By Dave and Mary

The Charm of Country Porches

Also Called Wrap Around or Farm House Porches

Country porches are so popular that restaurants use them for branding like Cracker Barrel who lines them with plenty of rocking chairs. And who doesn't take a second look when driving past one on a country road (or highway for that matter). Mary and I love country porches.

Country style porches vary but all have one main characteristic - they are built for comfort.

Nostalgic in nature, music groups are named after them like The Front Porch Country Band and even songs are written about them like "My Front Porch Looking In" or "Sittin On The Front Porch Swing".


Classic country porches
How much more country can you get?



Relaxing Country Porch
Here's a classic country front porch with round tapered columns
and a standing seam metal roof
Note how the owners jazzed this porch by painting the front door a vivid red along with the red glider. Sometimes a little can do a lot! This decorating scheme can help to visually segment a large wrap around porch.


Enter the World of Country Porches

Sit a spell as we've collected not only lots of country porch pictures but also design, decorating, furnishing, and even landscaping ideas. Others love farm house porches too and have shared their decorated porches as well - wait till you've seen what they have done.


farmhouse porch with classic porch swing
Inviting Farm House Porches
Use our country farmhouse photos for ideas you can use on your home. A picture is truly worth a thousand words.
wide country porch with square columns
Country Styles
More pictures to help you determine both design and style for your farmhouse porch. Glean ideas for columns, roofs, and more.



farmhouse porch design with multiple column design
Country Designs
Explore design ideas for your country front porch. Discover column and railing placements along with roof and ceiling options.
fully decorated craftsman style front porch
Anna's Craftsman Style Porch
See how Anna uses Craftsman architecture on her beautiful open country porch in addition to her decorating and furnishing ideas.



beautiful farmhouse porch remodel
Michelle's Farm House Porch
See how Michelle turned her home into a farmhouse country home with a large front porch of course!
country front porch addition with round columns
Tricia's Country Porch Addition
Discover how Tricia added a country porch to a typical two-story home. See her decorating and landscaping ideas.
Country-style porches bring back nice memories to me. I clearly remember as a kid, sitting on my Grandma's porch swing in Fremont, Ohio. We'd talk for hours and still today, Dave and I love a big country porch!

A country style porch conjures up images of comfortable furniture like porch swings, porch rockers, and sipping lemonade with an old dog sleeping by your side.


Speaking of Country Porches...

Amy's country porch

Can you imagine calling this early 1900's house your home? We're so blessed that Amy shared her home and porch pictures with us. Her family will soon be relocating and another family will get the honor of calling this place home.

Notice the magnificent iron fence and gate, that stone wall graced with spring phlox, the colorful landscaping and spacious wraparound porch.


Amy's country porch

Over 100 years old and we learned that this porch was re-built with compositive materials - making it easy to maintain for many years. Such charm and character.


Amy's country porch

Get out your most relaxing book, put your feet up and enjoy your favorite drink. Time for some real country porch sitting!


Amy's country porch

So lovely that Amy's porch has different conversational areas. Always a spot in the shade for rest and relaxation.


Amy's colorful window treatments for a sunroom
Can't help but show you the lovely sunroom in Amy's home





Relaxing And Calm Country Porch

Time to kick your shoes off and relax. Janet's lovely white porch in the country offers it all - comfort, ambiance and serenity.


Log cabin country porch living

We appreciate Yvonne sharing her log cabin style porch with us. Lovely porch, isn't it? You could get plenty of porch relaxing done here.
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Classic Country Porch

Thanks to Brenda for sharing her front porch with us. Makes you just want to enjoy some lemonade and put your feet up. Note the very cute child's rocker.


Country wraparound porch

We came across this lovely country-style porch on one of our travels. Even though it's not located in the country, it has the warm, inviting and spacious feel for sure.

