A charming beach house porch offers family and friends a comfortable place to socialize while being cooled by ceiling fans. The exterior of this mid-century house needed to remain in sync with the neighborhood after its transformation from a dark, outdated space to a bright, contemporary haven with retro flair.

This lake house porch uses a palette of neutrals, blues and greens to incorporate the client’s favorite color: turquoise. A bead board ceiling, woven wood blinds, wicker ceiling fan and outdoor grass rug set the stage for Indonesian rain drum tables and a vintage turquoise planter.

Rob Karosis, Photographer
Country yellow exterior home photo in New York

Photo by Susan Teare
This is an example of a rustic screened-in porch design in Burlington with decking and a roof extension.

Screened porch is 14'x20'. photos by Ryann Ford
Elegant screened-in porch photo in Austin with decking and a roof extension

41 West Coastal Retreat Series reveals creative, fresh ideas, for a new look to define the casual beach lifestyle of Naples. More than a dozen custom variations and sizes are available to be built on your lot. From this spacious 3,000 square foot, 3 bedroom model, to larger 4 and 5 bedroom versions ranging from 3,500 - 10,000 square feet, including guest house options.

Elegant sunroom photo in DC Metro

This porch features stunning views of the lake and running trails. The furniture in the space is a mix of old and new, and designer furniture and custom made furniture. We used navy blue flooring material on the ceiling to add interest, color and texture. A new Waverton Cambria top sits on an antique Weiman lacquer table base. Mark Ehlen Photography.

A master bedroom with an ocean inspired, upscale hotel atmosphere. The soft blues, creams and dark woods give the impression of luxury and calm. Soft sheers on a rustic iron rod hang over woven grass shades and gently filter light into the room. Rich painted wood panel molding helps to anchor the space. A reading area adorns the bay window and the antique tray table offers a worn nautical motif. Brass fixtures and the rough hewn dresser remind one of the sea. Artwork and accessories also lend a coastal feeling.

This shade arbor, located in The Woodlands, TX north of Houston, spans the entire length of the back yard. It combines a number of elements with custom structures that were constructed to emulate specific aspects of a Zen garden. The homeowner wanted a low-maintenance garden whose beauty could withstand the tough seasonal weather that strikes the area at various times of the year. He also desired a mood-altering aesthetic that would relax the senses and calm the mind. Most importantly, he wanted this meditative environment completely shielded from the outside world so he could find serenity in total privacy. The most unique design element in this entire project is the roof of the shade arbor itself. It features a “negative space” leaf pattern that was designed in a software suite and cut out of the metal with a water jet cutter. Each form in the pattern is loosely suggestive of either a leaf, or a cluster of leaves. These small, negative spaces cut from the metal are the source of the structure’ powerful visual and emotional impact. During the day, sunlight shines down and highlights columns, furniture, plantings, and gravel with a blend of dappling and shade that make you feel like you are sitting under the branches of a tree. At night, the effects are even more brilliant. Skillfully concealed lights mounted on the trusses reflect off the steel in places, while in other places they penetrate the negative spaces, cascading brilliant patterns of ambient light down on vegetation, hardscape, and water alike. The shade arbor shelters two gravel patios that are almost identical in space. The patio closest to the living room features a mini outdoor dining room, replete with tables and chairs. The patio is ornamented with a blend of ornamental grass, a small human figurine sculpture, and mid-level impact ground cover. Gravel was chosen as the preferred hardscape material because of its Zen-like connotations. It is also remarkably soft to walk on, helping to set the mood for a relaxed afternoon in the dappled shade of gently filtered sunlight. The second patio, spaced 15 feet away from the first, resides adjacent to the home at the opposite end of the shade arbor. Like its twin, it is also ornamented with ground cover borders, ornamental grasses, and a large urn identical to the first. Seating here is even more private and contemplative. Instead of a table and chairs, there is a large decorative concrete bench cut in the shape of a giant four-leaf clover. Spanning the distance between these two patios, a bluestone walkway connects the two spaces. Along the way, its borders are punctuated in places by low-level ornamental grasses, a large flowering bush, another sculpture in the form of human faces, and foxtail ferns that spring up from a spread of river rock that punctuates the ends of the walkway. The meditative quality of the shade arbor is reinforced by two special features. The first of these is a disappearing fountain that flows from the top of a large vertical stone embedded like a monolith in the other edges of the river rock. The drains and pumps to this fountain are carefully concealed underneath the covering of smooth stones, and the sound of the water is only barely perceptible, as if it is trying to force you to let go of your thoughts to hear it. A large piece of core-10 steel, which is deliberately intended to rust quickly, rises up like an arced wall from behind the fountain stone. The dark color of the metal helps the casual viewer catch just a glimpse of light reflecting off the slow trickle of water that runs down the side of the stone into the river rock bed. To complete the quiet moment that the shade arbor is intended to invoke, a thick wall of cypress trees rises up on all sides of the yard, completely shutting out the disturbances of the world with a comforting wall of living greenery that comforts the thoughts and emotions.

