Hi. Congrats on the new house! You have to consider that, with facing east, and already surrounded by walls on 3 sides, this is going to be dark.

Why do you need a cover for the patio? Only when it rains will you need a cover. Outdoor furniture now (including cushions) can be left out in the rain.

Looking at the overall lack of windows in this house, I am concerned about how dark it will be overall.

My vote would be no cover.

My second concern on the porch is the furniture arrangement. You can't put furniture in front of the sliders. I would not want furniture in front of the windows looking out from the living room or bedroom.

Is there any way you can put the patio in the backyard? You can add tall, narrow evergreen trees that are fast-growing, as a border to the neighbors.

Or, start over on the plans.

Do you have a designer or architect helping you?

Sorry a very poor plan when a LR gets no natural light most of the day. I like u shaped homes with a courtyard in the center why not try something like that if this is still in the planning stage That style works well with the living wing on one side and the bedroom wing on the other . I can’t imagine an architect thinking this is agood plan at all.

Thank you Patricia Colwell Consulting for your suggestions. While they make a lot of sense given what you know from the sketch I drew of a portion of the house, there are multiple constraints we are dealing with:

1. This home is being built on a “patio” lot in western NY which is a small, narrow lot but in an HOA community which means taxes are 40% lower. Given the scarcity of good building lots in the area we need to move to, this was the best of what we had to choose from.

2. The width of the house in the front can only be 42 ft.

3. Given our age, my husband and I are trying to keep as much as possible on the main floor, to avoid steps as we get even older; hence we did not build a second floor or do much in the basement.

4. The double garage must be front loading, and so takes up half the width at the front of the house.

5. Due to how close the homes are built, and to preserve privacy, one side of the home can only have a limited number of windows and these must be offset so neighbors aren’t looking into each other’s home.

We are thinking perhaps we could put some type of skylight in the roof of the LR to let in more light to the central portion of the home. We added a window in the kitchen, and the DR will have windows to let in light as well, some of which will get into the LR.

We welcome your thoughts and any other suggestions. Thank you!

Thank you CDR Design for your thoughts. While they make a lot of sense given what you know from the sketch I drew of a portion of the house, there are multiple constraints we are dealing with:

1. This home is being built on a “patio” lot in western NY which is a small, narrow lot but in an HOA community which means taxes are 40% lower. Given the scarcity of good building lots in the area we need to move to, this was the best of what we had to choose from.

2. The width of the house in the front can only be 42 ft.

3. Given our age, my husband and I are trying to keep as much as possible on the main floor, to avoid steps as we get even older; hence we did not build a second floor or do much in the basement.

4. The double garage must be front loading, and so takes up half the width at the front of the house.

5. Due to how close the homes are built, and to preserve privacy, one side of the home can only have a limited number of windows and these must be offset so neighbors aren’t looking into each other’s home.

We are thinking perhaps we could put some type of skylight in the roof of the LR to let in more light to the central portion of the home. We added a window in the kitchen, and the DR will have windows to let in light as well, some of which will get into the LR.

We welcome your thoughts and any other suggestions. Thank you!

I vote no cover. I don't see a reason for it, and it will just make your house dark. If this is primarily eastern then you won't be in the sun in the afternoon. If you want to sit out in the rain, get an umbrella.

Thank you anj_p! Maybe a retractable awning?

No 2nd floor, perhaps skylights?

Thank you CDR Design. To answer your question, if I want to sit outside I must have protection from the sun for health reasons. We’ve tried umbrellas but they can blow over or break (and we have tried heavy weighted bases). They are also difficult for a short person to manipulate, put up or down. We wanted something to make it easy to sit outside.

The house, although not an authentic Craftsman is being decorated to have a Craftsman feel. Do you think adding a skylight(s) above the LR area would work? I will probably have a 9ft. ceiling in the LR, DR, and kitchen.

Thank you ker9. That’s a good idea. Just wondering if it can work with my 9 ft. ceiling and Craftsman look I’m trying to achieve via decorating (it’s not an authentic Craftsman house.)

What kind of roof is over this space? If it is pitched from the living room down to the edge of the patio, two or three sky lights might be installed to bring light into the space.

Thank you ptreckel. I don’t know the answer to your question other than to say there is no second floor, but the home, while not an authentic Craftsman will have a similar look. Below is a pic I took from Houzz but mine will be similar. However, it only shows the front elevation and my LR will be toward the back and in the center of the house.

My suggestion would be to first lay out the furniture to scale. There may not be enough circulation past the Living Room to the Kitchen where it is a main route. Really, this would just add justification for my next suggestion - move the Living wall out. Make the Porch just a 6' integral roofed area. A "patio proper' can then be extended out beyond that another 12' for the non-vampires. With 9' ceilings you should have transoms allowing a bigger window wall, coupled with the reduced inset (even north facing and covered) will have more light than before. Skylights depend on roof layout/attic height.

Thank you 3onthetree. I think I understand what you are suggesting, but I cannot move the LR room wall out because to the left is a hall to the bedroom and if I move the fireplace wall out it will interfere with the DR and bedroom windows. It’s a very small lot and we can only push the back out so far. I think my furniture will fit, because it fits now in a similar size LR with a similar flow pattern.