Characteristics of Wraparound and Country-Style Porches

    Country farm House

  • Simplicity in design, wide and functional for guests and games
  • Expansive spans on the front and/or sides of a house. Most are wrap around porches.
  • Usually no fancy trim. Depending on the height of your porch, porch railings and balusters are optional.
  • Accessories: wicker furniture, rugs, wind chimes, a country curtains, rustic mementos, and perhaps a table and chairs for a game of checkers
  • Perfect for entertaining or relaxing to catch the summer breeze
  • Consider using natural materials and colors that complement your home and that are pleasing to the eye.
  • Pay attention to the front of your home (or whatever side the porch is on). Coordinate shutter, trim, and door colors.
  • Dress up your front door with decorative moldings. Paint your door a vibrant color! Then use these colors for cushions, swings, chairs, tables, and planters!
  • Use complementary storage containers for cushions, games, and other sensitive items.
  • Planters have a dual purpose. Not only do they hold your favorite flowers placed strategically they can mark the edges of the porch thereby providing a safety measure.

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What is an Open Porch?

Open porches are a variation of farmhouse porches and have no visible barriers such as railings. By their very nature they say "welcome"! Open porches can make a great transition from the outside to the inside of your home.

Mary and I love the look of open porches. Open porches allow a complete view of the surrounding area and are usually easily accessible. They generally have wide stairways and only a few steps.

To avoid needing railings (balustrade) your porch floor usually must not exceed 36 inches from the ground. Check with your local building codes department for your area's specific height requirement.

Historically, open porches were popular in the late 1800s and were designed for social interaction, conducting business, and avoiding the heat. Open porches are easily decorated and furnished and add immense curb appeal to your home.
authentic 1898 farm house porch
Joni's 1898 Farm House Porch
Joni shares her beloved country home's front porch along with some neat decorating and furnishing tips!



Decorating Country

Porch decorating - table and chairs are simply beautiful
Photo courtesy of BJW-58
We love the simplicity of this country setting. Decorations and furnishings can range from the very simple like the table and chairs above to the sophisticated with bistro tables and outdoor chandeliers.

colorful porch furniture See Anna's, Michelle's, and Tricia's porches we've featured above for farm house porch decorating and furnishing ideas

and

explore our entire front porch decorating section with wonderful ideas for every "reason and season"

and

discover a multitude of furnishing ideas from classic rocking chairs to outdoor rugs and more!

Because open porches (which many country porches are) have no visual barriers, have fun picking out just the right functional and decorative items. You can really show your personality!





Classic Porches

Love me a country porch
The two of us love a country porch. Do you also?



Beautiful Country Farm House
Large country farm house wrap-around front porch with wheelchair ramp
The only thing I'd improve would be adding black vinyl porch skirting to hide the piers. I really like the expansive front steps.


All American Country Porch
A smaller wrap-around porch in a neighborhood
You can create the look and feel of a country-style porch on almost any home, even ranch homes. Many older homes have what I'd call "heavy looking" porches with wider columns and massive railings. Simply changing these features will create a more open appeal.


Country porch in Texas
Farm house-style porch in mesquite country - photo by Pamela Graham


One of Our Favorites

We love this country home's small porch that offers lots of curb appeal

curb appealing small front porch

Kimberly's Country Porch

Kimberly, author of Old Road Primitives, shares pictures of her beautiful country-style porch with us. Here home was built in 2008 and she and her husband longed for a traditional style porch. So look what she got!


Kimberly's country porch


Kimberly's country porch
Thank you, Kimberly. Very charming porch!
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Love looking at porch pictures? See our porch picture section to get lots more ideas.




Mary and Dave, Founders of Front Porch Ideas and More
Hi! We're Mary and Dave, lifelong DIYers, high school sweethearts, and we both love porches. You've come to the right place for thousands of porch ideas.

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Mary and Dave, Founders of Front Porch Ideas and More
Hi! We're Mary and Dave, lifelong DIYers, high school sweethearts, and we both love porches. You've come to the right place for thousands of porch ideas.
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The Porch Store

Use the PCA Visualizer to design your screen door

Shop for Porch Parts at Vintage Woodworks.

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At no extra cost to you, we earn a commission by referring you to some products on merchant sites. See our disclosure policy.
We, Front Porch Ideas and More, confirm, as stated on our privacy policy, that we do not sell personal information.

All content here is solely for presenting ideas. We recommend consulting with a licensed, experienced contractor before you begin your project.
We make no guarantees of accuracy or completeness of information on our site or any links to other websites contained here.

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