Inspired Porches and Verandas

On this Raleigh, North Carolina, front porch, Nellie Howard Ossi brought in outdoor furniture by Kinglsey Bate. The rug is by Couristan, and the throw pillows are Home Couture. See more from our interview with Nellie. 

The cheerful vibe of Grey Gardens’ sunporch was achieved through a finely tuned collaboration. Architects Richard Bories and James Shearron of Bories & Shearron drew the plaster palm trees, and Mark Ferguson of Ferguson & Shamamian helped with restoring the diamond-patterned windows to the original smaller size with restoration glass. “I wanted the famous Marella Agnelli Bonacina 1889 rattan furniture, and Mark [Sikes] combined it with a bit of Soane rattan,” says Liz. Window treatments and pillows are made from recently introduced Botanica Trading floral fabric. The green seat cushions and yellow accessories were contributed by Jonathan Adler. See more of Grey Gardens colorful restoration.

In the covered space of Courtnay Tartt Elias’s front yard courtyard, the designer transformed traditional French-style indoor furniture using a fabric combination of jaunty stars and stripes. See more of Elias’s front yard courtyard.

The wisteria arbor off the back of the house is landscape designer Lisa Bynon’s favorite place on this Hamptons property. “I sit under this arbor for hours each day,” she says. See more of this Hamptons home and garden.

The screened porch at this 1845 home in Oak Bowery, Alabama epitomizes Southern style. Designer James Farmer chose a gray floor and light blue ceiling, and furnished it with a bed swing made in South Carolina and  pair of rocking chairs from Georgia. See more of this farmhouse renovation.

The Moraine was christened on a magical summer night that ended with dancing on the porch, which remains a favorite gathering spot. See more of this Hampton’s home.  Out East: Houses and Gardens of the Hamptons (Vendome, 2017)

The dining area of Bayside Cottage is tucked into a corner of the screened-in porch overlooking Davis Creek. Vintage batik fabrics cover seat cushions and decorative pillows. See more of this Hampton’s home.

Out East: Houses and Gardens of the Hamptons (Vendome, 2017)

A covered porch decorated by Meg Braff offers a comfortable grouping of rattan furniture in vibrant blue. See more of Meg’s designs.

Wisteria vines envelop the front porch of this Hamptons farmhouse. Designer Jeffrey Bilhuber had the porch floor painted in jaunty high gloss stripes. See more of this Hampton’s home.

Out East: Houses and Gardens of the Hamptons (Vendome, 2017)

A Dutch Colonial home’s generous upper terraces offer views of the Long Island Sound. The firm of Eric J. Smith Architect expanded the home’s back porches and terraces, providing indoor-outdoor living space along the entire length of the house. See more of Eric’s designs.

 Renewing Tradition: The Architecture of Eric J. Smith (Rizzoli New York, 2019)

“The back porch, with its view of the garden, is our favorite place to spend time,” says Suzy Currey of her 1843 Greek Revival home in Sparta, Georgia. See more from the Currey farm.

“On the back porch, we hung a mirror so either coming or going, you can see how you look. Everybody looks in the mirror when they come in or out of the house,” says Bunny Miller of the FLOWER Atlanta showhouse’s rear porch. The round form of the mirror she selected from Ballard Designs echoes a round window in the gallery. See more of Bunny’s spaces at the showhouse.

Brick floors add a textural element to the front porch of FLOWER‘s Brierfield farm showhouse, which features Adirondack chairs for taking in the views, vintage suzani pillows by B. Viz Designs, and Cotton Exchange lanterns by Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights. See more of the Brierfield farmhouse.

Off the kitchen, a classic covered porch serves as an extension of the FLOWER Palmetto Bluff showhouse’s entertaining space and offers vistas of the surrounding water. “One of the best things about living in the South is that the weather allows for outdoor living most of the year,” says designer Phoebe Howard. See more from the Palmetto Bluff showhouse.

From the cheerful, flower-lined pathway that leads to the front door to an old-fashioned porch swing that overlooks a lush backyard, the grounds and architecture of this Dallas house set the tone for its beautiful and welcoming interiors designed by Denise McGaha. See more of this Highland Park home.

“Having dinner on the porch is like eating in a tree house,” says interior designer Francie Hargrove, who paired Appalachian hoop chairs with classic European antiques on the porch of this Cashiers, North Carolina home. See more of this mountain home’s decor. 

The grotto-like dining terrace of Martha Stewart’s summer home in Maine, with its vine-clad arbor and hanging ferns, provides respite on warm days. See more from Skylands.

“At home we keep it cozy, but usually alfresco, with lots of bubbly, and ending with s’mores by the fire,” says Charleston event designer Calder Clark. Her covered porch and outdoor fireplace are the perfect spot for gathering. Get entertaining tips from Calder.

The patio, here set for dining, was the most lived-in space of the house from April to November, says Frances Schultz of her former East Hampton’s home. See more of the Bee Cottage.

The porch of Laura and Bill Buck’s Nantucket cottage is furnished in Lloyd Flanders all-weather wicker dressed in striped fabric, and offers garden as well as coastal views. See more of this Nantucket home and garden.

On the porch of Richard Keith Langham’s South Hampton home, antique wicker furniture, painted to match the exterior of the house, sports cushions in a lively salmon stripe. See more of Langham’s home.

At this property outside of Charlottesville, Virginia, a columned side porch with a pair of swivel chairs provides the ideal spot for morning coffee and taking in the fall color. See more of this Virginia farmhouse.

The family room of this Big Sky home connects to the outdoors by a slate terrace. The designers created a cozy moment with a Dedon hanging swing layered with a cashmere throw and fur pillow. A side table also by Dedon makes it easy to cozy up with a warm drink or a cocktail. See more of this Montana mountain retreat.

For the covered porch at FLOWER‘s Baton Rouge showhouse, designers Will Huff and Heather Dewberry wanted to create the look and feel of an indoor room that has been transported outside. “We call this our ‘Latticed Lanai.’” See more of the Baton Rouge showhouse.