Your new porch should complement your home. Incorporating some of your dwelling’s design elements while creating your new room can help retain a graceful flow. Once your screened porch is complete, envision a living space with an eye toward natural elements (such as durable rattan or wicker) remembering that your porch is a bridge between the indoor and outdoor worlds.

While furnishing your new space, keep in mind that older wrought iron pieces can be freshened by applying rust resistant paint. Elegant and colorful slipcovers will rejuvenate even the weariest upholstery. Ceiling fans and appealing light fixtures can contribute to the overall atmosphere of your screened porch. And in choosing seat cushions, go with extra padding for longevity and comfort.

A screened porch can be your answer to summer entertaining or it can be your own personal refuge. It can be where you unwind with the kids after a challenging day or the spot where you curl up on Sunday mornings to read the paper. There are many benefits to a covered outdoor space – sitting outside during a rain storm, enjoying insect free picnics, lounging under a cool tropical fan while the midday sun blazes, even letting your pet rabbit run free.

Historically these rooms embodied a certain hospitality and comfort, even romance. Constructing or reclaiming a screened porch is perhaps one way we reflect our desire for those simpler times – expanding our living quarters while embracing the outdoor world.