Porch Ideas to Get Your Outdoor Space Set for Summer
An outdoor living space is a luxury, particularly as the weather grows warmer. Whether you have a tiny terrace in the city or a large outdoor living room at a country house, there are plenty of patio ideas to make your open-air space the best it can be. When creating your deck design, it’s important to choose materials and patio furniture that can withstand the climate in your area and fit with the surrounding environment. Wicker furniture, sisal rugs, and sun- and water-resistant fabrics are perennial favorites in these types of spaces. We’ve rounded up 24 beautiful decks, porches, and outdoor rooms from the archives of Architectural Digest that offer easy decorating ideas for all your exterior spaces. Click through to find outdoor deck ideas to help you refresh your space just in time for summer.
Photo: Eric Piasecki1/24Shown: The loggia at this Southampton, New York, Colonial Revival home designed by Mario Buatta includes Bielecky Brothers wicker furniture and ceramic garden seats from John Rosselli Antiques.
Photo: Miguel Flores-Vianna2/24This Miles Redd–designed porch in Greenwich, Connecticut, includes openwork rattan furniture once owned by tobacco heiress Doris Duke and curve-back chairs by IKEA.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn3/24An outdoor fireplace makes for a cozy gathering area at interior decorator Suzanne Kasler’s Regency-style Atlanta home, which also features sofas by Janus et Cie and 1950s French woven chairs from the Nicholson Gallery.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn4/24Lush flowering plants climb the columns of this veranda at a Palladian-inspired villa by designer Marshall Watson in San José del Cabo, Mexico.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn5/24The bright white front porch of this historic Virginia estate decorated by Amelia T. Handegan features a lantern and sconce by Period Lighting Fixtures; the table and chairs are by McKinnon and Harris.
Photo: Joshua McHugh6/24Architect Alison Spear added this veranda to her husband’s ancestral home in upstate New York.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn7/24A porch at this Southampton, New York, home decorated by Carrier and Co. features multiple seating areas and antique wicker furniture.
Photo: Roger Davies8/24The terrace of this historic São Paulo house, whose decoration was overseen by architect and designer Sig Bergamin, features porcelain vessels from John Rosselli Antiques and a suite of wicker furniture.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn9/24Reclaimed terra-cotta tile from François & Co. and teak seating add to the traditional feel of this lakeside Louisiana home, which was designed by McAlpine Tankersley Architecture and decorated by McAlpine Booth & Ferrier Interiors.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn10/24The painted ceiling and floors brighten up the main porch of this home in the Hamptons designed by Matthew Patrick Smyth and architect Peter Pennoyer.
Photo: William Waldron11/24The veranda of designer Alessandra Branca’s Harbour Island, Bahamas, home is furnished with a vintage French rattan chair and an RH sectional sofa.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn12/24Architect Thierry Despont designed the colonnaded deck of this oceanfront home on Long Island’s East End.
Photo: Roger Davies13/24The terrace of this Shelter Island home designed by Russell Piccione features Doric columns and vintage wicker furniture.
Photo: Paul Raeside14/24Built around 1840, this Bridgehampton, New York, home owned by ADcontributing editor Rebecca Bond and her husband, Jon, includes a screened porch with a brick fireplace.
Photo: Björn Wallander15/24The rear porch of this Southampton, New York, home designed by Juan Montoya features wicker seating and an Andrianna Shamaris teak cocktail table.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn16/24The sleeping porch of this Thom Filicia–decorated family retreat in New York’s Adirondack Mountains includes a slate-color throw he designed for Eastern Accents and a carpet for Safavieh, also of his design.
Photo: Roger Davies17/24Designer Juan Pablo Molyneux chose McKinnon and Harris armchairs for the terrace of this Pebble Beach, California, villa overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Photo: William Waldron18/24On the main terrace of fashion executives Patrick Wade and Dave DeMattei’s home in Beverly Hills, California, wicker club chairs are arranged around a vintage French Art Deco iron table.
Photo: Richard Powers19/24At a family's retreat on the Greek island of Spetses, park-style chairs surround a pair of hearty antique refectory tables on a terrace; decorator Isabel López-Quesada and architect Nikos Moustroufis designed the property, which includes a main dwelling and two smaller adjoining residences.
Photo: Eric Piasecki20/24A side porch at a Hamptons home decorated by Steven Gambrel features brass lanterns from Circa Lighting and Munder-Skiles furniture with Perennials-fabric cushions.
Photo: Roger Davies21/24A terrace at the Sonoma, California, home of philanthropists Joan and Sanford I. Weill is appointed with furnishings by Janus et Cie. Decorated for the Weills by MAC II, the house was designed in the 1990s by Walker & Moody Architects.
Photo: Simon Watson22/24Reclaimed stone from Burgundy paves a dining terrace at the French villa of Frédéric Fekkai; the cotton tablecloth is Provençal.
Photo: Biörn Wallander23/24A porch at Ralph Lauren’s Colorado ranch is furnished with 19th-century Mexican sabino-wood pieces, including a table made from a salvaged door and ox yokes; the tableware and linens are by Ralph Lauren Home.
Photo: Francesco Lagnese24/24Hanging loungers are suspended on the sleeping porch at a Northern California home by designer Suzanne Rheinstein and architect Ken Linsteadt; the pillows and throws are by Dash & Albert.
