5 Screened-In Porches for Enjoying Fresh Air in Comfort

Photos by Paul Jackson Photo

1. Lakeside Loveliness

Porch at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with adult children
Location: Sunset, South Carolina
Size: 580 square feet (54 square meters)
Designers: Maggie Madarasz of Ridgeline Construction Group (interior design), Kellam Group Interiors (furniture selection) and Design Elite (architecture)
Builder: Ridgeline Construction Group

What started as a vacation home for a South Carolina couple with adult children and a slew of grandkids turned into a full-time residence. And with this porch nestled among the treetops and usable year-round, it’s easy to see why. Screens keep bugs out during summer while preserving views of the trees and Lake Keowee, while six motorized vinyl panels can be rolled down over the screens to help ward off winter’s chill. A patio off the screen door to the left offers a convenient place for grilling. With plenty of cushy swivel seating, a TV and a fireplace, the porch is as comfy as can be for a crowd or a smaller group.

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A dining table ups the entertaining factor. Openness to the home’s kitchen-dining area, where this photo was taken from, makes for an easy flow between indoors and the porch.

Pennsylvania bluestone flooring matches stone used on the home’s exterior and throughout the landscape, while an Engelmann spruce lodgepole pine ceiling adds rustic warmth. Custom railings boost safety and keep the views as open as possible.

Railings: Steve Howard Custom Fabrication and Welding

The porch extends from the home to offer idyllic views of the lake as well as shelter to a patio below.

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Photos by George Gray

2. Coastal Calm

Porch at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two teenage daughters
Location: Charlestown, Rhode Island
Size: 400 square feet (37 square meters)
Designer-builder: Mitch Votolato (architectural designer), Kristen Martone (interior designer) and Eric Marcotte (project manager) of Sweenor Builders

Big gatherings with extended family are as easy as pie with this three-season Rhode Island porch in a home that overlooks Ninigret Pond and Block Island Sound. A ceiling fan enhances breezes when the screens are in, while a gas fireplace warms things up when the vinyl windows are closed — making the space nice and toasty for watching football games on TV in the fall. A blue, white and wood palette helps keep the vibe calm even when the game action gets exciting.

Molding and ceiling paneling made of a durable composite product called Azek elevates the coastal-casual space, while river rock chimney veneer nods to the waterside locale.

Vinyl windows: Amazing EZ-Screen Porch Windows

An 8-foot-wide custom pass-through window by Centor allows for easy handing of food and drinks from the kitchen. Stools pulled up to an Adamantium quartzite bar beneath the window add convenient perches for dining or conversing with the cook.

Gray shingles on the wall with the kitchen match those on the home’s exterior and perfectly fit the New England setting, while tropical hardwood flooring creates a beautiful base that will hold up to the climate.

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Photos by Steven Mangum

3. Comfortable Connection

Porch at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired couple
Location: Santa Rosa, Florida
Size: 320 square feet (30 square meters)
Designers: Daniel M Martin (architecture) and Vicki Kaminski (interior design)
General contractor: Chase Green Construction

Sitting on a tight Florida panhandle lot, this screened porch is integral to the lifestyle of the homeowners, a retired couple. First, it bridges the main house (through the Dutch door at the back right) and a carriage house. Second, it has exterior stairs leading to a lake-facing yard. And third, it has loads of amenities: dining and lounging areas, a kitchen with a gas grill and sink, and a fireplace with a ceramic-insert pizza oven, which the homeowners love and use frequently.

The design team’s Adirondack Great Camps inspiration shines through in the rustic Tennessee fieldstone flooring, tongue-and-groove stained cypress ceiling and river rocks cladding the chimney and one wall. But because this is Florida and not New York, the screens can stay up year-round.

Screens: BetterVue; pizza oven: Chicago Brick Oven; grill: Napoleon

The mahogany door seen here at back left opens to the carriage house. Western red cedar shingle siding, the same as on the home’s exterior, clads the wall. Decorative stickwork — those X-shaped and diagonal pieces on the railings and at the top of the screens — directly references the Great Camps, while rocking chairs and a sofa with ottomans speak to the considerate comfort of any gracious summer lodge.

Here you can see how the porch bridges the carriage house on the left and the main house on the right. The chimneys are made of concrete block, but a mason wrapped them in full-size river rocks to match the rocks used on retaining walls throughout the neighborhood.

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Photos by Ryan Theede Photography

4. Wonderfully Woodsy

Porch at a Glance
Who lives here: A woman
Location: Asheville, North Carolina
Size: 225 square feet (21 square meters)
Interior designer: Brooke Kern
Contractor: Spoke

This North Carolina homeowner initially was envisioning only deck-furnishing help, but she had a budget for more. The designer knew that replacing the deck with a porch could truly transform this 1960s home — expanding the closed-in living room and immersing the homeowner in the wonderful woodsy surroundings. Voilà — the screened porch seen here was born.

Soothing grays prevail, especially ideal for when the homeowner perches her laptop on the side table by the sectional to work from home. Infused with midcentury style, the design also includes an Acapulco chair, sculptural tables and an outdoor rug with an abstract leafy pattern.

This photo was taken from the home’s living area; sliding doors can close off the porch when needed.

Ceramics: East Fork Pottery; ceiling fan: Minka-Aire

Photos by Katy Perry of Ascendant Imaging

5. Slide Show

Porch at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their three young children
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Size: 360 square feet (33 square meters)
Design-build firm: ReVision Design + Build

Underneath a newly built addition, this North Carolina porch replaced a deck to boost outdoor enjoyment for a family of five. It includes a lounge area, a TV, a ventless gas fireplace, a dining area, and a ceiling fan and heaters for year-round comfort. Wide steps lead to the yard, and a door to the right of the double windows opens to the kitchen.

Decking: Pressure-treated pine

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