30 Pretty House Plans With Porches

Imagine spending time with family and friends on these front porches.

Eastover Cottage House Plan
Photo: Designed by WaterMark Coastal

Southern homes are famous for their relaxing and beautiful front porches, so discover some of our best house plans featuring stunning outdoor living spaces where you can imagine spending time with family and friends. Perfect for summer entertaining or lounging outside with a great book and an even better cocktail, the porch is one of the most Southern home design features. 

We've rounded up the best Southern Living house plans with porches to inspire your inner architect. The porch is a crowd-pleaser with definite curb appeal, and we have an array of house plans with porches to share, from expansive rustic styles to compact designs perfect for two rocking chairs. Or, there are options for coastal-inspired verandas. Whether you're dreaming of a new layout or planning an addition to your home, these house plans with porches will inspire you to take advantage of outdoor space, longer days, and warmer winds in the perfect place to celebrate the season—the breezy porch.

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Taylor Creek, Plan #1533

Taylor Creek House Plan
Southern Living House Plans

"Southern" and "comfort" may best describe this 2,890-square-foot house. Its snug proportions and simple exterior materials further define the cozy, romantic feeling. The notion of Southern comfort prevails, as porches at the front and side extend both primary and second-floor living areas.

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Whisper Creek, Plan #1653

Whisper Creek Plan #1653
Southern Living

Rustic yet comfortable, porches provide the perfect perch to relax and enjoy the views of this mountainside retreat. Elements like a stone chimney and vaulted ceiling help make this cottage, complete with a wide porch, feel incredibly welcoming.

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Eastover Cottage, Plan #1666

Eastover Cottage Plan #1666
Southern Living

The front porch is directly off the living areas providing ample opportunity to enjoy what makes southern living so unique—bringing the outdoors inside. This house plan combines a simple exterior with a grand interior.

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Carolina Island House, Plan #481

Carolina Island House, Plan #481
Southern Living

Broad, deep, and square porches are the hallmark of this design. Beautifully detailed, this porch stretches 65 feet across the front with three 14-by-14 square foot porches at each end, totaling 1,695 square feet of outdoor living, dining, and entertaining space.

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Farmhouse Revival, Plan #1821

Farmhouse Revival Plan #1821
Designed by Historical Concepts

We love this plan so much that we used it for our 2012 Idea House. The wraparound porch creates a classic, Southern feeling that is warm and welcoming.

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White Plains, Plan #1799

White Plains | Plan #1799

Southern Living

Create a place where tradition can endure. Here's a casual cottage with folk details such as latticed porch columns, a steeply pitched roof, and exposed rafters. The home, accented with board and batten siding and a metal roof, shows a twist on Carpenter Gothic style lending a playful, vernacular feel.

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Newberry Park, Plan #978

Newberry Park | Plan #978

Southern Living

Newberry Park has classic curb appeal, created with the spirit and style of an old Carolina manor. The exterior offers distinct proportions, relaxed porches, and graceful columns for an even more Southern flavor. The elegant expanse of each porch provides an environment perfect for outdoor entertaining or relaxation.

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Abberley Lane, Plan #683

Abberley Lane

Designed by John Tee

Inside and out, this classical house teems with ideas that reflect the historic charm of traditional, Southern architecture. The wrapping front porch is truly the focal point of the exterior design.

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Aiken Street, Plan #1807

Aiken Street, Plan #1807
Southern Living

Simple details and low-pitched roofs define coastal architecture, and while not a Southern invention, shutters are a part of the Deep South design. The front room is one big open area, which helps the modest-size home feel larger than it is as it works as an extension of the interior. It's the perfect spot for dining just off the kitchen.

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Garden Home Cottage, Plan #1859

Small Farmhouse with Red Tin Roof
Helen Norman

Curb appeal starts with the front porch, and this cottage house uses ordinary things in an extraordinary way. It's an eco-friendly cottage keeping with past traditions while taking full advantage of modern innovations.

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Tucker Bayou, Plan #1408

Tucker Bayou Plan #1408
Designed by LRK Architects

Inspired by historic seaside architecture, this design combines the comfort of a vacation home with thoughtful features that make everyday life easier for today's busy families.

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Kinsley Place, Plan #1131

Kinsley Place SL House Plan
Design by St. Joe Land Company

With a Victorian influence, Kinsley Place draws from Florida vernacular architecture with a hint of the modest wood-frame Cracker-style homesteads most commonly found in rural areas of the state. However, this design combines lap siding and board-and-batten siding as it offers exciting twists on the traditional Florida look.

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Captain's Watch, Plan #1426

Captain’s Watch | Plan #1426
Southern Living

With broad front porches and generous windows, this home design demonstrates the timeless beauty of traditional design. Porch spaces act as comfortable outdoor rooms, so always opt for all-weather furnishings and fabrics.

