Can you feel it?
One step outside is all you need to know that a full-swing Carolina summer is here and she has made herself comfortable. While the sticky, sweltering temperatures of the season may not be everybody’s glass of sweet tea, we can all agree that nothing beats a screened porch for enjoying the summer landscapes. This is hardly a new trend; North Carolina’s architectural history is punctuated with centuries of porch-sitters who understood the importance of transient indoor/outdoor relationships in such a climate.
We at Bizios Architect love when a client wants to include one of these versatile spaces in their homes. We’ve compiled just a few of the reasons why we think screened porches are the best room of the house!
Bring the Outside In
Enjoy all the benefits of a day outside without ever technically leaving home! There’s no better spot to appreciate the natural landscapes surrounding your home than from a screened porch.
Occupiable (Mostly) Year-Round
All of the breezes without any direct heat from the sun makes porch environments particularly comfortable, especially with the addition of overhead fans. And if it turns cold and you’re not quite cozy enough, fireplaces make perfect sense in screened porches and can add to the warmth and ambiance on a cool night.
Enjoy the Great Outdoors at Night
Screened porches provide the perfect opportunity to safely enjoy the outdoors after dark. Does camping sound fun in theory but less fun in practice? You can even spend the night on the porch for all the fun of camping without the discomfort.
Screened from the Bugs and the Elements
Is there anything better than curling up in a blanket during a thunderstorm? YES: curling up on the porch during a thunderstorm. If wind is not a factor, your screen porch will protect you from the rain, letting you enjoy the sounds of the weather. And drop that citronella–there’s no need to fend off the creepy crawlers when you’re completely enclosed.
Kid-, Pet-, and Plant-Friendly
Screened porches can easily double as a play room, your furry friend’s favorite napping spot, or a plant nursery.
Best Spot in the House
Fundamentally, a screened porch exists solely for rest and leisure; the same cannot necessarily be said for the rest of the house. All that is expected of you when you enter is that you feel happier and more relaxed once you leave.
Great for Groups or Individuals
For reading a book, meditation, reflection, or just some good-old peace and quiet, a screened porch is a great place to take a time out, clear your head, and connect with the world around you. Once you’re recharged and the party starts, groups large and small will gladly congregate in your outdoor space. Are you a master chef or the host with the most? Consider the screened porch as the location for a grill or outdoor kitchen.
More Outdoor Privacy
Being not quite inside or outside allows you to enjoy the best of both worlds. This is especially true for privacy, as screened walls and a roof give you that extra layer of protection from potentially nosy neighbors.
Added Living Space and Home Value
Screened porches work perfectly to complement the existing spaces inside and outside your home. Incorporating more useful outdoor space could also be an opportunity to decrease the morecostly conditioned living space inside. If you’re expecting to eventually resell your home, screened porches are a great investment and often add more value to a house than uncovered outdoor space. So if you worry about not using your screened porch to its fullest potential, fear not: perhaps the next owner will!
A screened porch can easily become the new center of operations for your home–where your family comes to regroup first thing in the morning or after a long day, where afternoons and weekends and futures are planned, and where time together is simply enjoyed!
We love screened porches and the fact that so many of our friends and clients do as well.
Feature image © Arsalan Abbasi