Front Porch Envy
I really miss having a front porch. We haven’t had one since we lived in NW Denver – in the Highlands, where we rented a big old brick bungalow with an awesome, shady oasis of a front porch, where we could sit and eat a meal, enjoy a glass of wine, and interact with the neighborhood. Don’t get me wrong, I love our big backyard patio with its huge covered space big enough for 3 different seating areas and a grill, and I like the privacy that the tall fence offers. But sometimes I just want to chat with whoever happens by, wave them up for a glass of vino, and get to know folks a little better, and that’s where the front porch is just priceless.
It seems like homebuilders are getting this vibe, too -
That’s a big part of the reason housing experts believe the front porch is regaining its importance in home construction.
Increasing demand for front porches in new homes was projected by most of the 60 builders, architects, designers and other specialists who were surveyed for the National Association of Home Builders’ Home of the Future study.
Among the panelists, 70% predicted front porches would become popular in new homes of about 2,400 square feet, while 79% expected it to be a desired feature in upscale homes of 3,000 feet or more. The experts aren’t talking about porches intended primarily for decoration.
This is something where you could actually sit out, a covered space big enough to accommodate a swing or a table and chairs.
Front porches fit with the trend toward traditional home design, and they meet homeowners’ desire for a more casual lifestyle, he said. What’s more, porches feed people’s desire to belong. A front porch is an icon of the American neighborhood, and its presence helps create a sense of community almost instantly.
The orientation of porch to sidewalk encourages interaction-for example, close together but with the porch a few feet higher-without setting up the expectation of a long encounter, unless that’s what you want. A porch’s ability to promote that sort of casual exchange is the reason the architectural feature is often used in new urbanist developments, which strive to give new neighborhoods the feel and livability of older small towns.
New urbanism-also called new traditional development-de-emphasizes cars and encourages people to walk places, spend time outdoors and interact with their neighbors, fostering a sense of belonging. During a recent trip to New Orleans, I was SO jealous not only of the big covered front porches but also of the overflowing window boxes filled with the most beautiful flowers – it seems you don’t need an overly talented green thumb to have gorgeous curb appeal in the South – because I didn’t see even one struggling plant there, I swear!
I think I will have to settle for creating a seating area in the front yard – a place where I can sit with a laptop and watch my kids ride bikes, play roller hockey, and interact with the other kids on the block. I would like to place some big, modern looking stones with grass peeking up in-between, and then plant big shady trees and other high desert-friendly plants all around rather than wasting water trying to keep a Colorado lawn looking green and lush! I guess I know what I’m doing this weekend….at least I know I will also recoup the cash and the sweat equity when we decide to sell in a couple of years!
