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Is The Patio In The Front Or Back

Unique Items For Decorating Your Porch

Front Yard Paver Patio Construction Time Lapse

In case you have some more room, add a few chairs or several seats or bench that corresponds to your porchs design. If you have a rustic porch, bring a watering can, used boots, and vegetables to enhance the porch. Besides, if your home is done in dark colors, adding some logs or reclaimed wood decor can warm things up. You can also use several seasonal decors in case you would like to change things frequently. Look at the pictures here for inspiration. Regardless of whether a renovation is not on your to-do list, it is still easy to grow your homes impact. Vertical gardens, fashionable patio furniture, and brilliant lighting ideas can render your porch or deck one of the greatest areas in your home. Browse several of our favorite patio and porch roof ideas to craft the best outdoor retreat to relish all summer long.

Put in some plants and flowers, which could be both visually pleasing and supply some aromatherapy for visitors. Plus, whether sourced as a result of an antique store or even produced by hand, furniture also acts as engaging design elements both out and indoors. Your porch really should be an extension of inside decor components, and seasonal holiday decorations are a good way to lengthen the holiday spirit outside. Continue reading for covered ideas and DIY projects to create your porch an outdoor haven throughout the year.

Use Pavers To Improve The Homes Curb Appeal

Pavers make excellent pathways, sure. But did you know you can also use them to line your front and back porch?

If you dont have enough space for a substantial decking then consider using pavers to create an illusion of a separate outdoor area. You can create a screened porch with pavers too. Just install some outdoor furniture, maybe a round, stainless steel table with a couple of chairs and some hanging baskets, twinkling string lights, and some creepers along the perimeter. Presto! You now have a beautiful porch area with excellent curb appeal.


The pavers add a rustic look and when connected with the pathway leading up to your front door, it makes it feel more like a castle or a farmhouse porch. Your homes curb appeal is boundlessly hyped with minimum effort and a lot of value.

Image Credit: diynetwork.com

Decide Your Usage Season

  • All round the year:
  • If you are going to use the porch all around the year, then you need to consider for both hot and cold days.
  • Leave out a space for the fireplace during the cold days while a fan can cool off the heat on sunny days.
  • Retractable curtains could also be installed so that insulation can be achieved in winter.
  • Summer season:
  • If you are thinking to use the porch I summer season only, then adding ceiling fans would be nice.
    • You can also increase the plantations around the porch so that they can reduce the heat.
    • Huge and dense plantations should be done in the periphery of the porch so that they can provide shade while on the inside small plants can be grown.

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    A Patio As An Extension Of A House Or Room

    If thoughtfully and correctly designed, a patio will extend the living space of a home into the outdoors, or yard. Flooring materials and a similar aesthetic can be repeated outside for harmony and consistency. Locating it near a kitchen connects or enlarges the cooking and dining space. Connecting it to a den or living room gives your family more room to relax and entertain. A patio off of a garage, office or studio builds upon the work and activity space, allowing you to work outdoors on nice days.

    A patio can run the length or width of a house and even curve around corners and echo the contours of a house. Depending on the use of the outdoor space, you can have one large patio area or smaller ones. To make it feel like a natural extension of a house, the ground can be level with the interior flooring for a seamless transition from inside to out. Other lots might require more of a multilevel or terraced patio, which can make slopes more accessible and gain otherwise unusable outdoor space.


    Patio Ideas And Designs

    15 Super Simple Back Porch Ideas

    Here’s an extensive gallery of 101 patio design ideas including brick, flagstone, covered, courtyard, cobblestone, concrete and balcony patios.

    Welcome to our massive patio design ideas photo gallery.

    This is our Patio design gallery where you can browse hundreds of photos or filter down your search with the options on the right. We hope you find your inspiration here. We add new designs every week.

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    Extra Details Make A Difference

    Since they see the most use in the summer, many porches are outfitted with ceiling fans for cooling. Its important to choose fans rated for outdoor use. Interior fans often have blades made of fiberboard, which can sag permanently when exposed to exterior moisture.

    Its a very good idea to have a number of electrical outlets installed on the wall the house shares with a porch. From fans to table lamps to phone chargers, we plug in many, many things.

    Porch swings are fun and are a wonderful nod to more innocent times. If you plan on one, make sure the ceiling framing is beefy enough to support the weight.

    In the south where it can be warm enough to use a porch year-round, some people turn a back porch into a second living room. A fireplace, wet bar, and a big screen TV can even make your southern porch the place to host a Super Bowl party!

    Open Space Seating Area

    Porch seating areas are a lovely way to spark up your home design. This beautiful open space provides a stunning view of your front yard, back yard, neighborhood, as well as your garden pergolas and sheds.