You can also look at louvered pergolas to cover/not cover the patio.

I have a somewhat similar situation and i plan to install a pergola. It will allow for added sunscreens when required.

Didn’t read all your restrictions, but wondering if this would work.

A pergola attached to house if feasible, or a stand alone, with a retractable roof could be a solution. Leaving it partially opened gives you shade but also allows for more light to filter into house.

Thanks for the information. I am going to recommend you wait until you move in.

Does your medical condition allow you to never be in the sun at all or to not be in hot sun?

The reason I ask is this: you are going to be getting mostly morning sun and then some overhead sun in the middle of the day. After, say around 2 in the afternoon, the sun might not even be in play in that area.

Also, you mentioned an umbrella and wind. Where do the prevailing winds come from. Unless they come from the east, you are probably good with an umbrella.

Also, have you seen these? They come in many different colors and sizes and let a lot of light in but also shade. This is something you could easily add after you move in and would save you $.

https://www.amazon.com/20x20x20-Oversized-Triangle-Garden-Desert/dp/B0085ZO3B4/ref=asc_df_B0085ZO3B4/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198098777641&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12275002154008823956&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9023750&hvtargid=pla-353439003292&psc=1

Thank you to all who mentioned pergolas. That is something that we hadn't thought about and will have to find out if it is feasible and if the HOA will allow pergolas.

I would leave it completely open so you get light in the house. Live with it for a full year and at that point you can add something for shade if you want to, but in your climate, and east facing, I really think you'll want the light.

Thank you calidesign. Will definitely consider this. I'm just curious -- given your name here, are you a pro? I've seen many of your posts, including those related to my questions, and your comments are always good.

Also, calidesign, if you have not looked at my sketch up top in my original post regarding the patio, please take a look as I would appreciate your thoughts. Any furniture we use on the patio will be seen from the bedroom and LR windows. I don't particularly like the idea but we need to keep the patio in the position it is in (recessed between the bedroom and dining room). Do you have any suggestions as to what to do with the furniture? Not sure if I can back it up between the LR windows because that is the fireplace wall.

@Joanie123 Thanks for the compliment. I'm not a pro - just have a life long interest in design and I've owned and decorated lots of different styles of homes in different parts of the country so I've learned from my own mistakes too!

You could place a small outdoor sofa with it's back to the fireplace wall, and use two chairs across from it facing in, with a coffee table between them. That leaves the walkway from the sliders clear. You can get outdoor furniture that can be left outside all year, covered or not. You could also use four chairs grouped around a small round coffee table. Chairs are more mobile and could be removed to a garage if you don't use thematic all in the winter. It looks like the bedroom wall extends further than your current patio. You might consider extending the patio slab to the end of that longer wall to give you a little more usable space.

Thanks so much calidesign! Good ideas. As you've said, given the climate and exposure the patio gets from the east, we may opt to do nothing. However, if we wait a year and have lost the opportunity to do a permanent cover on the patio but want to do something for coverage, do you have any thoughts about pergolas versus retractable awnings versus options that I'm not aware of at this time?

Calidesign, So you know I just posted something to you and the name appears as HU-338153728 but it is me, Joanie123. I don't know why this keeps happening.

I don't have any experience with retractable awnings, but any type of pergola or roof in that area is going to substantially limit the amount of sun you receive. If you want a permanent roof, it makes sense to do that as the home is built. But any other type of cover can be added later. I would personally choose light in the spaces you will use all year around rather than a cover over an area you will only use at certain times of the year, that will impact the inside areas everyday. If you leave that area open you could build a stand alone pergola with or without a solid roof further out into the yard. That would also likely give you even more privacy from homes directly behind you.

Los Angeles, CA, Pergola Design and Construction · More Info

Thank you calidesign. I think at this point we agree that leaving it open and trying it for a year will work best. Unfortunately, though, our lot is small, so I don’t know if there is sufficient space to build a pergola further out in the yard. Also, since it’s an HOA community we would likely need permission to put up such a structure because they take care of the property and we can’t erect something that will potentially block the machinery they use for lawn maintenance. We will definitely look into this option though. Thanks again for your thoughtful comments!

You could also use a standalone pool umbrella for shade if necessary. (Can’t add links or photos for some reason.)

Thank you ker9. I have thought about an umbrella, and have tried them in the past, but the ones that give me sufficient coverage are too tall and difficult for me to raise up and down, even with a crank handle. The shorter ones do not give enough sun coverage for me.

My personal preference would be to create the space with a variety of options. You could begin by covering the entire corner with a (flat top) arbor -- with bottom of the rafters as high or higher than the ceiling of the adjoining room -- thus giving you the option to add greenhouse panels to the roof later to shelter you from the rain but still enable you to enjoy the warmth of the sun.

You should plan your placement of the posts supporting the arbor to give you the additional option to turn the flat roof covered patio into a an enclosed space -- sun room / screened room. Plan you post placement for your arbor to enable you to have the option to add a pair of 6' wide sliding glass patio doors to each exterior wall, even if that is only one wall.

