Southern Home Designs

Front Porches on a Grand Scale

Southern home designs are typically characterized by large wrap around front porches. Often times, the home will even have a large porch on each floor.

The large porch serves to capture the shade to help cool the home and also becomes a favorite spot for entertaining and relaxing.

To compensate for the southern climate, southern homes are large with tall ceilings with pitched or gabled roofs. Dormers are common.


Southern Beauties

typical southern grand front porch with sweeping staircase
A grand southern front porch, Beaufort, SC
The southern style house has an outward appearance that has soft colors and is beautifully crafted as you would a fine piece of furniture. Southern colonial homes, like the ones you see in historical movies, have large southern porches supported by colonnades (or large columns) in a row.


Two level southern front porch
Majestic and welcoming



expansive front porches on southern homes
Typical southern porch ceiling detailing



Ionic porch columns and haint blue porch ceiling
Haint blue porch ceiling - a favorite characteristic of southern homes
Do you know why haint blue?



The southern cottage is also a favorite and can be large or small. Characteristics of southern cottages have ornamental brackets and gable trim, gardens, and flower boxes.


Southern Home Design with brackets on porch columns
Note the brackets on the porch columns; not often seen on southern porches



raised front porch on southern home
The porch steps go to the side - lovely point of interest



ivy on front porch steps
Foliage on the porch steps is often seen on southern porches



Southern homes are usually two stories with shuttered windows. The pitched roofs create a wide, shady area.


typical southern porch design
Beautiful two-story porch






large wrap around porch
Large wrap around porches - designed to capture the breeze on either side of the home



two level porches on southern home
Which porch would you enjoy most - top or bottom?



colonnaded front porch
Large colonnades are typical on southern front porches



Charleston Side Porch
Huge colonnaded porch - true southern style



a Charleston Side Porch
Famous Charleston side porch



a side porch in Charleston
Variation on the side porch



Advertisement




Design Considerations for Southern Home Designs

Here are a few general considerations you should include in your own southern home design.

Front Porches: Wide and preferably wrap-around. Southern cottages have gingerbread between columns but not as elaborate or ornate like Victorian porches. If you are considering adding a side porch be sure to see our side porch photo gallery.

Railings: Porch Railing styles vary but most are fairly traditional in nature rather than ornate.

Columns: Depending on your whether you want a southern cottage look or traditional southern home design, columns are usually large and tapered. Most have ornate capitals (moldings at the top of the columns).

Balconies: Usually a mainstay of southern homes.

Palladian Windows: palladia windows are windows with a large window that is divided into three parts. The center section is larger than the two side sections and is usually arched.

Elaborate Friezes: A frieze is a horizontal band that runs above doorways and windows.

Pediments: triangular sections above doorways.

Gas Lighting: Integrate gas lighting along the drives and walk ways.




Helpful Links

Enjoy shopping Amazon (affiliate link)

Popular Pages

What's New

Join Our Newsletter Family

Porch Designs

Porch Ideas for Mobile Homes

Find a Local Contractor

Build a Porch | Small Porches

Porch Columns | Porch Railings

Screened Porches

Porch Curtains | Porch Enclosures

Porch Landscaping | Vinyl Lattice

Porch Decorating | Porch Ideas

Shop

Navigation Aids

Home | Top of Page

Site Search | Site Map

Contact Us

Policies

Disclosure Policy | Privacy Policy

Legal Info

Please Join Us Here Also

Join us on Facebook for porch talk Join us on Pinterest Subscribe to get our updates. Thank you!


Get in touch with pre-screened local professionals for work you need done
Find a Trusted Local Pro


Our Sponsors
Shop for Porch Parts at Vintage Woodworks.


Use the PCA Visualizer to design your screen door


The Porch Store

End Sponsors

Are these seven words enough for you?


Copyright© 2008-2023
Front-Porch-Ideas-and-More.com All rights reserved.
No content or photos may be reused or reproduced in any way without our express written permission.

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.

small rocking chair


Thank you for taking your time to stop by. See what's popular and new here.
Enjoy shopping Amazon (affiliate link)

Our Sponsors
Shop for Porch Parts at Vintage Woodworks.


Use the PCA Visualizer to design your screen door


The Porch Store


End Sponsors

Get in touch with pre-screened local professionals for work you need done
Find Top-Rated Service Pros (our referral link)

Are these seven words enough for you?


Get Our Newsletter,
Front Porch Appeal and a bonus!
Learn more!


Subscribe and also receive our eBook
Free eBook - Maximize Your Homes Curb Appeal We will use your email address only to send our newsletter and this helpful ebook on curb appeal!
Enjoy our back issues.


What's New
What is new or updated on our site
See Our Latest Updates



Get Our Porch Ideas Generator eBook
Front Porch Ideas Generator eBook
Ten Before & After Case Studies
Showing the Difference a Porch Makes!
Only $9.97




See Our Porch Illustrator eBook
Porch Illustrator Vol 1 & Vol 2 eBook
Over 300 Pages of Porch Illustrations
to Absolutely Inspire!
Just $9.97




Search Our Site


Porch Ideas Network
Porch Ideas Network
Listen to Our Podcasts
Plus Featured Builders and Landscapers


Thank you for taking your time to stop by. See what's popular and new here.


small rocking chair
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.

Front Porch Home | Return to Top
Contact Us | About Us | Advertise with Us | Search | Site Map
Media | Privacy Policy | Disclosure | Legal Notice | What's New

XML RSS   Add to My Yahoo!  
By Mary and Dave Morris, Copyright © 2008-2023 Front-Porch-Ideas-and-More.com. All rights reserved.
No content or photos may be reproduced or copied in any way without our express written permission.

Page copy protected against web site content infringement by Copyscape