Bonjour and welcome to our Art of the Home gallery of front porch ideas we handpicked just for you. Enjoy your visit!
Porches give the home character while making it more attractive – it’s a spot to linger on lazy afternoons just watching the day unfold, an area to greet guests and neighbors before they enter your home, or just as an extra space to gather with family and friends. A porch can also double up as a sunroom and if you opt for a screened porch, it can protect you from the elements (rain, bugs) so you get to enjoy the outdoors for several seasons. Now depending on the design you’re looking for and your budget, you can find beautiful DIY front porch plans…how about that for a memorable family project!
As you will discover from the front porch ideas below, front porches are typically integrated into the main roofline allowing you to extend the front of the house outdoors. They are usually supported by beams or columns which can blend in with the facade or painted to add a splash color to the front porch. Other porch designs can wrap around the house giving you both a front porch and a back porch to enjoy. Open front porches are ideal if you want to feel the breeze in your face but are not suitable for all geographic locations so you can also opt for a screened porch if you don’t want bugs for company. And to add to the comfort of your front porch, you can hang a swing bench or daybed to relax or simply wait for your guests to arrive. And of course, depending on the seasons, you can add plants and trellises with colorful crawlers to add color and fragrance to your home. Your front porch, your blissful outdoor gateway into your home sweet home.
So if you’re looking for charming front porch ideas, check the photos we hand-picked especially for you. We hope they’ll inspire you in making your front porch a relaxing and beautiful outdoor space. Enjoy and beautiful day to you!
1. Sweet Sweet Arbor
The Little Plus: the arbor and trellis in all its floral glory. Decked in glorious white flowers and abundant vines, the arbor lends a whimsical feel to this white and neutral palette cottage. Brick steps that add texture welcome you in the mini porch and the Adirondack chair beckons in its simplicity. Spending mornings here enjoying a warm cup of hot chocolate as the sweet scent of the blooms waft in the air. Heaven.
2. French Quarter
The Little Plus: the hardwood Brazilian cherry floor with dark reddish brown tones, the perfect canvas for the white furniture and green accents on the porch. Ladder back rocking chairs with rush seats and stools as side tables stand out brightly against the front porch wood floor. And the green shutters mesh in harmony with the plants in the space adding to the organic feel of the brown and green color scheme. One can actually forget about the time and rock away well into the night in this comfortable cocoon.
3. Trimmed in Green
The Little Plus: the area rugs, with their practical earth tones, define three different spaces on this spacious wraparound porch, creating pockets of intimacy. Oversized windows take the airy ambiance of the outdoors into the living room, while the green wood frame and green touches on the pillars tie everything together. And the dark ceiling fan contrasts to the white ceiling and gives just the right amount of cool air to the area.
4. Swing Low Sweet Chariot
The Little Plus: the DIY swing bench – an easy rustic addition in muted gray is the only available seating on the porch. It’s playful presence amidst its stone counterparts and large columns beckon for cheerful conversations. The timeworn surface of the flagstone tile flooring gives the porch some texture and traction that ensures children’s safety as they run around the bench. Also, the flowers add color to the space and give just the right amount of privacy to the little girls and boys playing peek-a-boo!
5. Taqueria Porch
The Little Plus: the cheerful interplay of textures and colors transforms this garage porch into a space that puts a smile on anyone’s face. Wooden floor planks and columns, abstract tile pattern, stones, pebbles all work together to create an inviting eclectic mix fit for a hideaway. And the antique chandelier and sconces, also the terracotta vases add that weathered touch. You know what’s missing in this place? Tacos! And a giant blooming cactus.
6. Mini in Santorini
The Little Plus: the blue French doors and louvered shutters opening out to this white mini porch. Tall pergola posts attached to the main structure of the house create a more open outdoor room while the low concrete fence delineates the area from the rest of the backyard. And the crafty use of cables in lieu of a trellis helps the bougainvillea vines up the pergola rafters. A blue and white home color scheme always take you back to Santorini and its resort-like laid back ambiance.
7. A is for A-door-able
The Little Plus: the bronze porch lamps held up by scrolled acanthus leaf brackets are like welcoming beacons ready to usher you in, exuding warmth even before you get inside the house. Shuttered wooden French doors and windows line this narrow rain porch, and an imposing double door leads to the foyer. Notice how it’s dark stain against the white facade and faux-marble porch flooring to create a welcoming colonial look. And the single cane bench with turned legs sits waiting for someone to charm into staying.