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Vintage Lowcountry, Plan #1828

Vintage Lowcountry | Plan #1828

Southern Living

This irresistible design recalls the charm and character of the Lowcountry vernacular style. The front porch, taking cues from the past, features wood-clad walls, ceilings, and floors. The pained and hand-crimped standing-seam metal roof further defines a sense of historic charm.

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Forest Glen, Plan #238

Forest Glen | Plan #238

Southern Living

Inspired by the architectural styling of the Old South, Forest Glen will charm you instantly. Deep front porches, wrought-iron railings, arched dormers, shutters, and multiple French doors add a Southern accent to the elegant exterior.

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Bayou Bend, Plan #1745

Bayou Bend | Plan #1745

Southern Living

This quaint coastal cottage with double galleries is rooted in the architectural traditions of the Deep South. Still, its open floor plan and vibrant interiors are fit for the modern family.

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The Potter's House, Plan #1489

The Potter's House | Plan #1489
Southern Living

Southern best describes this raised cottage. From its porch, step inside the everyday living space made for entertaining and casual enjoyment. Find style and space in only 2,500 square feet. Organized, comfortable spaces and sensible planning are the hallmarks of this design.

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The Great Escape 2022 Idea House, Plan #2082

Idea House 2022 exterior
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAUREY W. GLENN; STYLING BY KENDRA SURFACE

This dreamy home, designed to accommodate multi-generational families, is the ideal hosting and entertaining hub for family and friends. Enjoy an open-plan design that weaves spaces together to create the most efficient layout. The two-story front porch sets the stage for an inviting space.

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Amelia River Cottage, Plan #2069

Amelia River Cottage

Southern Living

The front porch uses a tongue and groove pine to surround the door, which supports the unique entry in this efficient design that pays special attention to detail. This house is ideal for entertaining, with an oversized dining room and family space—Not to mention the outdoor living areas complete with a brick fireplace and a sitting hearth.

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Honeycomb Farmhouse, Plan #2064

Honeycomb Farmhouse
Southern Living House Plans

An unfinished basement allows you to focus on critical areas now and save your resources to build something new in the future. This multi-generational floor plan is perfect for families with adult children and aging parents.

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Grace Park Cottage, Plan #2063

Grace Park Cottage House Plan
Southern Living House Plans

A house plan with 12-foot ceilings in the great room is sure to impress. This home has plenty of gathering spaces but remembers to include private retreats for a comfortable and functional living arrangement.

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Bellewood Cottage, Plan #2049

House Plan 2049 Bellewood Cottage by C. Brandon Ingram Design
C. Brandon Ingram

The open, flowing floor plan makes this house an excellent place to host family holidays or events. The bedroom wings keep everyone comfortable with their private space, with full baths on either side of the main gathering space.

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French Broad Retreat, Plan #2045

French Broad Retreat House Plan
Southern Living House Plans

The covered porch welcomes you into an inviting entryway flanked by a study and dining room. Continue through the main entrance into the ample gathering space, which connects to the screened-in porch in the back.

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Legacy Ranch, Plan #2028

Legacy Ranch House Plan
Southern Living House Plans

The Legacy Ranch highlights an indoor-outdoor living space with a huge exterior living space and butted glass panels in the living room. With the giant stone fireplace, built-ins, and living space open to the kitchen and eat-in island, this primary room is perfect for multi-generational families.

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Oakland Hall, Plan #2025

Oakland Hall house plan, Southern Living
Southern Living

Inspired by a historic Nashville home, this three-story design packs a lot into its layout, with four bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms. There is room for extra features, including an elevator, a three-car garage with a workshop, and a primary floor owner's suite.

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Summertime Bungalow, Plan #2012

Summertime Bungalow House Plan
Southern Living House Plans

This house has two generous porches making it ideal for entertaining possibilities. The ample front porch includes a covered spot for a swinging bed, and the screened-in porch in the back adds more outdoor living space.

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Lakeside Farmhouse, Plan #2007

Lakeside Farmhouse
Southern Living

Enjoy an open living and dining room space near the entryway or the spacious kitchen and family room combination, complete with a breakfast room. The southern exterior uses timeless styling.

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River Place Cottage, Plan #1959

River Place Cottage, Plan #1959
Southern Living

The River Place Cottage, built for entertaining, has a screened-in porch with an outdoor fireplace that flows into an open-plan room with a beamed ceiling. The open and inviting space is classically comfortable.

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The Ridge, Plan #1973

The Ridge House Plan
Southern Living House Plans

This home is steeped in tradition and filled with signature designs and welcoming touches. The sophisticated front porch opens to an entryway that expands into a living room, den, and kitchen.

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Tennessee Farmhouse, Plan #2001

Tennessee Farmhouse, Plan #2001
Donovan DeFerraro

This Tennessee Farmhouse design beckons to bring the outside in with its double doors, decks, and windows. The finished basement can be anything your family needs, from a workout room or additional family room space.

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