See how new railings, decking, decor and paint elevate the comfort and curb appeal of these spaces
Location: East Hill neighborhood of Pensacola, Florida
Size: 400 square feet (37 square meters)
Designer: Dalrymple | Sallis Architecture
Before: The wraparound porch on this cottage built in 1908 wasn’t a comfortable or inviting spot for the homeowners to enjoy, as the sloping deck made footing and furniture placement awkward and the lack of railing left the homeowners feeling as if they might fall off the edge and into the bushes.
Architect and homeowner Dean Dalrymple saw renovating the porch as an opportunity to also create a more attractive pitch to the roof, improve detailing and bring it up to more recent hurricane-related codes.
The wraparound porch comprises three zones: an outdoor living area on one side, a small seating area at the corner and a reading nook around the other side. “Having three zones means we can pick where we hang out depending on the number of people we’re with and what we want to do out here,” Dalrymple says.
Exterior paint: Fjord 2250, Sherwin-Williams (discontinued, but the company will mix it upon request); trim paint: White Heron, Sherwin-Williams
T1-11 plywood siding covers the ceiling, which resembles tongue-and-groove wood paneling but with a lower price tag.
Location: Kirkwood neighborhood of Atlanta
Size: 130 square feet (12 square meters)
Designers: Developer and builder Stryant Construction and Urban Purpose Design, which acted as the architect for the project
Before: This run-down bungalow needed extensive work, but the remodeling team tasked with upgrading it saw potential. “[It had] cute lines. It was a charming bungalow,” says Micaela Roberts Quinton, co-founder and principal designer of Urban Purpose Design.
Part of the renovation including updating the entry and front door, which sat inside the dilapidated screened porch.
The team added new brick steps and removed the screens and awning, creating an open and inviting front entry. They also relocated the front door. “We put it in the middle of the house to give it symmetry,” Quinton says. A pair of windows flanking the front door brings balance to the design and welcomes more natural light into the house.
Main house paint color: Steel Wool 2121-20; trim paint color: Chantilly Lace 2121-70; porch ceiling paint: Pewter 2121-30, all from Benjamin Moore
Restored 1940s glider chairs add a rustic feel to the porch that ties in with the color and era of the home. An outdoor ceiling fan keeps air moving and the area comfortable on hot summer days.
Location: Washington Park neighborhood of Denver
Size: 170 square feet (15.8 square meters)
Designer: Tammy Kuhn of Evergreen Interior Designs
Before: Homeowners Lucy and Todd Stribley hired designer Tammy Kuhn to get their new home move-in ready while they still lived across the country in Virginia. While the porch of their future home was already in great shape, the homeowners tasked Kuhn with giving the space more color and losing the existing dark storm door.
Paint: exterior wall: Templeton Gray; trim: Buxton Blue; front door: Oxford Gold, all Benjamin Moore
The outdoor cushions are brought inside during rain or snow, but the chairs— made with a resilient synthetic upper — can be left out all year.
Throw pillows on porch swing: Surya
Location: Athens, Georgia
Size: 156 square feet (14.4 square meters)
Designer: Imery Group
Before: The covered porch that sat behind homeowner John Crowley’s house was dark, uninviting and, ultimately, unused.
Crowley, a former dean of environmental design, wanted to turn the space into a “buffer room” that would bridge the home and the outdoors. He employed Luis Imery and the Imery Group’s construction and engineering expertise to transform the unused space into a welcoming extension of the home.
A new fireplace and ceiling fan are the only sources of climate control in the room, with spray-foam insulation, advanced framing and high-performance windows helping to maintain a tight building envelope.