    You may have seen it in movies like the Notebook or Elenas home in the Vampire Diaries where an open space seating area really helps brighten up the overall purview of the house.

    Consider using a range of single-seaters or a small couch with a coffee table on the back porch. This area can easily double as a space for relaxation as well as hi-teas and small garden gatherings. You can also create a covered porch where you can sit and admire the pitter-patter of the rain without getting wet. It makes for a seamlessly romantic setting year-round.

    For the front porch, consider installing a porch swing or some porch chairs and loungers. You can also add an outdoor area rug to brighten up the entire space. The overall atmosphere is set to provide a place to sit and connect with your loved ones or relax in the lounge at dusk while you watch kids playing in your neighborhood. It is really serene and a lot of fun.

    Whether you live in a high-bustling city like New York or in a small town in Minnesota, an open porch seating area can really help connect with the environment while enjoying your time of relaxation. You dont need to be in Florida to experience its tranquility.

    Image Credit: bhg.com


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    What Are The Characteristics Of A Porch

    Nowadays, porches come in many shapes, sizes, and styles however, they do have a few things in common. According to James, it all boils down to the roof, sides, and entryway.

    “The roof protects the rest of the house from weather and is supported by columns, walls, or other outside supports,” she says. “Open sides provide a clear view for those standing on a porch, which also allows a breeze to enter the home.”

    Specifically, James says that at least 50 percent of a porch’s area should be attached to the house, and the ceiling should be supported by the home’s foundation.

    But, above all else? A porch should offer direct access from the home’s interior to the great outdoors.


    The Spruce / Michelle Becker

    The Origins Of The American Front Porch

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    The porch as an architectural concept has existed since prehistoric times. It developed throughout history, revealing itself at certain points in time through various cultures, disappearing, and then reappearing again. Yet, at no time or in any culture did the porch take on such structural and cultural importance as in the form of the American front porch. In this section, this evolution of the porch will be examined, unveiling the origins and roots of the American front porch.

    Historically, “the original concept of a porch can be traced back to the overhanging rock shelters of prehistoric times”. Yet, the first time that the front porch overtly appeared in the modern world was in Ancient Greece and Rome, whose dwellings often “placed columned verandas as shaded walkways around an interior garden”. Loggias appeared in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance in Italy “to provide a shaded outdoor space” for public buildings. Piazzas were visible specifically in Venice, Italy, at this time, perhaps deriving their name from the famed Piazza San Marco. Yet, to the north of Europe, porches were rarely found, and thus probably had little influence in the evolution of porches. To the south in Africa, porches were present in the shotgun houses of West Africa. Finally, by the early eighteenth century, porches appeared in the Americas. One century later, porches had become an integral element of American architecture.

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    Porch Swing And Bench Ideas

    If you have room for a porch swing, you should not exclude this classic piece of porch furniture. Nothing is more pleasant than nestling down on soft cushions and swinging along with that special someone. If you dont have room for one big swing, hang a couple of individual hammock swings or individual wicker swinging chairs.


    Swinging daybeds are a comfortable place to nap, alone or with a loved one. However, a daybeds larger profile requires plenty of space, so measure accordingly. With some wood, rope, a mattress, and decent DIY skills, you can build your own swinging porch bed. Watch this video to find out how:

    Benches of all sizes work well on front and back porches. You can use them for seating or as part of a potted plant display. You can refinish old church pews into charming bench seatingperfect for a cottage or farmhouse porch.

    Install A Porch Ceiling

    A porch ceiling is a great addition to your front porch design ideas. Not only does it shield you from the sleeting weather and the rain but you can use the additional support to hang your decor.

    Some hanging baskets or flower pots along with some string lights, maybe artwork made by your kids in the homeroom can all help personalize the outdoor living space. You can implement an awning in your front porch ideas and a screened porch for the backyard with a porch ceiling. It creates an illusion of an outdoor room, thus providing space to hang a ceiling fan or protection for your fire pit. It can also serve as a pleasant little sunroom.

    A covered porch not only feels cozy but immensely improves the aesthetic appeal of the house.

    Image Credit: bobvila.com

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    How Big Should A Porch Be

    Porch size depends on porch function. Many new homes have shallow front porches for curb appeal, four-foot deep vestiges of the wide ones we associate with older homes and past times when people interacted more with their neighbors. For comfortable seating, a porch needs to be at least 6 feet deep. If youd like a table for outside dining, you need at least 10 feet of depth.

    Width depends on the house. A porch can partially cover the front of the house, mainly offering shelter to the front door. It also can run the width of the house or wrap around it. Back porches are often sized like a deck, sometimes with an un-roofed area for the grill.

