While they may not be as large as their US equivalents, in the UK and Ireland contemporary verandas, pergolas, porches and porticos are still handy little halfway houses between your driveway and your front door or your garden and your back door. Verandas are structures that cover an area next to your house, usually over a patio or decked area at the back as part of your garden, and they offer a sheltered outdoor space that you can enjoy all year round. Pergolas are usually separate from your house but offer basic cover for outdoor dining or simply relaxing. Porches can either give you shelter from the rain (perhaps as you find your keys at the front door) in the form of a basic, open porch canopy structure, or be built out into a small room or vestibule where you can remove and store coats, shoes and umbrellas. Porticos fall into the former category of porch design but are much grander than regular porches, usually with colonnades at either side of the door supporting the porch roof and giving a regal touch to the exterior of your home.

How do I choose a contemporary veranda design?

Glass verandas are one of the most common veranda designs because they let in light, offer slight shade and still protect from the elements, while wooden verandas are also popular due to their traditional-looking style. If your garden and house exterior are styled classically then a wooden veranda or pergola may be the way to go and you may want to consider tiling the roof of the veranda with the same type of tiles you have on your main roof, so everything ties in neatly. Wrought iron and glass verandas can also look classic in their style, appearing almost Victorian, and if you have dark framed windows or other ironwork in your garden or home, this style of veranda could work nicely. Metal and glass verandas would better suit contemporary tastes, and if you don't want the normal pitched roof style, look at flat roofs and verandas and pergolas in unique shapes and designs.

You can choose to have either a supported veranda with posts, similar to a pergola structure, or a cantilever veranda that protrudes from a wall of your house without support via posts to the ground. Obviously if you want more space under your veranda then a cantilever veranda is the way to go, but the look of cantilevers is not always to everyone's taste. Otherwise you may only need posts at each end that won't have to be large and in the way if you need the room.

Will I need planning permission for my contemporary veranda, pergola, porch or portico?

Usually verandas will need planning permission as they are not classed as permitted development under Class A, but there are exceptions, so check with your local planning authority first. Provided that your porch or portico follows the stipulated guidelines, it will be exempt from planning permission and building regulation approvals. Ensure that the external floor area of the porch is within three square metres and that its height does not exceed three metres. Finally, the furthest edge of the porch should not go beyond two metres of any boundary of the house and the road. If the porch or portico you want is bigger than these dimensions, make your life easier by employing a builder or porch specialist who will handle the planning and building regulations for you. Pergolas, as garden structure, also do not need planning permission as long as they adhere to standard regulations, but again, check online or with a professional before building one.

Whether you want inspiration for planning a contemporary veranda renovation or are building a designer veranda from scratch, Houzz has 2,711 images from the best designers, decorators, and architects in the country, including The Tinman, Metal with Heart and CHROFI. Look through veranda photos in different colours and styles and when you find a contemporary veranda design that inspires you, save it to an Ideabook or contact the Pro who made it happen to see what kind of design ideas they have for your home. Explore the beautiful contemporary veranda ideas photo gallery and find out exactly why Houzz is the best experience for home renovation and design.