One additional thought after a second look and realizing you may have a solid wall on three sides of the space. Where is the rainwater now running off from this area and IF you cover the patio area, where/how will the rainwater run off ... a flat roof, including greenhouse ridged panels laid flat, has the potential to hold rainwater. A pic of the exterior of the house with this space might help the pros give you more info on such things.

Another thought if the planning or construction has not proceeded beyond the point where this is matters: Do you actually want to enclose/roof this patio area and block morning sunlight to the living room more than the roof overhangs already will?

Find out if you can use a long row of high windows on the limited window wall:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/167970261073723332/

Thank you suezbell for the suggestion. We are considering not covering the patio at all.

If this is to be a retirement home for the two of you, focus on creating a one bedroom home downstairs and make sure you are able to close off any upstairs or attic guest rooms to control heat exchange -- save on heating and cooling cost and potential for clutter and cleaning issues.

If your garage is going to be 26'or28' of the 42' width permitted on the front road side of the house, put the garage on the limited window side of the house.

Have a living* room behind your porch and an entry (entry that can be closed off from the rest of the house with a glass wall and French Door or sliding door) alongside that garage with the entry from the garage into the house within same front entry (space saving) -- and put your stairs in that front entry as well, adding another French Door to be able to close off the stairwell from the rest of the entry to save on heat/ac when upstairs/attic is not in use.

Put the kitchen behind the back wall of the garage -- more cabinet wall on windowless wall -- and use high windows above shorter / lower easier to reach overhead cabinets, except, if possible, over the kitchen sink -- put a traditional window there.

Behind the living* room, you'll want a hallway beside the kitchen.

Behind the kitchen, create a family* room kitchen with both dining and sitting area that extends all the way to the back wall of the house -- except, build a closet or small storage room at the back CORNER of that family room. Building only a closet on that corner could create the "room" needed to block the neighbor's view of your patio from that kitchen/ family room side of the house to create the privacy for at the back of the house, yet still leave the patio large/wider than if between two actual full width rooms, thus letting in more light to your family room sitting area.

Also, If you make your bedroom elongated -- longer front to back rather than wider -- that, too, could make your patio larger/wider (as well as make your family room sitting area wider) and let more light into your family room sitting area -- where I suspect the two of you will be spending most of your time anyway.

On the living* room side of the house, behind the living* room and across from the island between kitchen and family room, create a square hallway with a door to close the hallway off from the kitchen/family room areas.

From that square hallway ...

have a door that leads toward the back of the house into your master bedroom,

have a door that leads toward the side of the house and into a large walk in closet, and

have a door that leads toward the front of the house into a bathroom with a high window.

The reason I put an " * " beside living* room each time is because, with well placed recessed lighting rather than a central overhead light fixture, you could actually use that front living* room as your large formal dining room area.

If possible, use the high windows where you cannot have a standard window.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/167970261073723332/

OR see if you can be permitted to create a bump out for a modified bay window with the larger center portion of the bay be solid -- for art -- and have narrow windows that open and close in the sides of the modified bay window ... each facing front and back rather toward your neighbors on either side of your home.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/496310821404734990/

https://www.google.com/search?q=square+bump+out+bay+window&client=firefox-b-1-d&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=KZbqRoZ5mvXeXM%252CRZ1bU2OJzUOxBM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kQ9rJciHuSvHa90gXhXpSgPLElcfQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjK28f4x_TwAhW_EVkFHWABA5wQ9QF6BAgKEAE#imgrc=KZbqRoZ5mvXeXM&imgdii=HZ5HelmzkhSQQM

https://www.google.com/search?q=square+bump+out+bay+window&client=firefox-b-1-d&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=KZbqRoZ5mvXeXM%252CRZ1bU2OJzUOxBM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kQ9rJciHuSvHa90gXhXpSgPLElcfQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjK28f4x_TwAhW_EVkFHWABA5wQ9QF6BAgKEAE#imgrc=KZbqRoZ5mvXeXM

Joanie, you mentioned earlier that you must avoid sun exposure due to health reasons.

Some years back I was indirectly involved in a project to cover a patio with LowE embedded laminated glass in order to protect a child who couldn't play outside because he had solar urticaria (sun allergy).

This project ended up on one of the home improvement shows (no idea which one) on air at the time.

Not knowing anything about your condition, is there a possibility that a glass roof might meet your needs?

Thank you oberon476. That is so interesting! I will definitely look into this.

Thank you Suezbell for all the time and effort you put into the detailed description of a home above. However, without a rough sketch I am having trouble visualizing what you mean. I can tell you that this will be a one-level home and 42 feet wide but after that I sort of lose you. I would love to have a clearer understanding of your suggestions.

Thank you CDR Design. It's helpful to know about the position of the sun and the wind situation. Perhaps things won't be as difficult as I was anticipating. I have not seen the sun sail shade but it certainly looks like a possible option!

Sure. I just really doubt there will be a ton of wind there....surrounded on three sides by walls and protection from the trees on the east side. Hardly a Kansas cornfield. Right? The sun sail shades are aesthetically pleasing and not another visual blockade as you look out the living room windows.