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Beach houses and Coastal Houses

Have porches with a view

Beach houses, also known as coastal houses, are primarily homes designed to be built near the water, capturing the beauty of a landscape. They are typically contemporary or modern with plenty of open space.

Dave and I have friends in Maine who have an awesome beach home. It's a place where you make memories in the summer and cozy-up in the winter.

Coastal House

Although some beach homes may be built on pilings, most are of conventional construction. The common feature to most beach house plans are great porches to capture the sights, sounds, and sea breezes.

Beach and coastal porch pictures

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Several porches to choose from! Take your pick!

Porches supported by stilts to protect from storm surges

Note how large porches make a small narrow house seem large

If you enjoyed these photos be sure to see our beach home plan photo gallery - you'll get even more ideas!

Beach and coastal home and porch plans

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Here are some home and porch plans that you can acquire from Family Home Plans to build your home or to use for adding a great porch!

An elegant porch entrance to a ranch coastal home

Note the elevated porch to guard against tide surges

Coastal home with a colonial porch style

For these and other great porch and home plans visit Family Home Plans. They have an amazing library of plans to suit your every need!

As a leisure home most beach house porches are casual and informal in design and usually have a nautical appeal. Like beach houses, coastal houses may also be found in the same category, however there are differences.

These type homes are prevalent in the mid-Atlantic and southeast Atlantic coasts. They are often shingle style homes, raised on high foundations for flood protection. Large porches are a prominent feature.

Beach and coastal porches capture essence of the sea

The very essence of a beach or coastal porch is to bring the outside onto your porch. Comfort and relaxation should be your major goal. A great tip we learned was to make sure you collect the feel of the geographical area around you.

An Oregon coastal porch will have a different feel than one from South Carolina beach porch. Decorating a beach porch can be great fun trying to find just the right look. Don't forget to use natural materials from your area as well on your porch like driftwood or amenities that reflect the culture of your area.

Your furniture also plays a huge role. New England coastal porches may use Adirondack chairs whereas a Southern beach porch may opt for wicker. Select furniture that is conducive to your area as well and that will hold up to weather and salt water.

Don't forget the porch hammock! What better way to relax than to sway in the gentle sea breeze sippin' on a mint julep on a hot summer day!

Don't forget your porch options!

Beach and coastal porches are quite adaptable to 3-season and four season porches. Many of these porches are large and can accommodate an additional feature such as a 3-season porch. Depending on its geographical location, New England or the Northwest coast, a four season porch will extend your pleasure of the view all year round in comfort.

People in Southern California, Texas, and the Gulf coast for example would probably benefit from a 3-season porch. In kit form or built from scratch, these add-on porch features make entertaining and just plain relaxing that much more enjoyable!

Let's party!

Photo courtesy of Ella Novak

Entertaining on a beach or coast is just downright fun!

Coffee for two at a small bistro table with paper in hand first thing in the morning or how about roasting those dogs and burgers while watching a great baseball game?
Games on the porch in the evening as the sun sets over the ocean? Or how about a candlelight dinner while listening to romantic music?