Houses With a Covered Front Porch

A Distinctly American History of Porches

Today’s house plans with front porch designs began their inception as Roman-era porticos. They link us to an idealized past and act as open invitations for neighborly visits and community “people-watching.”

However, the history of American architecture, and especially covered front porch designs, finds its true roots in colonists more than in European traditions. Island architecture in the Carribean often featured house plans with breezy porches to offset the humid climate.

This trend drifted north, towards the United States as landowners moved between their American homes and island properties. The similarity in climate is also why most, if not all, of the homes in the southern parts of the United States have large porches.

Soon, front porch designs began to take center stage and were adaptable to different styles. For example, Victorian houses have wraparound porches while the last American house style to incorporate porches, the bungalow, features an instantly recognizable deep and wide front porch.

Three House Plans Designed for Covered Front Porches

Since it’s the first thing you see, covered front porches easily capture the imagination of American homeowners who are looking to build the home of their dreams. You can, of course, add a covered front porch to almost any style of home.

However, some house plans are more suited for porch designs because the original architects working in the style intended this feature to be a part of a home’s overall landscape design. Take advantage of these floor plans and pictures to help inspire your own remodeling or porch upgrade.

1) Modern Farmhouse

The modern farmhouse style is an updated version of the classic farmhouse style home. Instead of using more “rustic” outfits, the modern farmhouse includes luxurious details like stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, lofted spaces, and sleek lighting for the interiors.

The exteriors can feature a large, covered front porch, whitewashed walls, exposed wood or timber cladding, lots of windows, and, quite often, an almost barn-like design. Because of the emphasis on the outdoors, these homes also focus on enhancing curb appeal with impeccable landscaping.

The modern farmhouse porch is wide and right at ground level. This means it doesn't often feature too many front porch steps. It's large and wide enough to comfortably accommodate additional seating like patio chairs, a rocking chair, and even a porch swing without feeling too busy.

2) Greek Revival

Green Revival homes are impactful and ostentatious. Rather like the imposing and ornate architecture of Victorian-style homes, the Greek Revival home’s exterior draws the eye upward and across owing to its almost colonial-style symmetrical shape.

The generous covered porch is the home's focal point and it leads to an entry door flanked by columns that stand still like watchful sentries.

The design also includes quite a few windows and plain or highly decorated cornices and friezes. The covered front porch on this particular architect’s design doubles up the living space as it also acts as a base for the large, symmetrical terrace above.

3) Ranch

There’s something very familiar and welcoming about the character of a traditional ranch-style house. As an offshoot of the Craftsman-style movement, the ranch-style home's appearance is also about blending the indoors and the outdoors. That makes it the perfect purveyor of the classic covered front porch.

While there are quite a few “sub-” styles of the ranch home design, such as the California ranch, this type of floor plan is made for a family that will enjoy single-story living.

It has a long, low-pitch roofline and relies on a mix of simple design and materials such as wood, brick, and stone. Sometimes it can also use timber cladding, like the modern farmhouse style.

Its deep, overhanging eaves and large windows set the stage for a spacious covered front porch, which is often wide enough to be called a veranda. It also features cross-gabled roofs that mold the overall shape of the ranch-style home into an “L” or a “U” shaped design.

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