Decorator Secrets for Your Porch

Capturing the View
The architectural appreciation didn’t stop there. Landscape architect Gavin Duke sketched out the fretwork for a railing to wrap around the porch. Why bother? Because an intricate railing such as this one makes the porch seem more like a room of its own, not just a patio that juts out into a lawn. Still, you want the landscape to come into view, and Mark says copper or bronze screens are a smarter buy. “They oxidize faster and have a way of disappearing into the background better, unlike the galvanized metal ones,” he explains.

Matchy-Matchy Is a No-No
Always decorate your porch as if it’s a room in the house. If the colors are different―à la bold, beachy prints when your rooms indoors have mostly solids and neutrals―the porch will stand out, but in a weird way. Jennifer and Mark chose pieces that flow with the rest of the furniture in the house, aiming for a collected-over-time look. A stone-and-iron table pairs with wooden chairs. Rattan wicker chairs sit underneath copper lanterns. “I’m so glad we screened it in because now this porch feels as cozy as a room in our house, only you get to be outside,” says Jennifer. “People come over, they grab a glass of wine, and they head out there. And when the kids are out there, one of them is always swinging. It just has a really nice feeling.” Just as home should be.

"Steal These Secrets" is from the April 2008 issue of Southern Living.