The Power of the Porch

Front or Back, screened in or open, the porch is one of the most influential pieces of architecture in the history of our country!

You think I am kidding don't you...........well I am not! Let's talk about the porch.

What is a porch? Well to start with it is attached to a home, doesn't matter if it is on the front or the back it is still a porch. Okay I confess I am partial to the front porch but the back will do in a pinch.

I can't tell you if it is an economic thing, a fashion thing, or what............but builders have steered away from porches for many years. Modern homes have been geared toward the “inside” world and their nod to the outside world has been a flat front or a tiny entry way where only one or two people can stand.

A true porch has a roof over it and a concrete, wood, or brick flooring. It has to be wide enough for at least a couple of chairs – a swing is even BETTER!

The porch serves as a Neutral zone between the outside world and the private world of our home. It is that gray area between home and work, between public and private...................it is the shallow end of the pool of our lives.

Think about it, when you go to someones home that has a porch..........when you step on the porch don't you feel welcome? Don't you start to feel at home before you ever knock on the door? Compare that feeling to the feeling you have when you walk straight up to someones house that has no porch? It is like a WALL..........that says your either “in or out”!

When you leave it is a place to transition from home to the outside.............not an abrupt departure but one that takes several steps and gives you time to adjust.

Add all this to the fact that is the inside/outside extension of your home and you have a winner deluxe. It is the place you can relax and feel at home with the shelter of a roof from the sun or rain while you enjoy the view. It is a place where you can hear the sounds and sights of the neighborhood while in your favorite chair.

A porch helps to keep you in touch with the outside world from the comfort of your private world.

We need to make porches the “fashion trend” again, I sincerely believe it would help with our connections and bring back our neighborhoods.