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Porte Cocheres Steer Driveway Style in the Right Direction

More than a carport, these covered structures attached to a home provide protection beautifully

Rachel GraceOctober 19, 2012

Houzz Contributor

Many people have a "bucket list" of events and locations they'd like to experience in life; I have a bucket list of architectural elements I hope to have in future homes throughout my life. At the top of my list is a porte cochere (pronounced "port-co-SHARE"), a portico-like structure attached to a home that allows a car to pass under it. (The name comes from the French "porte cochère," or "coach door.") The roofed structure is similar to a carport — however, a carport is simply for parking vehicles; with a porte cochere, the vehicle can be parked for passengers to depart or unload while being protected from the elements, and then be driven through to the home's garage. Typically extending from the entrance of a residence, porte cocheres provide practicality and curb appeal.

What's on your architectural element bucket list? Let us know in the Comments.

Green Button Homes

Porte cocheres are a common exterior characteristic of Craftsman and bungalow homes. This 1923 Craftsman features a porte cochere, knee braces, exposed rafter tails and square-tapered columns.

RJ Elder Design

A porte cochere is basically a porch large enough for wheeled vehicles to pass through. They're so porchy that haint blue ceilings work beautifully on them!

HartmanBaldwin Design/Build

This porte cochere defines the contemporary Arts and Crafts entrance and provides for a weather-protected arrival via car.

Witt Construction

With a ribbon driveway and a porte cochere, this 2,887-square-foot coastal cottage in Maine brims with curb appeal.

Sanders Architecture & Design

An arched stone porte cochere looks beautiful and is functional at this French-style home.

Porte cocheres provide covered protection for the unloading of packages and people before the vehicle passes through to the garage.

sususu

This bungalow features a porte cochere, knee wall railings, knee braces and square-tapered columns.

Summerour Architects

This porte cochere beautifully frames the traditional garage doors beyond.

Mockler Taylor Architects

A porte cochere leads to a detached garage in the rear of this Greenwich, Connecticut, shingle-style house.

Browse more porte cochere photos

Comments (18)

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PRO

Monarch Stone International

5 years ago

LOVE all the examples Rachael, I am especially fond of the arts and crafts style! Our company supplied authentic reclaimed antique cobblestone for this amazing home in Pebble Beach, Ca - which included this incredible port cochere. The client selected antique sandstone cobblestone in a fabulous blend of 5" x 5" and smaller 3" to 4" squares, for the driveway and motor court.

Laide Ekisola

4 years ago

@ Monarch Stone. Your cobblestone looks a lot like porphyry.

PRO

Monarch Stone International

4 years ago

Hello Laide, some of the antique cobble we import is a porphyry, the one in the images above is not. All are incredibly durable and have worn to a gorgeous patina after 100 to 400 years! Check out Historic European Cobblestone for more images, give us a call if we can answer any questions!