Create an Outdoor Porch Retreat

Enjoy the great outdoors from the comfort of your porch. Explore various porch styles to find the perfect setup for your home.



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Exotic Escape Porch
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Exotic Escape

    A mix of wooden accents and colorful potted plants give this porch an exotic treatment you'd expect to find in a paradise retreat. Ceramic garden stools stand in as an all-weather alternative to an ottoman or cocktail table.

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Naturally Modern

    This backyard oasis blends contemporary design with natural elements. A large paper chandelier comes to life as the room's focal point. A simple color palette of neutral tones and warm accent hues brightens the space. The low L-shape sofa, wooden coffee table, and open walls create a Zen-like ambience.

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Casual Design

    Contemporary touches, such as a neutral color palette, simple furniture designs, and matching cushions, can be cozy without distracting from a porch view. The angular geometry of this open porch's deck and railing emphasize the organic curves of the natural surroundings.

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Room with a View

    Love the view from your porch? Give yourself an unobstructed outlook by designing your porch to have open sides, placing you at the heart of the landscape. Rich brown, orange, and green upholsteries warm up this porch and invite guests to make themselves at home.

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Natural Wonder

    Keep an enclosed porch connected to the outdoors with color and texture. Wide-plank wood flooring, oversized arched windows, and plenty of plants set an organic tone. A glasstop table set and a large chandelier are visually lightweight yet compelling.

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Under Cover

    A high-rise canopy adds whimsy to this outdoor haven. Handsome bamboo shades break up sunlight and create privacy, while potted plants enhance the area's organic look. A subtle border is made by circularly positioned furniture, giving the space a true room-like feel.

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Almost Indoors

    A high ceiling, colorful accents, and well-placed furniture make this outdoor living area feel like a real room. The porch's almost-indoor structure, with enclosed sides and sound ceiling, offers protection from the elements, making it ideal to entertain in almost any weather. A modern picnic table provides a place to eat and socialize, and cushioned chairs with colorful pillows create an inviting nook.

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Simply Classic

    Wicker furniture and rocking chairs are porch classics. Keep a traditional grouping lively with contrast: white wicker, dark rockers, and stylish fabric choices. Black-and-white-striped cushions and bright red accent pillows give a decidedly modern feel to the traditional pieces.

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Sit a Spell

    Add charm to your porch with comfortable furnishings and unique elements. A primary seating area and a separate dining nook help break up the long, narrow expanse of this classic porch. Striped accent pillows atop pink cushion fabric give these white wicker furnishings a colorful pop, and a large rug adds a fun twist to the space.

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Blur the Line

    Just a step up from the ground, the fine line where this porch ends and the backyard begins is blurred by greenery. A modest amount of furnishings and a large curtain keep this retreat light and bright without losing its connection to the backyard.

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Cool Blues

    The timeless combination of blue and white looks cool on even the hottest summer days. Accentuate the look with bold orange accents. With a selection of throw pillow patterns and hues, this basic color combination stays visually interesting and inviting all year long.

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Beyond the Sea

    This laid-back living space gets its look from bright, beachy colors. Light blues, greens, oranges, and pinks pair with white for an inviting atmosphere. A traditional porch swing was converted into a rocker and painted lime green. The wicker furnishings are lightweight and can be easily arranged for entertaining.

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Thoughtful Grouping

    Like any small space, a narrow porch needs thoughtful furniture choices and arrangements to ensure the best use of space. Simple, functional furniture pieces, such as a straight-back bench and lightweight, portable chairs, emphasize flexibility in a small space.

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Classic Comfort

    This porch features a cozy nook for outdoor dining. A basic blue-and-white color palette keeps with the casual ambience. Oversize curtains partition the space to make it more intimate.

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Color Burst

    Wake up basic white furnishings with a splash of color. Bright accents, such as seasonal flowers, a decorative screen, and pink and yellow throw pillows, add punches of color and comfort.

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Scenic Escape

    What could be more appealing on a warm day than lounging in a comfy seat, gazing out at a lake view or landscape? A large L-shaped sofa anchors the seating group on this spacious porch. A small table can serve as a dining area or a place to serve drinks and appetizers. An open floor plan makes this the perfect place for relaxing, entertaining, and gathering.

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Comments (15)
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nrogal1941 wrote:

Hey, what about the southwest??? I don't remember any segments ideas for New Mexico, Arizona.

5/9/2012 10:31:37 AM Report Abuse
booklover8 wrote:

These are beautiful rooms, and I love to look; however, how about some ideas for people who live in places with wind, driving rain, ice and snow and blizzards, and for those of us who don't have the money that many of these projects take. I do realize that many of these ideas are adaptable, but practical? Seriously?

5/9/2012 09:25:22 AM Report Abuse
sandyandpaulirv wrote:

have a front pourch, wth indoor outdoor caret,& it has got to come off, howcan i do this, its been glued down for yrs. please help;; sandy

5/3/2012 11:12:02 PM Report Abuse
klow2800 wrote:

@tokielanam1, The same thing is going on with me. I can't view images anymore, only text. I am soooo upse!

4/19/2012 05:50:44 PM Report Abuse
tokielanam1 wrote:

I don't know why I waste my time opening BHG e-mails. Wishful thinking I guess. I get the first page, but every time I click to the next page I get a big "nothing." Bummer, perhaps it's operator error, but I can't imagine why. The pages used to open up every time until recently. Hmmm

4/17/2012 07:16:24 PM Report Abuse
danovitchfamily wrote:

What type of fabric are the curtains made of?

4/14/2012 01:55:58 PM Report Abuse
Chicitylady wrote:

My first thought was, geez, but I don't live in Cape Cod. They are very enjoyable to look at, this other side of the fence. You still can get some neat ideas to scale things to your home and within your budget.

4/13/2012 10:04:38 AM Report Abuse
angedu wrote:

HEY! BHG!!! This is getting rediculous. Where are the photos? Why am I (and many others who have comented) only getting a blank grey box where the slideshow photos used to be? I have all the appropriate downloads. Also, as a side note, entering any of your sweepstakes has become practically impossible with the new systems.

4/12/2012 11:29:34 PM Report Abuse
enajenna wrote:

Pesims and debbyrd, these are INSPIRATION photos. Of course most homes don't look this grand, you can copy the look though - it's to get your creative juices flowing.

4/12/2012 09:52:14 AM Report Abuse
sdonzero1 wrote:

THANK YOU FOR THE NEAT IDEAS!!!! Now I can finally justify collecting all that neat stuff from my many dumpster dives!!! I just love to repurpose and refinish! My house is not real big, but these ideas are so adaptable!!! Thanksthanksthanks!

3/29/2012 03:26:53 PM Report Abuse
vickicotie wrote:

I agree Stacey! However, there is not one slide that I looked at that I could not reproduce using a realistic budget. EVERYTHING can be had at a fraction of the cost unless they are only interested in brand new, Goodwill, Salvation Army, consignment stores, and dumpster diving always have things usable. The only thing that is keeping people from their dream projects are imaginative use of found objects, elbow grease, time and a little bit of skill to remake and reuse something..

8/28/2011 09:35:10 AM Report Abuse
staceydameron wrote:

it's called "better homes and gardens" not, "ghetto homes and gardens" of course everything is really expensive

8/8/2011 05:54:57 PM Report Abuse
debbyrd wrote:

I have to agree with pesims1. I certainly can't find anything practical. Try an article that shows a makeover with items from Big Lots, or even Goodwill and Salvation Army. Maybe freecycled items!

7/28/2011 01:58:33 PM Report Abuse
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