- Garden & Outdoor
- Veranda
Veranda Ideas and Designs
If you think your home could benefit from a sheltered outdoor structure, either for dining outside or just taking your coat and boots off as you enter your house, take a look at the porch, portico and veranda ideas, designs and photos from homeowners and designers to take inspiration.
How do I choose a 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.
How do I choose a new porch?
Think about what you want from your porch – if, for example, your front door opens straight into your living room, you may want the added privacy of an enclosed porch rather than a portico-style covering. Appearance is, of course, all-important; the front of your house, after all, creates the first impression of your home. uPVC porches are great for insulation, but they may not look as good aesthetically. It’s important that your porch design fits in with that of your house, so keep brickwork and materials similar or complementary. Front doors provide a wonderful opportunity for dressing your house – embrace colour and gloss, and add attractive embellishments with door knockers, letter boxes and wall lights.
But don’t just take our word for it; take a look around for inspiration. Once you’ve decided which type and material of porch or portico would suit your house – whether it’s a brick, glass or an oak porch, you can now focus on the design and have a look at some great porch ideas from other Houzz users. Find images of traditional wooden porches that give a warmly welcome, large glass porch extensions that dramatically change home exteriors, and pictures of stone front porches and porticos.
Will I need planning permission for my 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 veranda renovation or are building a designer veranda from scratch, Houzz has 112,579 images from the best designers, decorators, and architects in the country, including Visbeen Architects and Lendrum Photography LLC. Look through veranda photos in different colours and styles and when you find a 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 veranda ideas photo gallery and find out exactly why Houzz is the best experience for home renovation and design.
Rikki Snyder © 2012 Houzz
Inspiration for a classic veranda in New York with a roof extension.
This gigantic wreath may not really fit on a front door anymore, but its large size is a clear indication to whomever may walk by that, when it comes to Christmas, you don’t mess around! - willaja
Photo by Susan Teare
Design ideas for a rustic screened veranda in Burlington with decking and a roof extension.
Log store - Bigger version - snaggers76
Front porch decorated for the holidays. Garland, lights, angels
Design ideas for a traditional front veranda in Austin.
Nice entrance. Don't know if it will match the house, though - corriette
Jeffrey Lendrum / Lendrum Photography LLC
Inspiration for a farmhouse screened veranda in Other with decking.
Nice table for the outdoor kitchen - becca_towers
Birch wood Christmas Planter
Classic veranda in Calgary.
For outside the front door - rob_stringer23
This cozy lake cottage skillfully incorporates a number of features that would normally be restricted to a larger home design. A glance of the exterior reveals a simple story and a half gable running the length of the home, enveloping the majority of the interior spaces. To the rear, a pair of gables with copper roofing flanks a covered dining area that connects to a screened porch. Inside, a linear foyer reveals a generous staircase with cascading landing. Further back, a centrally placed kitchen is connected to all of the other main level entertaining spaces through expansive cased openings. A private study serves as the perfect buffer between the homes master suite and living room. Despite its small footprint, the master suite manages to incorporate several closets, built-ins, and adjacent master bath complete with a soaker tub flanked by separate enclosures for shower and water closet. Upstairs, a generous double vanity bathroom is shared by a bunkroom, exercise space, and private bedroom. The bunkroom is configured to provide sleeping accommodations for up to 4 people. The rear facing exercise has great views of the rear yard through a set of windows that overlook the copper roof of the screened porch below.
Builder: DeVries & Onderlinde Builders
Interior Designer: Vision Interiors by Visbeen
Photographer: Ashley Avila Photography
Crown Point Builders, Inc. | Décor by Pottery Barn at Evergreen Walk | Photography by Wicked Awesome 3D | Bathroom and Kitchen Design by Amy Michaud, Brownstone Designs
Legacy Custom Homes, Inc
Toblesky-Green Architects
Kelly Nutt Designs
This is an example of a medium sized traditional front veranda in Orange County with a roof extension and natural stone paving.
Might be able to do this with smaller stones - harriet_trewin
John McManus
Design ideas for a medium sized nautical back screened veranda in Other with decking.
Double doors - two thirds glass - rosdavis4
Builder: John Kraemer & Sons | Architect: Swan Architecture | Interiors: Katie Redpath Constable | Landscaping: Bechler Landscapes | Photography: Landmark Photography
In order for the kitchen to serve the back porch, I designed the window opening to be a glass garage door, with continuous granite countertop. It's perfect.
Like the idea of a big kitchen window opening onto "bar" - joy_parkinson
A custom fireplace is the visual focus of this craftsman style home's living room while the U-shaped kitchen and elegant bedroom showcase gorgeous pendant lights.
Project completed by Wendy Langston's Everything Home interior design firm, which serves Carmel, Zionsville, Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville, and Indianapolis.
For more about Everything Home, click here: https://everythinghomedesigns.com/
curtain and chair in main entrance - morning_breeze
Greg Reigler
Design ideas for a large traditional front veranda in Miami with a roof extension and decking.
اینو داشتی تو عکسات - anahita_askarzadeh
Porch with porch swings
Photographer: Rob Karosis
Photo of a large farmhouse back veranda in New York with a roof extension.
Design ideas for a traditional screened veranda in Other with decking and a roof extension.
gazebo - lawrence_runana
Henry Jones
Photo of a country back veranda in Other with decking and a roof extension.