At the Intersection of Art, Architecture & Design

You are browsing the archives ofThe Front Porch – An Extension of Your Living Room – At the Intersection of Art, Architecture & Design.

A good front porch is an extension of your home where you can visit with neighbors, entertain or just watch the world go by.

Folks often stop and remark on my garden. It’s fairly young – going on 3 years – with lots and lots left to do. But by thinking through the 4 rules, below, the garden feels much more mature than its years.

Rules for how to create a garden retreat behind, beside or in front of your home.

A few ideas to keep mosquitos at bay.

One of 3 approaches for remodeling a 1933 Center Hall Colonial. This one emphasizes a connection to the outside and casual, family entertaining.

See one approach to opening up a 1930’s Brick Cape. The clients want to take advantage of wonderful park-like views – opening their home to the back-yard. Also on their wish-list is opening the kitchen to the rest of the house and creating a study.

My client owns a typical 1950’s post-war construction brick 3-bedroom ranch house — it’s ubiquitous throughout the east. Here are 3 options presented during the conceptual design phase for remodeling the home for indoor/outdoor, modern living.

A New Front Porch and Remodeled Entry Garden Welcomes Family and Visitors.

For this modest home in Silver Spring, Maryland, we created an idyllic outdoor retreat with strong indoor-outdoor connections. Shown above is the al fresco dining room — with walls of foliage and cedar — in the fence and pergola.

I’m sitting in another home just a few blocks away. It was built in 1917 and I’ve been here just about a year. And I’m frustrated beyond belief that I don’t yet have the money to build the addition in the back that will connect me to the out of doors! My response is to spend most of my spare time working on the landscape