When you think of the word “porch” what visual first comes to mind? A farmhouse with a wraparound veranda complete with rockers and a porch swing? Ask architects and the responses will be all over the board. When they imagine a porch, they strip it down to its most basic elements while holding onto the advantages and uses for the space. And when it comes to modern porches, the sky’s the limit.
Designing a modern front porch offers special challenges due to the unique designs and shapes found on a contemporary home. Style options are typically simple and sleek without much ornamentation. For example, when it comes to boosting the curb appeal of your mid century modern home, less is more. The design aesthetic for this period of architecture (1945-1965) is typically minimalist with clean lines, flat or gabled roofs, dramatic edges, and large picture windows. Exteriors were usually constructed from natural stone such as unpolished marble and granite, concrete block painted white, red brick, or redwoods.
Modern porches create covered spaces underneath roof overhangs with balconies overhead. Now, that strays from the definition of a traditional porch with a separate roof. But this interpretation provides the protection of a porch via an overhang from the main roof and gives you much more flexibility to work with your home’s layout.
We are starting to see a trend with owners of ranch style homes who are looking to do a porch remodel. They are seeking a smart way to give their mid century residence an updated, sophisticated look with a contemporary porch. As an expert porch remodeler, Georgia Front Porch can often help achieve that by designing and building a front porch that matches their contemporary design aesthetics. Sometimes that means incorporating flat tiles, sharp edges and straight lines without having too much detail or accents. A simple architectural statement for a front porch addition can have a major impact. Yet these porch designs also need to create a cohesive indoor/outdoor living space. Add bold furniture and clever modern landscape design to the mix and your home’s curb appeal just jumped by leaps and bounds.
But let’s not forget the back porch. As one example, when paired with folding doors that open completely, you erase the boundary between indoors and out with the porch as the transitional space between the two.
The morale of this story? If you are considering a front porch, or a screened or windowed back porch, don’t limit yourself to traditional designs. Let us help you consider all of your options be they traditional or more modern interpretations. We’ll listen to what you have in mind, add some new thoughts, and help you come up with the perfect porch for your home.