4 Porch Makeovers That Dramatically Transform Their Homes
See how new railings, decking, decor and paint elevate the comfort and curb appeal of these spaces
A welcoming and well-designed porch extends your home’s living space and creates an attractive view for visitors and homeowners alike. The following four porch makeovers show the impact a porch makes on the appearance of the home, from a closed-off screened porch turned open entry to a dark front porch given a bright and colorful paint job. Which porch would you like to come home to? Tell us in the Comments.
After: The redesigned structure features a resilient and period-appropriate metal roof, attractive railings and wood decking. As the 8-foot-deep porch is only 30 inches off the ground, the team could be more flexible with the railing’s design, opting for an open “X” shape.
The wraparound porch comprises three zones: an outdoor living area on one side, a small seating area at the corner and a reading nook around the other side. “Having three zones means we can pick where we hang out depending on the number of people we’re with and what we want to do out here,” Dalrymple says.
Exterior paint: Fjord 2250, Sherwin-Williams (discontinued, but the company will mix it upon request); trim paint: White Heron, Sherwin-Williams
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The wraparound porch comprises three zones: an outdoor living area on one side, a small seating area at the corner and a reading nook around the other side. “Having three zones means we can pick where we hang out depending on the number of people we’re with and what we want to do out here,” Dalrymple says.
Exterior paint: Fjord 2250, Sherwin-Williams (discontinued, but the company will mix it upon request); trim paint: White Heron, Sherwin-Williams
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The new decking is 5/4-by-6-inch cumaru decking with hidden fasteners. They finished the wood with ipe oil, which Dalrymple advises be reapplied every 18 to 24 months.
T1-11 plywood siding covers the ceiling, which resembles tongue-and-groove wood paneling but with a lower price tag.
Read more about this porch makeover
T1-11 plywood siding covers the ceiling, which resembles tongue-and-groove wood paneling but with a lower price tag.
Read more about this porch makeover
2. Refreshed and Opened-Up Bungalow
Location: Kirkwood neighborhood of Atlanta
Size: 130 square feet (12 square meters)
Designers: Developer and builder Stryant Construction and Urban Purpose Design, which acted as the architect for the project
Before: This run-down bungalow needed extensive work, but the remodeling team tasked with upgrading it saw potential. “[It had] cute lines. It was a charming bungalow,” says Micaela Roberts Quinton, co-founder and principal designer of Urban Purpose Design.
Part of the renovation including updating the entry and front door, which sat inside the dilapidated screened porch.
Location: Kirkwood neighborhood of Atlanta
Size: 130 square feet (12 square meters)
Designers: Developer and builder Stryant Construction and Urban Purpose Design, which acted as the architect for the project
Before: This run-down bungalow needed extensive work, but the remodeling team tasked with upgrading it saw potential. “[It had] cute lines. It was a charming bungalow,” says Micaela Roberts Quinton, co-founder and principal designer of Urban Purpose Design.
Part of the renovation including updating the entry and front door, which sat inside the dilapidated screened porch.
After: The home renovation included an addition and a new paint job; the front porch overhaul crowns the transformation.
The team added new brick steps and removed the screens and awning, creating an open and inviting front entry. They also relocated the front door. “We put it in the middle of the house to give it symmetry,” Quinton says. A pair of windows flanking the front door brings balance to the design and welcomes more natural light into the house.
Main house paint color: Steel Wool 2121-20; trim paint color: Chantilly Lace 2121-70; porch ceiling paint: Pewter 2121-30, all from Benjamin Moore
The team added new brick steps and removed the screens and awning, creating an open and inviting front entry. They also relocated the front door. “We put it in the middle of the house to give it symmetry,” Quinton says. A pair of windows flanking the front door brings balance to the design and welcomes more natural light into the house.
Main house paint color: Steel Wool 2121-20; trim paint color: Chantilly Lace 2121-70; porch ceiling paint: Pewter 2121-30, all from Benjamin Moore
The decking and railing is pressure-treated pine finished with Charwood SW 3542 stain by Sherwin-Williams.
Restored 1940s glider chairs add a rustic feel to the porch that ties in with the color and era of the home. An outdoor ceiling fan keeps air moving and the area comfortable on hot summer days.
Read more about this porch makeover
Restored 1940s glider chairs add a rustic feel to the porch that ties in with the color and era of the home. An outdoor ceiling fan keeps air moving and the area comfortable on hot summer days.
