Decorating & Design
August 25, 2022
25+ Porches We Want To Live In Year-Round
Porches are a golden opportunity for kicking back: offering shade when the summer sun blazes and a warm spot to hear the crickets as nights get chilly. So pull up a wicker chair, grab a glass of something cool and prepare to get relaxed in this roundup of stellar porches. Scroll down!
This Muskoka porch was designed with custom louvred shutters to help keep things cool in the summertime. It measures 14- by 20-feet, which provides enough space to accommodate a lounging and dining area. Plus, it leads right out to the dock.
A stone wall spans from the floor to vaulted ceiling in this luxe screened porch. A wood-burning fireplace allows the homeowners to enjoy this living and dining space for most of the year.
Full height screens protect lounging cottage goers from the elements while providing an indoor-outdoor living experience. Wood floors and ceilings strike the right balance of modern and rustic.
Here, a 400-square-foot porch aims to please with soaring ceilings and stone fireplace. Its A-frame shape is accentuated with exposed wooden beams.
Expansive views are the star of this beautiful screened porch. The designer added a contemporary slatted daybed, making it the perfect spot to curl up, rain or shine.
Following a transformation from designer Cynthia Ferguson, this screened porch now has soft accents that break up the blue-black walls and ceiling. The space is outfitted with durable outdoor furniture and plenty of blankets to keep things cosy during cooler weather.
A pair of rocking chairs and swinging couch make this covered front porch feel extra homey. The white flooring and black walls nicely contrast and give it a modern look.
Just like the wood shorebirds taking up residence in the niches, we’re ready to move in. The cheery table is the setting for breakfast or a game of backgammon, and vintage rattan chairs are given a new lease on life with glossy white paint and leopard upholstery.
For her Lakehouse siding, Lynda Reeves used Real Cedar’s wide boards installed horizontally. The siding was finished with a bleaching oil to help the color age evenly to a soft silver grey.
This screened room’s full-height windows are shielded by two layers of Phantom Screens: a mesh one to keep out bugs and a vinyl screen to keep rain out and heat in. The windows overlook the walkout terrace below and skylights contribute to the indoor-outdoor feel.
In this rental cottage in the Kawarthas, designer Joel Bray gave this natural beauty a makeover (we love those old-school, flip-up windows that hook to the ceiling). “I kept two of the original wicker chairs as end chairs — they’re weathered, but in a white space like this it’s nice to have a few things with patina,” he says.
Joel added a hurricane light over the dining table, and painted the chairs with an aerosol spray primer and two coats of Olive by Farrow & Ball. The emerald trim on the doors is a great punctuation point that accents the chairs and all the greenery outside.
The huge screens surrounding this porch guarantee cool breezes and maximum lake views. The exposed rafters and white slipcovered sofas turn down the visual temperature, making this hangout one of the most relaxing spots at this cottage.
Shades of leafy green and watery blue tie in the natural setting. To stand up to the sun, designer Margot Bell upholstered the wicker seating in all-weather Sunbrella fabric.
Antiques dealer Douglas Stock screened in this formerly open porch and set an 1830 pine sawbuck table as the centerpiece. A 19th-century French baker’s rack displays plants and a large antique picnic hamper.
A generous and sturdy French walnut daybed is a favorite summer afternoon destination on this cottage porch for designer Colette van den Thillart’s two daughters, Hannah and Ava.
An A-frame roofline puts the picturesque view front and center in this century-old log cabin. The homeowners use this Catskills retreat year-round so designer Brendan Kwinter-Schwartz used a weather-resistant ikat-style rug and wipeable furniture.
This country home’s screened dining pavilion is the setting for memorable meals for designer Robert Tanz. Indoor palms and standout green lanterns lend a tropical island vibe to this folly-style space.
In designer Montana Burnett’s family cottage, the porch conveys a seafaring, coastal mood thanks to the shingled walls, which she accents with canoe paddles. This room has plenty of island-style texture, with woven furniture, a seagrass rug and bamboo chairs.
A fireplace adds a cozy vibe to this country porch, and the stone floor and woven chairs blur the indoor/outdoor divide.
This gracious Maritime porch boasts wraparound seating for family and friends. A collection of fishing buoys and nautical-style lantern and sconces underscore the fishing heritage of this Nova Scotia home.
Is there any more natural pairing for a porch than a wicker rocker? This space is loaded with old-school charm, from the wood water skis to the vintage-style lanterns.
Flagstone flooring is cool underfoot and adds plenty of rugged interest in this space. Shingled walls, a copper pendant and nautical rope accents set a coastal tone, and a generous daybed makes this an ideal spot for an afternoon nap or reading.
This transitional dining space brings indoor comfort to a screened porch with comfy slipcovered chairs, a landscape painting and live tree.
This spacious screen porch has a super-sized sofa for plenty of communal seating and space for dining. A basket of throws and comfy pillows makes this spot hard to bid goodbye to on Sunday night.
The stone floor in this cottage‘s screened porch is heated for chilly evenings. Sunbrella slipcovers on the chairs protect the upholstery from fading in the summer sun and are perfect for cozying up by the fire in the fall.