch just as you would any other room in the house, but consider the materials usedmuch like you would when designing an outdoor patio. Its best to style with wood, metals, and fabrics that are waterproof and fade-resistant, Mauck Smith says.

If your front porch or patio has enough room, seating is essential. A front porch is the perfect place for socializing, Hunter says. It is a space that is meant to be savored. Create a seating area with chairs and side tables. A comfortable seating area will not only allow you to spend time on your front porch, but it makes the home appear more inviting overall.

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Eclectic Indoor Porch Decor

In this sunroom, simple, mission-style furniture gets a dose of personality thanks to a handful of colorful decorating touches. In one corner, a blue-painted chair contrasts the look of the other dark wood furnishings. A graphic area rug beneath the coffee table introduces a splash of whimsy and helps ground the seating arrangement.

Enclosed Front Porch Ideas In The Uk

An enclosed porch has the potential to offer your home a lot more than just weather protection for its front door. Here, weve provided a few suggestions on what you might decide to do with your porch once its installed:

• You can install coat hooks or fit shoe racks inside, turning the extension into a coat room that keeps your interior free of mud or excess rainwater
• If your porch is still partially open , you can use it as a safe spot for couriers to drop off packages and parcels
• You can install lighting for security and decorative purposes
• Porch decorating is a popular hobby, and you can have fun deciding how youll use the space. This may involve decorating it with potted plants, garden statues or other forms of artwork
• You may even decide to paint your front porch so that it matches the current aesthetics of your property

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Keep The Landscape The Focus With Tranquil Tones

Nothing says “Southern home” quite like an endless front porch. It’s irresistible and inviting, especially when it looks as subtle and seamless as this one. Nestled into the hipped roof’s overhang and accented with louvered shutters on one end, this shady spot features all of our porch must-haves: an iconic hanging swing for leisurely afternoons, simple white wicker furnishings, and a tranquil color scheme that doesn’t distract from the lush landscape surrounding the home. Cool-toned beige shutters bordering the home’s four sets of French doors add just the right amount of sophisticated contrast to the silver roof and white porch.