Before and After: 3 Upgraded Porches That Invite Outdoor Lounging

See how pros added space, style and comfort to take these porches to the next level of fun and functionality

Marianne Lipanovich August 6, 2022

Houzz Contributor. I'm a California-based writer and editor. While most of my projects are garden-based, you might also find me writing about home projects and classical music. Away from the computer, I'm found in the garden (naturally), on my bike, or ice-skating outdoors (yes, that is possible in California). I'm also willing to taste-test anything that's chocolate.

Houzz Contributor. I'm a California-based writer and editor. While most of my projects... More

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The best porches do more than simply provide a transition from the outside world into a home. They become a destination themselves, giving homeowners a place where they can entertain and encouraging everyone to linger and enjoy the surrounding landscape. The following three projects demonstrate how thoughtfully reworking a porch can give you the outdoor living space of your dreams.

Before Photo

1. Front Entry for Lounging and Socializing

Porch at a Glance
Who lives here: Jackie Calmes
Location: Washington, D.C.
Size: 265 square feet (25 square meters)
Design-build team: Adrian Andreassi, project developer, and Vincente Neto, designer, both of Case Design/Remodeling

Before: Jackie Calmes has been working with the team at Case Design/Remodeling for 20 years on various projects around her Washington, D.C., home. So naturally she turned to them when it was time to tackle enlarging her front porch.

Calmes wanted an elegant and inviting outdoor space where she could entertain year-round, weather permitting. Other requests included shading her overly sunny front reading room right off the entry without blocking all of the natural light, and creating a way to go from the porch to the backyard without going through the house.

And because the porch is also the home’s front entrance, the extension not only had to complement the home’s 1938 architecture but also seamlessly flow with the existing structure.

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Case Architects & Remodelers

After: The new 82-square-foot porch extension runs almost to the end of the front of the house. A new railing across the entire porch meets building codes and creates a more traditional look. There is also a painted wood trellis overhead to block some of the sun’s rays without closing the porch off completely.

Trim and column paint: Extra White, Sherwin-Williams; shutter paint: Arabian Red, Behr

Case Architects & Remodelers

New bluestone pavers run across the porch, covering what had been a bare concrete slab. “The client requested that we included the same type of stones used in their garden, so we ran it across the whole porch to finish the concrete slab and to bring more character to the project,” designer Vincente Neto says.

Steps leading up to the porch on both sides also feature the bluestone pavers. A complementary split-stone veneer covers the step risers.

“The overall product looks very appealing and looks like it was original to the house,” project developer Adrian Andreassi says. “It is a typical project, but the finishes selected by the client made it special.”

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Before Photo

Patio of the Week Magnolia Jackson Design Build

2. Glassed-In Waterfront Retreat

Porch at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple who have a child in college, and their dog
Location: Seattle
Size: 950 square feet (88 square meters)
Designer and builder: Jackson Design Build with architects at Build

Before: The existing covered deck in Washington had spectacular views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains, and was large enough for entertaining. “These homeowners entertain a lot and host a lot of philanthropic fundraisers, networking events and other parties,” says designer Lisa Price of Jackson Design Build. There was just one problem: Sudden strong gusts of wind would send napkins flying.

“The wind whipped up from Puget Sound around the house to the south, then came back around the east side of the house through the [deck] back toward the sound,” Price says. The solution was to enclose two sides of the covered space to block the winds. That would leave the water-facing side open and with an unobstructed view while protecting the entire area from the wind.

Jackson Design Build

After: The architects at Build, who designed the original covered deck, provided general drawings for enclosing it as well. Price took it from there, turning to Cherry Creek Windows & Doors for doors and glass panels to best match the architecture.

Price also had an outswing door and three sliding sliding panel doors custom-made by Fleetwood Windows & Doors. She notes that the size of the jambs works nicely with the existing steel posts, and the new sliding glass doors help give the structure a look reminiscent of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s work.

The wide doors make the porch feel very spacious when the homeowners open them, when the weather is calm and the breezes manageable. The roof structure in the foreground (closest to the water) is open and matches similar details elsewhere on the home’s exterior. “It casts beautiful shadows throughout the day,” Price says.

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Jackson Design Build

The team also updated the steps and extended the deck to allow the homeowners to wheel the grill away from the porch. “The homeowners wanted a way to keep the smoke from the grill from pulling under the ceiling,” Price says.

A power wash and a new coating gave the deck a fresh feel. “The homeowners have told us that they are so happy, and that now they are able to enjoy the porch from February through October,” Price says.

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Before Photo

Nathan Fell Architecture

3. Contemporary Backyard Play Space

Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two school-age sons
Location: Metairie, Louisiana
Size: Porch: 375 square feet (35 square meters); backyard: 1,935 square feet (180 square meters)
Architect: Nathan Fell Architecture
Builder: Chatagnier Construction

Before: The backyard of this 1990s Metairie, Louisiana, home provided plenty of open space, but the small porch and lack of amenities did nothing to encourage the active family of four to spend time outdoors. They asked architect Nathan Fell to design a low-maintenance outdoor space for doing activities and entertaining. “They wanted it to be a mingling space,” Fell says.

Nathan Fell Architecture

After: The new 375-square-foot porch off the existing French doors overlooks a new pool and yard. The homeowners wanted it “to feel spacious and ample enough to inspire them to go outside,” Fell says.

Fell designed the porch so that it would stand out from the rest of the home but would still feel like it belonged. The soaring roofline opens up the views to the backyard and also allows for more air circulation. “It makes a big impression on you as soon as you step outside,” Fell says about the cedar-clad vaulted ceiling. He also turned the exposed beams overhead, necessary for wind load, into a design feature.

The roof shelters the outdoor living and dining areas, which elements including an outdoor TV and a tiled accent wall. (There is storage behind the TV wall.) Fell also added built-in planters to soften the lines and create a sense of enclosure. “It feels outside but almost roomlike,” he says.

Ceiling fans improve the airflow. “We intentionally placed fans throughout [the] outdoor areas so that there would be ventilation created everywhere,” Fell says.

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Nathan Fell Architecture

Wide steps lead from the porch down to the main yard with its rectangular pool, which is 8 feet deep and measures 15 by 25 feet. The pool’s dark plaster finish makes it appear much deeper.

The homeowners wanted the pool to be a place where people could hang out and cool off as well as play. Fell included an integrated hot tub, bench seating and generous steps to accommodate plenty of pool lounging. “It’s set up so that people can relax in the hot tub and someone can do cannonballs,” Fell says.

The outdoor pavilion adjacent to the pool includes an outdoor kitchen and bar, a bathroom and a storage spot for pool equipment. It also doubles as a lounge and covered game spot. “The cabana was key to keeping them outside,” Fell says.

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