Motorized, retractable Phantom Executive screens transform patios and porches into comfortable and welcoming outdoor living spaces. These motorized screens from The Shade Shop retract to be out-of-sight and out-of-mind until you decide you want to utilize them. When the summer sun feels a little harsh, put your solar mesh screens down with the touch of a button to shield the UV rays. Alternately, choose the insect mesh to allow for natural ventilation, while still keeping those pesky mosquitoes from entering your outdoor oasis.

Photo Credit: Mark Ehlen
Example of a mid-sized classic dark wood floor kitchen/dining room combo design in Minneapolis with beige walls and no fireplace

This is an example of a farmhouse stone porch design in San Francisco with a roof extension.

Tuscan Columns & Brick Porch
Inspiration for a large timeless brick front porch remodel in New Orleans with a roof extension

The shape of the angled porch-roof, sets the tone for a truly modern entryway. This protective covering makes a dramatic statement, as it hovers over the front door. The blue-stone terrace conveys even more interest, as it gradually moves upward, morphing into steps, until it reaches the porch. Porch Detail The multicolored tan stone, used for the risers and retaining walls, is proportionally carried around the base of the house. Horizontal sustainable-fiber cement board replaces the original vertical wood siding, and widens the appearance of the facade. The color scheme — blue-grey siding, cherry-wood door and roof underside, and varied shades of tan and blue stone — is complimented by the crisp-contrasting black accents of the thin-round metal columns, railing, window sashes, and the roof fascia board and gutters. This project is a stunning example of an exterior, that is both asymmetrical and symmetrical. Prior to the renovation, the house had a bland 1970s exterior. Now, it is interesting, unique, and inviting. Photography Credit: Tom Holdsworth Photography Contractor: Owings Brothers Contracting

Motorized, retractable Phantom Executive screens transform patios and porches into comfortable and welcoming outdoor living spaces. These motorized screens from The Shade Shop retract to be out-of-sight and out-of-mind until you decide you want to utilize them. When the summer sun feels a little harsh, put your solar mesh screens down with the touch of a button to shield the UV rays. Alternately, choose the insect mesh to allow for natural ventilation, while still keeping those pesky mosquitoes from entering your outdoor oasis.

On the site of an old family summer cottage, nestled on a lake in upstate New York, rests this newly constructed year round residence. The house is designed for two, yet provides plenty of space for adult children and grandchildren to come and visit. The serenity of the lake is captured with an open floor plan, anchored by fireplaces to cozy up to. The public side of the house presents a subdued presence with a courtyard enclosed by three wings of the house. Photo Credit: David Lamb

Inspiration for a farmhouse porch remodel in Other

Stacked Stone fireplace is featured on this screened porch. Rion Rizzo, Creative Sources Photography
Elegant porch photo in Charleston with a fire pit