Screened in porch in Bryan / College Station, by Stearns Design Build. The perfect hang out spot.

Screened in porch in Bryan / College Station, by Stearns Design Build. The perfect hang out spot.

Adding a screened-in porch to your home is a great way to bring fresh air, daylight, and natural views into your daily living. Here are some things to keep in mind when dreaming up your porch!

Location

If you want your porch to be a social spot, locate it near your family room or your kitchen. This makes the porch an extension of these rooms, creating an additional space for your gatherings of family and friends. Connecting your porch

to a bedroom implies that it is a private area. If you want your screened in porch to be a secluded retreat, this would be the ideal location.

Also make sure that traffic flow doesn’t interfere with the activity in your porch and its adjoining rooms. Appropriately place doors to keep movement along one side of the porch or interior room, not through seating areas etc.

Sizing

Remember to think about the function of your screened in porch during the design stage. Deciding what size table, or what kind of storage you need (etc.) will help you appropriately size your space. Try to scale your porch size based on adjoining rooms and of course your house. This will ensure the addition blends well with your home.

Connection

Your screened-in porch should flow well and act as a transitional space that connects your home and nature. Think about connecting your porch to your yard with an outdoor uncovered space or series of terraces, especially if there is a dramatic height difference.

Bring daylight and fresh air into your home through your porch. Leaving rafters exposed is one way to increase ceiling height and reflect light. You could also consider adding skylights to help increase the amount of light received by connecting rooms. Align your porch design with existing doors and windows so that breezes can flow through the space into your home in pleasant weather. Adding more windows to adjoining rooms is another way to increase the presence of light and wind flow, while adding to the sense of indoor-outdoor connection. Keep the color scheme and wood stains on the lighter side in your space to help reflect light and create a truly refreshing space.

For some inspiring ideas and images, take a look at this article.