Front Porch Designs to Wow Your Neighbors

April 28, 2022

Front porch designs are an essential part of any home exterior. Your porch is often one of the first things visitors and passersby notice about your home — and it’s key to your home’s curb appeal. With so much attention on your porch, the decision to take on a porch project is a big one. Your new porch design should blend in with your home exterior while also meeting your personal preferences and needs. But when considering front porch design ideas, where do you begin?

1. First, learn about the different types of porches to get a sense of what your new space could incorporate.
2. Then, get some quick tips on planning for your porch project.
3. Finally, discover front porch designs based on home architectural style to get inspiration for your build.

WANT AN OVERVIEW OF FRONT PORCH IDEAS? Read our Front Porch Ideas Series to get a broad look at your porch possibilities.

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FAQ: What Are the Different Types of Porches?

Before diving into front porch designs, it’s important to understand what types of structures are considered porches so you can better plan for your design. A porch is generally defined as a covered area or structure attached to the front of a building as part of the entryway. But there are several different types of porches:

• Open porch: Refers to the quintessential idea of a porch with wide stairs leading to a covered entryway on the front of a home.
• Verandas: Porches that are level with the ground floor and covered by a roof. They are often partially enclosed by a railing and frequently wrap around the front and sides of the home.
• Wraparound porch: Similar to a veranda, a wraparound porch wraps around at least one corner or more of the home and is often covered overhead.
• Screened-in porch: A type of porch which is fully enclosed with a solid roof and screens along its perimeter.
• Sunrooms: Finished rooms built off your home that feature four walls with windows.

Keep in mind that while a porch is similar to a deck, a deck is typically a roofless structure built on the back of the home, rather than a covered structure on the front of your home.

Quick Planning Tips for Your Porch Project

To upgrade your porch with a new design, you’ll need a plan — and that plan will likely involve either adding a new front porch (building from scratch) or remodeling your existing porch. Get tips and planning guidance for each type of porch project.

With project planning guidance in your back pocket, you’re ready to explore front porch designs for inspiration.

Front Porch Designs by Architectural Style

The architectural style of your home is a key component of your exterior design — and plays a big role in front porch designs. Why? Because your porch should look like an integral part of your home design, rather than a mismatched addition.

Explore these front porch designs categorized by home architectural style to get ideas for your own project. As you consider these ideas, keep an open mind: You don’t need to have the exact style of home depicted to incorporate elements of the design into your vision.

Scandinavian-Style Wraparound Front Porch

Scandinavian homes champion warm neutral colors, the use of natural materials, and a sense of minimalism. Even if your home’s architectural style isn’t specifically Scandinavian, the style’s versatile design elements are easy to incorporate into most front porch designs.

Scandinavian Front Porch Design Ideas

To evoke a Scandinavian-inspired look and feel for your front porch, consider working in one or more of these design elements.

WARM TONES & NATURAL FIBERS

Scandinavian design draws its irresistibly inviting look and feel from an emphasis on warm wood tones and natural fibers. Choose sunny tan porch boards like Weathered Teak^® for your foundation and layer in other natural textures like woven furniture for a quintessential Scandinavian feel.

CRISP BLACK & WHITE COLOR SCHEME

Stick to neutral colors, but amp up the contrast with black and white. Use black and white furniture and décor made of different materials for textural variety throughout your space. For a pop of vibrancy, consider painting your front door a dynamic color like turquoise.

MIXED MATERIAL RAILING

Embrace the Scandinavian trend of using a mix of natural materials with a mixed material railing. Choose the Drink Rail with a Weathered Teak deck board top rail and pair it with white composite posts and sleek black metal balusters for a multi-textured design.

Traditional-Style Veranda Porch

Have a traditional-style home? Then your home likely champions classic design elements such as:

• A warm, dark color scheme
• Harmonious, symmetrical shapes and designs
• Subtle, yet sophisticated details

Traditional Front Porch Design Ideas

These front porch designs incorporate the elegant, inviting elements of traditional design for an attractive, familiar aesthetic. Explore these front porch design ideas for inspiration on how to integrate traditional touches into your vision.

WARM, INVITING TONES

Traditional homes typically feature richly hued, natural tones that evoke a cozy, warm atmosphere. Bring that same cozy feel to your porch design with saturated porch boards like Mahogany that feature a lush, traditional wood tone.

CLASSICALLY INSPIRED FURNITURE

Classically inspired furniture features gently curving, symmetrical shapes, warm wood tones, and patterned upholstery. To evoke this classical elegance outdoors, choose patio furniture reminiscent of interior design such as wingback chairs. Add in patterned throw pillows for greater texture and dimension.

STATELY ENTRYWAY

Give your porch design a stately entryway with crisp white PVC column wraps and a matching white composite railing to draw guests through to your front door. For subtle sophistication that elevates your design, opt for milled detailing in your columns and railing posts.

Modern Farmhouse Open Front Porch

A modern farmhouse home takes the comfortable, relaxed aspects of the traditional farmhouse style and incorporates modern touches such as:

• Simple, clean lines
• Minimalist décor
• Neutral color scheme

Mid-Century Modern Front Porch Design Ideas

Incorporate one or more of these modern contemporary front porch design ideas in your own project for a modern farmhouse feel.

COOL, GRAY FOUNDATION

Embrace the neutrality of a modern farmhouse style with gray porch boards such as Coastline^®. For subtle visual interest and a touch of the unexpected, consider mixing multi-width (3.13” and 5.5”) porch boards or even incorporate Multi-Width Decking (3.5”, 5.5” or 7.25″ boards).

CLEAN LINES & SYMMETRY

A modern farmhouse champions defined lines and a symmetrical design. Choose design features like straight column wraps or simple window surrounds with little to no detailing to embrace the simple, clean lines of this style.

SIMPLE, FUNCTIONAL DÉCOR

Pictured: Image courtesy of Yardzen

When it comes to porch décor, choose pieces that not only match the aesthetic feel of your space but also improve functionality. A simple wood stool, a metal watering can, and a broom all provide different material textures with a rustic feel while also serving specific functions.

Coastal-Style Open Front Porch

The coastal style embraces a light and airy feel with natural materials and a cool color scheme often punctuated with dark and light blues alike. Whether or not you live by the sea, you can capture the fresh, light feel of the coastal style with these front porch designs.

Coastal Front Porch Design Ideas

These front porch design ideas focus on bringing the colors and feeling of the beach to you.

RICH GRAY FOUNDATION

Evoke the feel of black sand beaches with deeply saturated gray porch boards such as Dark Hickory. Use light wood toned furniture and other light-colored décor elements to create balance with the rich color of your boards.

COOL BLUE & LIGHT NATURAL TONES

Offset your deeply hued foundation with woven furniture featuring light natural tones. Incorporate the coastal-style’s favorite blue hues in throw pillows for your furniture. Take the blue trend further by painting your window surrounds a similar color as your throw pillows.

CLEAN WHITE ACCENTS

Bring the light, airy feel of the coastal style to your space with bright white PVC trim used as stair risers and as column wraps. The white trim creates clean, crisp lines with your dark porch foundation for a fresh, defined look.

Front Porch Designs: Start Your Project

With the front porch designs you need to fuel your creativity, it’s time to get started planning for your porch project. Start by ordering free samples of TimberTech^® Porch boards to find the perfect hue for your new space. Be sure to place samples in the front of your home to get a sense for how each color looks and feels in different lighting throughout the day.

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