Read more about this porch makeover
3. Colorful and Comfortable Finishing Touches
Location: Washington Park neighborhood of Denver
Size: 170 square feet (15.8 square meters)
Designer: Tammy Kuhn of Evergreen Interior Designs
Before: Homeowners Lucy and Todd Stribley hired designer Tammy Kuhn to get their new home move-in ready while they still lived across the country in Virginia. While the porch of their future home was already in great shape, the homeowners tasked Kuhn with giving the space more color and losing the existing dark storm door.
Location: Washington Park neighborhood of Denver
Size: 170 square feet (15.8 square meters)
Designer: Tammy Kuhn of Evergreen Interior Designs
Before: Homeowners Lucy and Todd Stribley hired designer Tammy Kuhn to get their new home move-in ready while they still lived across the country in Virginia. While the porch of their future home was already in great shape, the homeowners tasked Kuhn with giving the space more color and losing the existing dark storm door.
After: A new paint job, which uses colors from Benjamin Moore’s Historical Collection, brightens and adds vibrancy to the home’s stucco exterior, trim and front door. The new glass-paned door allows the now bright yellow front door to shine from the street.
Paint: exterior wall: Templeton Gray; trim: Buxton Blue; front door: Oxford Gold, all Benjamin Moore
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Paint: exterior wall: Templeton Gray; trim: Buxton Blue; front door: Oxford Gold, all Benjamin Moore
Shop for outdoor cushions and pillows on Houzz
The existing porch swing received a fresh paint job in the same color as the front door. Colorful midcentury-inspired patio furniture pieces, house numbers and outdoor lighting echo the decor inside the house.
The outdoor cushions are brought inside during rain or snow, but the chairs— made with a resilient synthetic upper — can be left out all year.
Throw pillows on porch swing: Surya
Read more about this porch makeover
The outdoor cushions are brought inside during rain or snow, but the chairs— made with a resilient synthetic upper — can be left out all year.
Throw pillows on porch swing: Surya
Read more about this porch makeover
4. Uninviting Porch Turned Plant-Filled Sunroom
Location: Athens, Georgia
Size: 156 square feet (14.4 square meters)
Designer: Imery Group
Before: The covered porch that sat behind homeowner John Crowley’s house was dark, uninviting and, ultimately, unused.
Crowley, a former dean of environmental design, wanted to turn the space into a “buffer room” that would bridge the home and the outdoors. He employed Luis Imery and the Imery Group’s construction and engineering expertise to transform the unused space into a welcoming extension of the home.
Location: Athens, Georgia
Size: 156 square feet (14.4 square meters)
Designer: Imery Group
Before: The covered porch that sat behind homeowner John Crowley’s house was dark, uninviting and, ultimately, unused.
Crowley, a former dean of environmental design, wanted to turn the space into a “buffer room” that would bridge the home and the outdoors. He employed Luis Imery and the Imery Group’s construction and engineering expertise to transform the unused space into a welcoming extension of the home.
After: The team enclosed the porch with windows that resembled the existing window pattern and added new brick to match the existing brick. “We wanted to create the feel as if this room had always been part of the existing home,” Imery says.
They removed the existing dormer and low ceiling, adding a new double-height roof to enclose the space and create the feeling of a solarium.
A new fireplace and ceiling fan are the only sources of climate control in the room, with spray-foam insulation, advanced framing and high-performance windows helping to maintain a tight building envelope.
Fireplace: Quadra-Fire
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The Right Dimensions for Your Porch
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A new fireplace and ceiling fan are the only sources of climate control in the room, with spray-foam insulation, advanced framing and high-performance windows helping to maintain a tight building envelope.
Fireplace: Quadra-Fire
Read more about this porch renovation
More on Houzz
Find more porch inspiration
The Right Dimensions for Your Porch
Work with a general contractor in your area
Shop for patio furniture
Location: East Hill neighborhood of Pensacola, Florida
Size: 400 square feet (37 square meters)
Designer: Dalrymple | Sallis Architecture
Before: The wraparound porch on this cottage built in 1908 wasn’t a comfortable or inviting spot for the homeowners to enjoy, as the sloping deck made footing and furniture placement awkward and the lack of railing left the homeowners feeling as if they might fall off the edge and into the bushes.
Architect and homeowner Dean Dalrymple saw renovating the porch as an opportunity to also create a more attractive pitch to the roof, improve detailing and bring it up to more recent hurricane-related codes.