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50 Front Porch Ideas to Elevate Your Home’s Curb Appeal

For a house that needs a refresh, implementing front porch ideas is a smart way to add curb appeal without spending like crazy. Still, designing a front porch is not a task to take lightly. If home is where the heart is, then the front porch is where the soul resides. Each front porch is not only unique to your house, but it’s unique to your style. “This is a place where you can express yourself and your creativity,” says Jennifer Hunter, owner of Jennifer Hunter Design in New York. “No matter the type, a porch provides the ideal opportunity to add seating and decor so you can play with the aesthetic and blend it in a way that connects your interior with the outdoors by using weather-friendly materials.” Before you dive into designing, consider the type of porch you have. Is it front entry or wrap around? Does it offer space for ample seating? Should you add greenery or a sculptural element, or even a new doormat?

What are the different types of front porches? 

Some of the most popular styles of front porches include open porches and bungalow porches. Open porches, also known as farmer’s porches, have strong support from the ground and can run along the front or wrap around the sides of the house. This type of porch can be elevated or rest close to the ground. “They often have a broad opening to the attached green space and usually don’t have roofs,” says Linda Mauck Smith, co-owner and designer of BLDC Design in Shaker Heights, Ohio. “A bungalow porch acts as an extension to the front of a house and typically is built with columns and are finished with a roof or a pergola.” Both open and bungalow porches can also be screened, to make the area bug-free. A portico, a porch that covers a front entry, is usually on the smaller side. It’s also roofed to protect anyone entering or leaving the main entry. A gable roof porch, which has a triangular structure overhanging it, and a front entry porch, which is a small slab of concrete directly outside the front door, are two other popular front porch designs.

How do you style a front patio? 

Style a front porch just as you would any other room in the house, but consider the materials used—much like you would when designing an outdoor patio. ”It’s best to style with wood, metals, and fabrics that are waterproof and fade-resistant,” Mauck Smith says.

If your front porch or patio has enough room, seating is essential. “A front porch is the perfect place for socializing,” Hunter says. “It is a space that is meant to be savored. Create a seating area with chairs and side tables.” A comfortable seating area will not only allow you to spend time on your front porch, but it makes the home appear more inviting overall.

How can I make my front porch look good?

“Avoid clichéd signage and stick with [items] that you might normally be more likely to use indoors,” Hunter says. To make the front porch look good, and perhaps the envy of the neighborhood, make the space a continuation of your interior design. “It’s a great space to have some fun and add outdoor-friendly accessories,” Hunter continues. “Be inventive with your styling by grouping a collection of potted plants on a coffee table or a single fern on a garden stool.   Lanterns or hurricanes are a great way to not only bring in decorative elements but also candlelight. This completely transforms the mood and allows you to entertain past daylight.”

Ahead, 50 front porch ideas—big and small—to transform the home entrance into anything from a favorite new book nook to a happy hour hotspot. Here, everything you ever wanted to know about front porch design.

60 Warm and Welcoming Front Porch Ideas

By

Kristin Hohenadel

Kristin Hohenadel

Kristin Hohenadel is an interior design expert who has covered architecture, interiors, and decor trends for publications including the New York Times, Interior Design, Lonny, and the American and international editions of Elle Decor. She resides in Paris, France, and has traveled to over 30 countries, giving her a global perspective on home design.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 07/14/22

The Spruce / Christopher Lee Foto 

Your front porch is your home's best chance to make a good first impression. No matter how big or small it might be, whether it is showy or unassuming, and regardless of the style of architecture, your front porch deserves as much attention to design and decor as your interior space.

A front porch can function as nothing more than a pass-through space or double as a second outdoor living room. It can create a convenient landing space for comings and goings, or simply sit there looking pretty, inviting passersby to wonder what else you have going on inside.

Whether you are looking to enhance your home's curb appeal, create a welcoming portal for both you and your guests, or make life a little more pleasant for all of those hard-working delivery people who visit your doorstep every day, check out these front porches in a range of layouts and sizes that don't skimp on style for some clever ideas on how to beautify your own outdoor space.

120 photos of optimal performance and design options

Many future owners of a private country house, which is just being built, do not pay much attention to the porch, and some even forget to build it. Someone simply did not provide for it, for others it may not be necessary to install it. However, in fact, the porch in a suburban house is a very important and complex architectural addition to the house, in addition, it can also have an aesthetic function, thereby indicating the elegance and originality of the building as a whole.

Therefore, its construction must be taken with all seriousness and responsibility, since it is from it that the entrance to the house begins. At the same time, most owners of their houses are trying to equip the facade of their house in such a way that everyone around would like it, the same applies to all extensions to the house.

It should be noted that from the point of view of practicality and convenience of construction, it is desirable to build it last, and if possible not together with the house, but separately.