    Are Porch And Veranda Same

    Design Tips for the Front Porch

    Porch vs Veranda

    No, the veranda and porch are not the same. The porch is a broader term and veranda is a type of porch.

    A porch may be enclosed by screens on the sides while a veranda is an open air space with a roof. However, railings may be provided on the sides.

    Porch demonstrates a more functional usage while veranda has limited usage options.

    The porch can be considered as a projected room attached to the house while the veranda is like a gallery- open from sides.

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    Pop Of Color Porch Ideas

    A bright red, green, or blue front door is perhaps the most colorful of all front porch ideas. It is also an easy and inexpensive way to spruce up a dull entryway.

    Replace a plain doormat with a paisley or striped mat. A colorful pillow pile is an inviting way to add color to a swinging porch bed or chaise lounge. Simple fabric pennants or banners also add a pop of color to bare porch walls. Hang colorful porch curtains that can be closed to provide shade when the sun is its brightest.

    When repurposing old furniture for the porch or patio, get creative with color. Instead of classic white paint, use sunny yellow or burnt orange to brighten up your front porch ideas. Adding a simple terra cotta pot or two is an easy way to add a peachy-warm punch to your potted plant display.

    Watch this video to learn how to repaint your front door yourself:

    Patio Vs Porch At A Glance

    Now that you know the patio vs porch differences, you can choose which to add to your home for your next home project. To help you even further, here is a simple guide on the difference between porch and patio:

    FEATURE
    Non-value adding but can affect how quickly a home sells due to increased appeal Can be a marketable addition, depending on the materials used

    Whichever you prefer between the two, you and your guests must all be comfortable in the space. One important consideration when choosing porch or patio furnishing is how much value it can add to the area.

    A good value-adding fixture is the Keter Pacific Cool 7.5 Gallon Outdoor Cooler:

    It is unlike any other cooler, thanks to its elegant and functional design. It features a pop-up lid that elevates to become a cocktail table and a hidden cooler with a 7.5-gallon capacity.

    Its weather-resistant resin construction allows it to be a versatile piece used as a coffee or bar table, drink cooler, and even a hot tub side table. It is a beautifully constructed piece that would liven up any porch or patio!

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    Porch Ceilings Should Reflect The Homes Style

    . A rustic cabin might have exposed rafters, with the T& G boards of the roof above visible from below. More formal porches will often have a flat, beadboard ceiling. If budget and low maintenance are your goals, vinyl soffit material can be used for a porch ceiling. Another budget ceiling is simply smooth plywood with its joints covered by lath strips.

    Sometimes porch ceilings are painted light blue, either to mimic the sky or to keep flies from alighting, depending on which architectural old wives tale you prefer. White is another favorite color because it reflects light well and brightens the space below.

    Screens and Skirting are Popular Options

    In mosquito or black fly country, a screened porch is a smart option. There are a variety of ways to screen a porch. The simplest approach is to buy rolls of screen and secure it to the posts with staples and wood strips. You can get a neater look by using one of the proprietary systems of aluminum strips that hold in the screening.

    A great option is to have removable panels made that can be replaced with glass ones for a three-season room.

    To hide the dark void below a porch from view, skirting is commonly used. Skirting is almost always open enough to provide ventilation to keep moisture from building up below and rotting the porch. Materials can be rot-resistant wood or plastic lattice.

    What About Building Codes For Porches

    Roses in My English Garden tour – on the patio pergola and at the front door – 2020

    Just like decks, porches must comply with code requirements for stairs and railings. In most cases, a porch thats 30 inches above the ground will require a railing but check with your local building inspector to confirm this requirement. The balusters in a railing can be no more than 4 inches apart.

    If your house is in as so-called Wildland-Urban Interface zone in a region where wildfire is a concern, then the porch will be required to meet enhanced standards for fire resistance.

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    What Is A Back Porch

    Unlike the front porch, the back porch is hidden from sight. This area can be allocated on any side of the house, not necessarily the far back. The back porch is usually the small screened porch area where you prefer lounging after a tiring day. Mostly, it faces your open garden or landscaping, maybe even a pool.

    A back porch is an excellent addition to both big and small houses. You can enjoy your breakfast or evening tea here on a covered porch with a beautiful sitting area. It can also raise the standards of your date night or add a little flair when you want some time to yourself after a long, hard day.

    So now that you know where the front and back porches of your house are located, let us discuss some design ideas to magnify the overall aesthetics of your porch. You can utilize these incredible porch design ideas for the front or the back of your house as you please. As long as it appeals to you at a personal level, there is no jet-set rule as to what goes for front porch ideas and what goes in the back of the house.

    Image Credit: houzz.com


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