The most beautiful element of a covered porch is open air
This is prime time for living outdoors – weeks when we can sit back, take a breath and admire the results of all the digging and planting done in the Spring. One of the best vantage points is the shade of a covered porch. The stone beauty in Provence has a simple canvas swag roof stretched across vine-covered posts and beams to shield the blistering sun. During the winter it is easy to remove when the weather turns milder.
Outdoor rooms range from simple to elaborate. Here, glamor is built in by virtue of the stunning tile ceiling with a sunburst motif. The rustic chandelier illuminates it at night creating a private sky. Wood-frame seating and an indoor-outdoor rug thrown over brick pavers add to the air of romance and comfort in the sitting area.
Take a moment and guess this location. California, you say – you’d be right. Pebble Beach to be exact. But here’s the surprise. The great Frances Elkins designed this room 64 years ago. The white-painted chairs with red sailcloth cushions have a vintage look because they are vintage. I think it looks amazingly contemporary (even with the painted brick) but I tend to be completely irrational where rooms by Elkins are concerned.
Another porch with an outdoor fireplace and designer pedigree by the great David Easton combined wrought iron and wicker furniture. The same blue and white color scheme was used throughout Balderbrae, his former summer house near Suffern, New York. Trellis panels replace the usual evenly spaced loggia posts, creating a series of narrow screens. Easton’s knack for detail and love of accessories is clear — from the topiaries massed on a table in back to the carefully folded throw on the end of the chaise.
Here’s another canvas-top porch, with simple blue covers for the rattan sofa and plain posts holding up the canvas awning. With a row of potted herbs and flowers used to create a low wall, this seems like a perfect place to settle in with a cup of coffee and the morning paper.