The fact is that building a porch with your own hands will not be very difficult, almost anyone who understands at least a little about construction can handle this work. At the same time, in the process of adding to the house, you can come up with various options for the structure right on the go or improvise a little.

More instructions, as well as tricks from the pros, on creating furniture, decor and various crafts are on the website https://podelki.org/

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Material selection

Almost any available building material can be used as the base material for making a porch. As a rule, the main material for this extension is still concrete. However, you can use other materials such as: brick, stone, wood, forged metal.

In this case, brick is not recommended, as it is very strongly exposed to precipitation and temperature, which will eventually lead to its destruction, cracks will be visible on the brick and chips will form, and this will spoil the appearance of the facade.

But porch options using stone or wrought iron are a very complex and expensive option. Therefore, the most optimal construction option is made of concrete.

At the same time, it can be built in various shapes and types, after which, if desired, you can make a special lining to imitate stone or brick, and additionally embellish with various elements of forged metal. This option is the most acceptable both in terms of material choice and in terms of money.

So, let's look at the most common porch designs.

Open deck with steps

This is the easiest way to build this extension. There is practically nothing complicated here, except to properly mount the steps for the porch. A canopy is not provided for this design, so this option is the fastest in terms of construction.

Platform with closed walls

As a rule, this type is installed on low elevations, where special railings with railings prevent falls. At the same time, the fences and railings themselves can perform not only a protective function, but also a decorative one.

Closed porch

This type is primarily suitable for large and spacious country houses, where it is possible to make one part as a veranda, and the second directly at the entrance to the house, while the site itself should be very extensive.

This option is very convenient, since you can receive guests both in its closed part, for example, if the weather is bad outside, and in the air. Therefore, a closed porch is a very interesting option.

Construction of a wooden porch

Before you start building a porch to the facade of the building, you must have a clear plan and drawing of the structure. At the same time, the drawing must indicate all the necessary parameters and dimensions of the structure, as well as the structure of the steps, their height and width, the parameters of handrails and railings. You should not forget about what you want to see in the end, this is a very important point.

Next, you need to decide on the foundation and its dimensions. After all, the durability of the structure and its reliability largely depend on a high-quality and reliable foundation.


As a rule, the choice of foundation is influenced by a number of important factors, such as: the presence of groundwater in the soil, the terrain (hills, elevations). After that, you can get to work.

It is recommended to use hardwood beams for a wooden porch during operation, so that it would serve a long service life.

Equally important is the staircase, which is the link between the facade of the building and the porch. It is necessary to choose the method of constructing a staircase from the structural features of the facade of the house, here the choice is very large.

Construction of a metal porch

Metal porch is mainly made for cottages or small private houses. This type of porch is the most popular and popular, second only to wood. Knowing all the required dimensions, such a porch can be pre-welded, and then the finished structure can be delivered directly to its destination.

If there are no decorative elements made of forged metal in this design, then its cost will be much less than that of concrete or wood. Therefore, although the wrought iron porch is very beautiful and has a stunning view, it is quite expensive and also very difficult to install.

For such a porch, it is allowed to lay the foundation of a lighter version, since the metal is a rather elastic material, therefore, the impact on its soil does not have any effect. And in some cases, for such a design, the foundation is completely unnecessary.

Steps for this design can be made entirely of metal, or you can additionally make a wooden step, it all depends on your fantasy and imagination.

Concrete porch building

The construction of the porch in this version is quite troublesome and complicated. It is characterized by the presence of a solid and reliable foundation, so it can stand as long as the house itself.

At the same time, an important feature in the structure of this type of porch is that inside the formwork it is necessary to reinforce the steps with reinforcement. And in general, it is necessary to make a frame from reinforcement in the image of the structure, all this is necessary for a more reliable structure.

It is recommended to pour concrete in one step, but it is very difficult, so pouring with short breaks is allowed. This means that when the first pour was poured and slightly dried up, then you can gradually pour further concrete mortar. And so to the top of the formwork.

Canopy and canopy

The canopy over the porch is very convenient and practical in terms of the safety of the building of the house. Most often, a porch with a canopy serves as protection from the weather, at the same time, it can also perform a decorative function.

As a rule, the suspended canopy can be mounted on almost any part of the wall or surface of the facade of the house, with the exception of frame or prefabricated panel walls.

Almost every canopy, with the exception of a gable or arched canopy, must be equipped with a special gutter that diverts the water stack to the side.

Thus, choosing a porch to your taste is not as easy as it seems. The whole difficulty lies in the variety of choices and in the cost. If you have any difficulties with the choice, you can familiarize yourself and see the bright and colorful photos of the porch, maybe you will find something for yourself.

