Greek Revival Porch

[oaktree]

Hello after a long time away! I've been living away from my farmhouse for many months due to work, but I'm finally back and ready for more house projects. I've been so homesick!

I've done nothing with the exterior of my house other than repointing the chimney, and I find myself contemplating my porch quite a bit:







Some ideas below. What do people think? What kind of front door? What kind of light fixtures and railing (if any)? Beadboard ceiling? I am going to start keeping an eye out when I got to salvage places.

[phil]

the old pics all show them sitting on the lawn despite their porch

Personally I like it. the railings and posts look nice. If It were me I'd perhaps do some brick work in front and extend the same level or just a little lower out so it feels bigger and if you want to bbq or sit in the sun you can. you could leave what is and use that as the foundation for it. so many houses Used to have covered porches and often they become part of the house. wood in the rain is too much maintenance. one summer I just went and got whatever old bricks I could find for free and made a patio out of the jumble of different ones so it only cost me for the crusher dust I used underneath and the special sand that you put between the bricks. the problem I created was even though there are 3 yards of sand under it the drainage could be better and it wicks moisture and some of the bricks get like 1/4" of ice on them. you could probably avoid that by being more careful with the brick choice and better drainage.

maybe it could have some low railings on the sides, outside the porch and a bit wider toward the right to make it more concentric? I wonder if you could loose one of the steps by leaving a step up between the house porch and an outdoor porch?
it looks like you have no drop of more than 18" you could check but I think that's the max you can go before you need a railing. that or maybe 3 steps. you have three steps and some space before the step up for the porch so maybe they did that to eliminate the need for a railing by the steps.

you could shape the front and the steps like half an octagon or something to make it seem more like a grand entrance. I lot of the craftsman houses have low railings, like 2 feet high. they arent' useful as railings they just add some style. I dont' know if that would suit yours? it looks like you have a nice big yard so privacy isnt' an issue. If the piece of concrete that the two plants sit on is separate maybe it could go and instead put brick or flagstone there only wider ? jackhammering that might not be what you want to do otherwise.

Jut brainstornming but I was thinking you could perhaps make like a grand and inviting entrance that also functions as an extension to the existing porch but made from materials that you don't need to paint and maintain. Id leave the roof and your railings and posts alone.

Phil

[Manalto]

The loggia-type (inset) Greek Revival porch with square columns is one of my favorite features of old houses. Yours would be an easy conversion, and you could properly line up the opening with the door. I happen to like the lack of railings and the resulting open - yet protected - feeling of the space; falling off this porch would result in injury to only the most delicate.

[Mick_VT]

I think you have the perfect prototype here:

[Manalto]

I agree.

Correction to my above post: the word should be "portico." From Wikipedia: "The main difference between a loggia and a portico is the role within the functional layout of the building. The portico allows entrance to the inside from the exterior and can be found on vernacular and small scale buildings. The loggia is accessed only from inside and intended as a place for leisure. Thus, it is found mainly on noble residences and public buildings."

However - I chose "loggia" because it's an open space that recedes into the building. The term "portico" is a more general term that includes any protected entrance.

[OurPhillyRow]

I like the term "loggia", it sounds regal without being arrogant.


I mean no disrespect to the person who put the spindles and turned posts in, but Greek Revival porches are classy looking and I think a better fit for your home.

I think beadboard would make a great ceiling. Railings weren't common on Greek Revival porches and I would avoid if the porch has less than a 24" drop. Light fixtures can be tricky on homes built before porch lights existed (I am struggling with how to add a porch light to my 1852 rowhouse). As much as I am not generally a fan of recessed lighting, this may be a good argument to use small 3" LED recessed lights which essentially disappear during the daytime but fill the porch at night.

[Mick_VT]

Another option, and given the size of the porch this may have been it's original configuration, would be to simply remove those columns, railings etc. The porch is not very big so likely was bare. I have a similar sized one on my house that had no columns or trimming when new either.

Either way this is going to really transform the look of your house, and for the better. that current porch is too fancy for the rest of the place and a distraction

[phil]

its just a petty thing and I have the same issue but the downspout could match the house color and maybe blend in rather than contrasting like it's a "feature" My house is orange with white downspouts.. I'd like to paint them to match but things like that seem to stay low on the priority list.

maybe the existing windows could be embellished with casings, faux Mullions and maybe loose the shutters or find some that at least look like they could cover the window?

dont' listen to my advice on the spindles. I don't know what should be original for the style of house. I just thought it presented a bit of semi private space.

maybe a porch light could be a lamp post near the porch and not on it? then if the bugs fly to it they aren't in your face and less would go inside.

[oaktree]

The loggia-type (inset) Greek Revival porch with square columns is one of my favorite features of old houses. Yours would be an easy conversion, and you could properly line up the opening with the door. I happen to like the lack of railings and the resulting open - yet protected - feeling of the space; falling off this porch would result in injury to only the most delicate.

Yes, it's one of my favorite features also, and I'm betting my house used to be that way based on the other Greek Revival homes I've seen in the area. The spindles are definitely fairly new since the height of them is up to code.

[oaktree]

I like the term "loggia", it sounds regal without being arrogant.


I mean no disrespect to the person who put the spindles and turned posts in, but Greek Revival porches are classy looking and I think a better fit for your home.

I think beadboard would make a great ceiling. Railings weren't common on Greek Revival porches and I would avoid if the porch has less than a 24" drop. Light fixtures can be tricky on homes built before porch lights existed (I am struggling with how to add a porch light to my 1852 rowhouse). As much as I am not generally a fan of recessed lighting, this may be a good argument to use small 3" LED recessed lights which essentially disappear during the daytime but fill the porch at night.

I'm inclined to agree, and I really appreciate learning this vocabulary! Perhaps the beadboard is there and just covered up...I'll have to take a peek. If not, maybe I can start collecting salavaged beadboard.