Porch of the Week: Bringing a House Back to Its Midcentury Roots
A designer transforms a North Carolina home with a screened porch addition, a butterfly roof and a unified exterior
This homeowner, a woman who worked from home in Asheville, North Carolina, originally called interior designer Brooke Kern to help her furnish her deck. “She had a very healthy budget set aside, and after I met with her, I kept thinking there was a better way we could use that money. If she spent about twice as much, I knew I could add on a porch and truly transform the house,” Kern says.
She pitched the idea and her client went for it. “She was 100% trusting of my vision,” the designer says. The result is a beautiful and comfortable space where the homeowner can feel closer to nature in the comfort of her home, with a facade that returns the 1960s home to its midcentury modern roots.
She pitched the idea and her client went for it. “She was 100% trusting of my vision,” the designer says. The result is a beautiful and comfortable space where the homeowner can feel closer to nature in the comfort of her home, with a facade that returns the 1960s home to its midcentury modern roots.
After: The new porch addition gives the house a modern butterfly roof. Kern also tied the exterior together with Benjamin Moore’s Chelsea Gray on the siding, trim and brick. “The old facade had a lot going on. My approach in a pretty wooded setting like this is to help a house blend into the environment,” she says. “Using a monotone and darker palette let the nature surrounding the house shine.”
Under the porch, Kern added a smaller deck that her client outfitted with some of her favorite vintage outdoor furniture. She has also added a swinging bed that was not installed on photo shoot day. To the right, the designer cleaned up an area where the homeowner stores the firewood and added horizontal wood slats around a storage area for a neater look.
New railings continue around the new porch and the entire deck. “The horizontal railings elevate the look of the exterior and make it more modern,” Kern says.
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Under the porch, Kern added a smaller deck that her client outfitted with some of her favorite vintage outdoor furniture. She has also added a swinging bed that was not installed on photo shoot day. To the right, the designer cleaned up an area where the homeowner stores the firewood and added horizontal wood slats around a storage area for a neater look.
New railings continue around the new porch and the entire deck. “The horizontal railings elevate the look of the exterior and make it more modern,” Kern says.
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Kern found herself acting not only as designer but also as landscape grading coordinator. Part of the project included extending the driveway up to the main level on the other side of the house. Previously it only went up to the lower level, which was inconvenient.
“This meant we had to move a lot of dirt around,” Kern says. On this side of the house, the extra dirt from the driveway relocation wound up taking the form of a plinth located off the porch, held up by a stone wall.
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“This meant we had to move a lot of dirt around,” Kern says. On this side of the house, the extra dirt from the driveway relocation wound up taking the form of a plinth located off the porch, held up by a stone wall.
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Before: Kern’s original vision for the porch was inspired by the closed-off feeling of the living room. “I knew a porch could make the living room feel more expansive and become an outdoor extension of it,” she says. She also notes that the furniture seen here belonged to the previous homeowners.
After: “This 9-foot sliding door was incredibly impactful. It allowed us to open up the main living room into the porch space,” Kern says. “We unified the relationship between the two areas.”
Her client’s belongings gave Kern a great sense of her style. “My client already had most of the artwork and furniture, and I could see that she loved midcentury modern style,” she says.
Her client’s belongings gave Kern a great sense of her style. “My client already had most of the artwork and furniture, and I could see that she loved midcentury modern style,” she says.
Kern hung the painting by local Asheville artist Corey Pemberton a little high over the console on the right. “That piece is a custom record player, and the top of the center piece has a hinged top that flips open to reveal the turntable,” she says. The height of the painting accommodates the top when it’s open.
Before: This was the existing deck with views of the mountains and woods.
After: The porch addition replaced the deck. It measures 15 by 15 feet. The designer nestled an outdoor sectional sofa into one corner of the room, accented by dark bronze tables. An Acapulco chair adds a playful midcentury touch. On the ceiling, Kern hung two bronze barn pendant lights and a ceiling fan.
Ceiling fan: Minka Aire
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Ceiling fan: Minka Aire
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“My client had an extensive collection of ceramics by local Asheville company East Fork Pottery,” Kern says. “One of the company’s founders is Henri Matisse’s great-grandson and they make amazing pieces.”
The wood table on the left is handy not only for serving food but also for when the homeowner wants to work on her laptop out here.
The wood table on the left is handy not only for serving food but also for when the homeowner wants to work on her laptop out here.
The outdoor-rated rug has an abstract leaf-like pattern to it. With all the grays on the paint and furniture, Kern warmed things up with the decking stain for contrast. The bronze finishes also add warmth to the porch.
Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
This photo shows the open floor plan of the house and how the opening to the porch helped transform it. It also shows more of the client’s East Fork Pottery collection on the dining table.
“This client has told me how grateful she is to live in a beautiful home that I helped her transform,” Kern says. “She has a stressful job, and knowing that she takes her computer outside on nice days makes me so happy. Improving people’s experiences in their own homes, that’s what it’s all about.”
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“This client has told me how grateful she is to live in a beautiful home that I helped her transform,” Kern says. “She has a stressful job, and knowing that she takes her computer outside on nice days makes me so happy. Improving people’s experiences in their own homes, that’s what it’s all about.”
More on Houzz
Read more stories about porches
Browse thousands of porch photos
Hire a local design pro
Shop for your porch
Porch at a Glance
Who lives here: A woman
Location: Asheville, North Carolina
Size: 225 square feet (21 square meters)
Interior designer: Brooke Kern
Contractor: Spoke
Before: “The house was originally built in the 1960s with modern style, but over the years a previous owner had taken it in a more Craftsman direction,” Kern says. She sat down with her husband, who is a builder, to figure out the new addition, then passed the drawings on to the contractor.