Porch photo

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Post published: 02.11

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Do-it-yourself porch to the house

The entrance to the house is the business card of the owners, so you need to make sure that it looks presentable. It is difficult to make a favorable impression of the dwelling as a whole, if the porch is built somehow, its design should emphasize the beauty of your house, its style and add a kind of “zest”. The times of inharmonious buildings or houses of the same type are in the past - today families want to see their home not only cozy, but also having its own bright individual face.

The first thing that shows this way of looking at things is the neat steps at the entrance. Let us consider in more detail what to choose if you decide to make a porch to the house with your own hands.

Beautiful porch design attached to the house

Wooden porch

The most popular and affordable option is the construction of a wooden porch. Most often, these simple structures are made of pine, it is inexpensive, aesthetically pleasing, and therefore popular.

Pine has a beautiful texture, if you properly install such a porch, carefully open it with varnish or paint, then it will look great for many years.

Wooden porch in white finish

It is not difficult to make a wooden porch by yourself, the main thing is to have the simplest carpentry skills

The photo shows an option for decorating a porch made of unpainted wood

Pine steps can be supplemented with railings, you can equip a special area for recreation, on which to put chairs, green spaces, decor. In the latter version, the porch will already resemble a small terrace.

Wood can be combined with natural stone, it is relevant in different styles, looks harmonious, suitable for building a platform, as a small decoration.

Porch steps should be easy to get on and off

A striking black and white combination

Very often, houses built from wooden materials actually repeat the simple and modern urban architecture, although it does not always blend in with the surrounding nature. If this has already happened, and the house, for one reason or another, was built according to an unpretentious project, the porch can save the whole thing.

It can be antique-styled, carved, decorated with a large number of decorative elements. It is good if the gates are made in the same style. This option, combined with a well-groomed landscape, will correct the situation, and make your home unlike any other, give it a unique look.

You can organize a recreation area right on your home porch

Wooden porch - the best solutions for budget construction

Spacious terrace with a porch

Wooden porch construction options with balusters and railings

Stone porch

Stone steps are the classic version of the house porch. In addition to durability and strength, the stone is always beautiful, the home will look presentable.

There are many varieties of natural and artificial stone, some suitable for laying out the base, and others for arranging a decorative element, it all depends on the style of the house.

Stone porch with solid wood canopy

Concrete porch base with stone pillars

Beautiful country house with luxurious finishes

Whether granite or marble, sandstone or quartz, dolomite - all these materials and many others will work for the project. Take into account not only beauty, but also practicality. For example, steps made of polished granite are flawless, but they are very slippery, rubble stone does not look so presentable, but it lasts a long time and is easy to lay with your own hands.

Tip! If you wish, you can build a large porch with monumental columns, the main thing is that it fits into the overall style of your home.

Stone is a strong and durable building material that can last more than fifty years. canopies and railings, less often they make steps from metal. However, a fully metal porch looks elegant and expensive.

In addition to aesthetics, the undoubted advantage is a high degree of strength and long service life. With your own hands, if not the experience of working with metal, it is difficult to build such a porch. However, you still have to put your hands on it, since it will often have to be painted and processed, otherwise the metal porch will become unusable due to corrosion.

Wrought iron elements of the porch look stylish and noble

Wrought iron pieces look very nice in combination with natural marble

Important! Take into account that metal steps are cold and slippery, it may be worth equipping a wooden deck.

Very beautiful and unusual porch with a friendly design

Brick porch

Attractive, solid and presentable version of the brick porch is also considered a reliable and practical solution for the exterior design of a home.

Installation of this design will take a lot of time, you will have to make an effort, but the work will pay off later in operation, because it will not require serious additional maintenance and constant repairs.

The use of brick in the construction of a porch is always justified from an aesthetic point of view

Brick is a material that is resistant to mechanical damage and can withstand heavy loads

Very often a brick porch has a concrete base, sometimes steps are covered with other materials. For example, they can be tiled, it looks cozy and homely. Again, as with the options outlined above, you need to make sure that the porch is not excessively slippery, otherwise in winter ice and snow will make your entrance to the house potentially dangerous, especially for children and the elderly.

Brick porch of the house practically does not require any maintenance

Concrete porch

Concrete is not only a versatile material, it is reliable, besides, any concrete project becomes budget by default. A concrete porch is a completely monolithic single structure, it will not stagger like a wooden one after a while.

In addition, the scope for creativity in terms of decorating the porch is almost endless. Concrete can be given any shape, any color or shade, and this will not affect the total cost of your project in any way.

Simple cast-in-place concrete porch

A concrete porch is often tiled. Often there are interesting options that are finished with stone, painted, processed with other materials.

In a wide variety of buildings, wood, brick, covered with siding, a concrete porch can be left without any decoration or special coating. The main thing is that it should be done carefully, and this will imperceptibly emphasize the decorative features of the house, the texture of the walls, etc.

