14 Reasons Southerners Can Be Found on the Porch Year Round

By Zoë Gowen
November 10, 2016
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn
Outside, but just a little protected from the elements, the screened in porch is a year round place to enjoy and relax. Our favorite screened in porch designs are places you'll want to porch it during the fall, winter, spring, and summer.
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Just Right for Rattan

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

This screen porch belongs to uber-Southern decorator, Jane Hodges. She renovated it, adding the columns and raising the ceilings to 11-feet to max out the views of the trees. And she opted to stick with one style of rattan furniture that underscores the porch’s linear architecture.

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Plant for Privacy

Credit: ERICA GEORGE DINES

Susan Hable grew a variegated porcelain vine on the outside of her porch screen for a lush look that she says “feels almost like a curtain.”

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Perfect for Eating and Relaxing

Credit: ERICA GEORGE DINES

On this screened porch which opens off of the kitchen, two wide, backless benches act like a banquette, providing lots of flexible seating and room to stretch out and take a nap. “I wanted a proper table, but we didn’t have enough room for separate dining and seating areas. These benches kind of provide both,” says Susan.

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Standalone Porch

Credit: Erica George Dines

For an Atlanta pool house, Norman Askins created a freestanding screened porch with all the polish of an interior room. “It’s important to take design cues from the main house,” says Norman. Chippendale railings and a cupola give the porch handsome architectural detailing.

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Double Decker Screen Porch

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

The spacious, two-story screen porch space on this home, one of the original houses built on Bald Head Island, North Carolina is designed as an ode to the tall pine trees surrounding the cedar clad home.

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Designed for Slouching

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

When it came to furnishings for this screened porch, designer Lisa Sherry wanted natural materials like teak and rattan that are durable, rustic, and chic. But comfort was also paramount so she selected extra-deep sofa and armchairs with plenty of cushions to keep everyone happy and enjoying the great outdoors. The furniture keeps a low profile, allowing the views through the screen to really shine.

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Max Out the Seating

Credit: Joe Pugliese

On her teeny Charleston, South Carolina screen porch Lulie Wallace placed a large L-shaped sectional in the corner and cozied it up with lots of pillows. When she moved into the home, she also swapped out the dusty screens to give it a fresh sheen.

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Waterside Dining

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

A classic white palette keeps this screened-in porch all about the waterfront views. A simple rectangular table is the ideal spot for an alfresco meal. The best part? The screen will keep out all those pesky gnats and mosquitos that love the water as much as we do.

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Expand to Outside

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

This screened porch runs the entire length of the front of this 1000-square-foot lake home to max out the living space and take advantage of the water views. The owner opted to keep the paint dark (Benjamin Moore’s Bronzetone) and keep the focus on the foliage outdoors.

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Caribbean Pastels

Credit: Hector Sanchez

This tidy screened-in porch has a sherbet-colored palette that's right at home in Seaside, Florida.

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Shabby but Chic

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

An old Oriental rug and antique pie safe elevate the flea market finds on this screened porch that wraps a wigwam-shaped lake house in Alabama.

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Cottage Porch

Credit: Helen Norman

A painted wood valance dresses up the porch window on architect Norman Askins’ Highlands, North Carolina mountain cottage. The rest of the screened porch is decorated with classic wicker pieces fitted with chintz cushions.

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Sized for Cocktails

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

Four comfortable chairs around a cool wooden coffee table placed on top of a graphic rug turned this previously underused 130-square-foot porch into a busy destination for morning coffee or after work drinks. The big trick to pulling it all together in a cinch? Stick to an easy color palette like blue and white with touches of natural wood to pull in the outdoors.

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Loosen Up on Screened Porches

Credit: Laurey W.Glenn

Curvy and easy-to-clean Panton chairs funkify normally staid teak outdoor tables. The designer (and homeowner) of this rustic screened-in porch, Lisa Sherry, went wild and spray painted the fish that she found at a flea market. Now, it’s a little bit of the home’s mascot.

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By Zoë Gowen