An open porch can be a great addition to your home and provide a virtually unobstructed view to the great outdoors. Whether you have square posts or round columns that sit atop stacked stone bases, or hip, gabled, or coffered ceiling, covered porch design options are almost limitless.

And once you’ve decided to build a new open porch addition, how can you maximize your enjoyment? Let us count the ways! How about a nice stone fireplace for entertaining? What about adding a stunning spiral staircase? Add seating and chairs and your open porch becomes the ideal location for memorable dining and games. Hang long curtains from your open porch and create a cozy, Southern sleeping area. Many covered, open porches feature gabled ceilings with pendant lights or ceiling fans for a relaxing ambiance.

You might want to consider putting an open porch over an existing deck. If you’re hankering for a ground level porch, eliminating the railing will make your new outdoor room appear even larger and more expansive. And from a purely practical view, if the back of your house receives a lot of sun, an open porch can reduce your home’s energy bills.

What’s it like to enjoy an open-air porch?

With an open-air porch, you have an unimpeded view. You can cook there, since screens don’t hold the smoke in. The floor area — minus walls — feels bigger. If it’s connected to an adjoining deck — a project we often build — one space flows seamlessly into the next. Think of it this way… with a screened porch, you’re bringing the indoors outside. With a porch like this, you’re bringing the outdoors inside.