Interesting porch design made of stones and concrete

Porch decoration, a bit about style

Ideally, any home decoration should be correctly combined with other elements, not only with the facade, but also with the fence, gates, even with a path and green spaces. The porch can be decorated in different ways, including tiles or polycarbonate, but this should be appropriate.


Tiles can be installed on both concrete and brick, which not only increases its attractiveness, but also helps to equip an additional seating area. Tiles should be carefully selected in style and color, in accordance with the chosen style of the entire site. Let's take a closer look at some of the styles.

Eternal classics in design

Recognizable features of any design in the classical style are rigor, exquisite consistency, harmonious moderation in decor. Usually, the porch in a house built in a classical style is equipped not only with a canopy, but is also complemented by beautiful decorative columns, classic railings with soft-shaped balusters.

Traditional finishing materials are stone (marble, granite), various ceramic tiles, as well as painted and carefully crafted wood.

Classic porch design with an open decorative canopy

In a classic style, decor is quite acceptable, and homeowners often like to work on it themselves, which, as a rule, gives the home a unique look and homeliness. It should be remembered that the classical style gravitates towards symmetry and correctness, clarity of all lines.

It is better to make the canopy over the porch high, and the stairs themselves wide, and not very steep. Beautiful railings with wrought iron elements are always appropriate, the style of which should be repeated in the decorative finish of the gate.

Country style porch

The style of coziness and rustic simple charm is timeless, no matter what country you are inspired by. A beautiful wooden staircase will be ideal for almost any style of country style, American, English or French.

Finishing in this style is accepted only with natural materials, concrete or polycarbonate will have to be abandoned, natural wood, rough stone will do.

Successful layout of a wooden porch attached to a stone house

Important! When building a porch with your own hands, you need to ensure that the texture of living natural material is preserved. Street lights with diffused yellow light and "grandmother's" rugs on the steps are appropriate in any country.

Designing a porch in country style is not so easy, there are many features and nuances in this direction of construction

Porch decorated in Russian style

In Rus', for a long time, the front entrance to the hut was not just beautiful, but frankly exquisite. The best craftsmen worked on the construction of the porch, it was decorated with complex carved ornaments and patterns, balusters and pillars of the most complex shapes. Today, the "Russian style" in the decoration of the porch is very popular.

In this case, manual work is not only appropriate, but also desirable, and if you know how to work with wood and can make an openwork porch with your own hands, then it is simply necessary to apply your talents here.

Russian-style architecture - very beautiful and elegant

The peculiarity of the "Russian" porch in the classic design is that it is not covered with colored paint, usually transparent varnish is used, since the texture of living wood should be noticeable. It is allowed to use wood stain, light toning of wood. There are no other strict canons in finishing styles, it all depends on the imagination and skill of the author.

Finnish Porch

Like almost any trend born in the Nordic countries, this Scandinavian style should demonstrate simplicity, but at the same time reliability and absolute strength.

Finnish-style house with a cute little porch

A canopy over the porch will protect the front entrance from snow and rain

Durable and beautiful construction of the stone porch

French charm in the design of the porch

French style involves a large number of different decorations, for example, in the form of ornate wrought iron bars on the railing, the front door, on which there should be a small glass “window”, is decorated with the same bars » in the middle.

The French porch is decorated with a variety of curly details, on the wide steps you need to find a place for several wicker baskets with fresh flowers.

High-tech porch

Taking into account the general style of the high-tech direction, you can see that straight and beautiful stairs, made with careful finishing of details, are appropriate in it. If concrete is not appropriate in the country, then here it is more than desirable, especially in combination with shiny metal and glass. Steps should be wide, as this style likes a lot of free empty space.

The black and white color palette is complemented by a metallic sheen. It is very cool to decorate the railing with shiny elements made of perforated metal, similar to factory blanks. A metal-plastic door is ideal for such a porch. As a decor, it is good to use “industrial” type lamps with white or cold neon light, which are usually mounted on each step of the porch.

Porch staircase with graceful lighting

How to decorate the porch attached to the house (photo)

The variant of the patio porch has already been considered above, the main decor of such a porch is greenery and flowers. On such a porch, a special platform is made, designed for small decorative flower pots, or arranging a cozy place for a short rest.

Flowers can be placed on specially made forged stands, hung in beautiful planters, placed around the entire perimeter of the fence, hung against the wall near the entrance to the house.

Home porch decoration options

Nothing decorates the entrance to your home like flowers. They are appropriate for any style, if your porch is completely low, climbing roses or clematis, hop branches can be sent to the fence. All this will not only add coziness to your home, but also create additional shade on a hot summer day.

Tip! To better protect the entrance to the house from the sun, you can use light fabrics when decorating the porch, this is especially appropriate in French and country style.

The natural color of the wood goes well with all shades

Harmonious porch design with thoughtful seating

When planning additional porch decoration, especially if you have a small patio, purchase small garden furniture.

Learn more