We need to replace the porch on our home... And would like to replace it with something that has a roof and a little bit more space...

Ideally I would like a tall gabled roof with a steepish pitch for visual appeal but also so that when you sit on the porch it feels spacious.... But because of our upstairs window situation which I'm trying not to touch (to save and cost) that doesn't really seem to be an option.

We could do the patio/porch at ground level instead of two steps up as it is now... That would give us a little more headroom between whatever roof we put on and the patio itself. What are the downsides there though is that I would need steps from the slider down to the patio which would just make the patio space feel a little less connected to the living space / kitchen.

A big focus for me, is trying to find an overall design/style that really elevates our back yard space and makes it feel like somewhere you want to spend time....not just a bare bones functional roof over an identical wood/PT deck.

Here are some images of styles which appeal to me..

One of the concepts I have been thinking about with the new patio/deck is to not have railings around most of it, but rather wide steps like this since its only 2 steps away from the yard, this in my mind would help the deck/patio to be more connected to the yard which would make spending time there more appealing.

In the image below I liked both the fact that it incorporated wide steps as I described above but also a post and beam style (which I have always liked visually but which I think might wind up being somewhat affordable from a construction standpoint as I have a few post and beam specialists nearby who could supply materials/hardware) and also due to the height of the vaulted ceiling it feels airy and spacious.

My issues with this image are that I dont know how/if I could make a post and beam porch area like this work with my house's traditional (bland) colonial style.

Covington Farmhouse · More Info

I really like the unobstructed gable for lack of a better term...the fact that there is no beam going across the tops of the posts. I am concerned about this roof blocking our view out the back from either inside the sliders or while sitting on the porch....we have nice open views out the back of our house now...but I have no idea how they engineered the below roof without any additional support...not sure if it uses steel beams or maybe if each side of the roof is its own flat truss....either way, likely too expensive.

Rustic Elegance In Raleigh Hills · More Info

This was a possible truss design I saw which helps to keep the "gable more open" as described above...but I am not sure this would work, look right, or even be worth it since I dont have the space for a tall ridgeline with a steep pitch.

Porch with Fireplace / Guest House / Outdoor Living / Personal Getaway · More Info

or maybe it could work? the below example uses similar trusses but has a lower pitch

Backyard Retreat · More Info

And finally here is another design that I liked....and since it is not raw wood post and beam, the style of something like this might work better with our traditional home...