Porch of the Week: Screened Retreat Provides Year-Round Enjoyment
A designer creates an indoor-outdoor space that offers the best of both worlds for a family in North Carolina
Annie Thornton
July 11, 2020
Houzz Editorial Staff
A family in Apex, North Carolina, debated renovating their home’s interiors or adding a screened porch for 10 years before ultimately choosing to add the porch. “Her dream had been to have a screened-in porch,” designer Catherine French says of one of the homeowners. The family wanted a space that allowed them to connect with the woodland that surrounds their home while also protecting them from their region’s pesky mosquitoes and allergy-inducing pollen. Now, from the comfort of their screened-in porch, the family of four can dine, relax and take in the surroundings year-round.
Photos by Cat Wilborne Photography
Porch at a Glance
Who lives here: A family with two young kids and a puppy
Location: Apex, North Carolina
Size: 850-square-foot (79-square-meter) screened porch and 400-square-foot (37-square-meter) deck
Designer: Catherine French Design
The family wanted a space where they could entertain, eat and lounge while the kids play, and where one of the homeowners could comfortably work from home full time. Though there had been a smaller deck where the porch is now, it sat much lower than the house, didn’t provide enough space for the family to do some activities and didn’t cover or protect anyone from the elements or from mosquitoes. “We were trying to bring it all back up on one level, where they could entertain and hang out,” French says.
When designing the porch, French started with how the homeowners wanted it to function — as a place to eat and relax outside with friends and family (as well as a spot where one of the homeowners could work from home). The designer made the porch wide enough to easily accommodate a table for six, with plenty of room for kids and adults — and a dog — to move freely. Additionally, she also designated plenty of space for lounge furniture.
Then, French layered in the decor. “She loves the modern Scandinavian [look],” she says of the homeowner, which they finalized by browsing Houzz photos to create a space that’s white and light and would open up to the surrounding views. “She didn’t want to lose the view of the trees,” the designer says. The walls are covered with HardiePlank lap siding (Colonial Smooth), painted Highly Reflective White by Sherwin-Williams. There was room for a vaulted ceiling, which adds to the airy feel the homeowner wanted while also tying in with the rest of the home’s roof structure.
Porch at a Glance
Who lives here: A family with two young kids and a puppy
Location: Apex, North Carolina
Size: 850-square-foot (79-square-meter) screened porch and 400-square-foot (37-square-meter) deck
Designer: Catherine French Design
The family wanted a space where they could entertain, eat and lounge while the kids play, and where one of the homeowners could comfortably work from home full time. Though there had been a smaller deck where the porch is now, it sat much lower than the house, didn’t provide enough space for the family to do some activities and didn’t cover or protect anyone from the elements or from mosquitoes. “We were trying to bring it all back up on one level, where they could entertain and hang out,” French says.
When designing the porch, French started with how the homeowners wanted it to function — as a place to eat and relax outside with friends and family (as well as a spot where one of the homeowners could work from home). The designer made the porch wide enough to easily accommodate a table for six, with plenty of room for kids and adults — and a dog — to move freely. Additionally, she also designated plenty of space for lounge furniture.
Then, French layered in the decor. “She loves the modern Scandinavian [look],” she says of the homeowner, which they finalized by browsing Houzz photos to create a space that’s white and light and would open up to the surrounding views. “She didn’t want to lose the view of the trees,” the designer says. The walls are covered with HardiePlank lap siding (Colonial Smooth), painted Highly Reflective White by Sherwin-Williams. There was room for a vaulted ceiling, which adds to the airy feel the homeowner wanted while also tying in with the rest of the home’s roof structure.
Double doors from the kitchen and breakfast nook area lead to the new screened porch. To work within the home’s roofline, the porch starts out narrow and then opens up to the main living space. French describes the narrow section as looking like a hyphen, if you were to see it in plan view.
In North Carolina, screened porches can be used nearly year-round, French says. “The worst part is the pollen, so we used a PollenTec screen that keeps 99% of the pollen out,” she says. A fireplace warms up the space when the temperature goes down.
The designer chose durable, comfortable furniture for maximum enjoyment. The pieces she selected maximize how the family can use the space and also add a stylish quality that delivers some of the Scandinavian style the homeowner liked. French chose all teak furniture and all Sunbrella fabric in order to ensure longevity.
Teak furniture: Palecek; upholstered furniture: Alfresco Home with custom Sunbrella fabric
The designer chose durable, comfortable furniture for maximum enjoyment. The pieces she selected maximize how the family can use the space and also add a stylish quality that delivers some of the Scandinavian style the homeowner liked. French chose all teak furniture and all Sunbrella fabric in order to ensure longevity.
Teak furniture: Palecek; upholstered furniture: Alfresco Home with custom Sunbrella fabric
A gas-powered fireplace sits centered on the far wall of the porch, warming up the porch during cooler months. Screens on both sides retain the views of the surrounding woodland. The designer added a raised hearth for extra seating and covered it with the same 12-by-24-inch porcelain tile used for the fireplace surround and flooring. “Being able to hose it down was important,” she says of the material. By choosing gas, they didn’t need to build a flue or chimney.
A mix of overhead and wall lighting adds ambiance to the space and allows the family to enjoy the porch day and night. Like in an interior of a home, the light fixtures can be controlled individually or in zones, enabling the atmosphere to change with the mood. “We really tried to maximize the idea of sconces,” French says.
A mix of overhead and wall lighting adds ambiance to the space and allows the family to enjoy the porch day and night. Like in an interior of a home, the light fixtures can be controlled individually or in zones, enabling the atmosphere to change with the mood. “We really tried to maximize the idea of sconces,” French says.
In designing the porch, French worked to balance the Scandinavian style the homeowner liked while incorporating the more transitional architecture and style of the house. She kept the lines clean and the spaces open, design moves that work with both styles. The porch’s exterior, though, matches more closely with the home’s style, with contractor Architrave Construction working diligently to match the new and existing siding.
Steps from the screened porch lead down to a small outdoor deck that features Trex decking and the same vertical black baluster (powder-coated three-quarter-inch aluminum) used throughout the project.
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Any idea who did the fireplace on this project?
Clidk on the photo, it lists a few options.
I had an 8x40 screened in porch that ran the width of my house. I live North of North Dakota In Winnipeg.
We have so much mosquitoes and summer rain and spring melt and ....
that we LIVED in our porch.
It fit a table and chairs, some seating and a bed (going end to end)
It was heaven. We used it about March/April to about October.
Over winter it held extra freezer things:)
We LOVED our porch!
Had to sell it with the house though:)