On The
Porch
Creating Your
Place To Watch The World Go By
By Sandra
Mahoney, James Crisp
Designing a
Wonderful Porch Can Change The Way You Live In Your House
A porch can change the way you live in your
house--it can entirely change the way your house looks--it can
change the way you relate to your neighborhood. There is, simply,
something magical about a porch. It slows you down, it tells you to
take some time, to read the paper, to sip a glass of lemonade, to
watch the weather roll in.
For those dreaming of a front porch or those
with porches in need of redesign, On the Porch will be their bible,
the only book to cover the topic from porch types to planning and
design, to tips on good construction, to maintenance and porch
adornment (lighting, overhead fans, rockers, hanging plants,
trellising).
An important component of the book will be
showing, using before and after photos, how adding a porch can
entirely change the look of your home.
Contents:
Across America, and certainly in our
experience as architects in the Hudson River Valley, not far from
New York City, there is a growing trend toward homes that are
livable, homes that foster family ties and connections with nature.
Homeowners everywhere are clamoring for comfort. Our clients
consistently ask us to design homes that will allow them to take a
breather from the breakneck pace of busy lives, to unwind, and to
spend time with loved ones. And so, no matter how small or grand the
project, we prescribe a porch; in our opinion, it's the perfect
antidote to a hectic and harried lifestyle.
A while back we published an article on
porches in Taunton's Inspired House magazine, and in so doing came
to realize that porch design really was second nature to us: It's
what we do. There are very few homes or additions that are designed
at Crisp Architects that do not include some kind of porch. This
book is a natural extension of our professional experience, as well
as our personal lives.
In the house where Sandee grew up, the door
between her screened porch and kitchen was thrown open in early May
and was rarely closed again until late September. That porch was the
hub of family life all summer long; it was where family members ate,
talked, read, and entertained friends' there was even a hinged
screen panel that swung open so they could pull in laundry from the
clothesline without stepping outside.
Jimmy's affinity for a good old-fashioned
porch comes from growing up in the South, where porch-sitting is
part of the culture. Today, although he lives in the Northeast, his
life continues to be enriched by porches: from the small covered
entry at the back of his house to his in-laws' impossibly narrow
porch that nevertheless becomes a comfortable gathering place for
family the minute the weather warms up.
We were both delighted and impressed by the
scope and quality of the porch projects we reviewed for inclusion in
this book. We found that what we suspected was true: Porches are
adaptable and dynamic. Homeowners and architects everywhere are
interpreting them in unique ways to suit surroundings and
pocketbooks, climate and terrain, tastes and lifestyles.
We open the book with an overview of the
porches we found, and define six types- many of which overlap- so
you can begin to form an idea of how you would most likely use a
porch of your own. Next, we discuss the relationship between the
porch and the house and share some transformations that are nothing
short of extraordinary. Then we dissect the parts of every porch and
suggest a wealth of possibilities to consider when designing your
porch (or making improvements to the one you already have). Finally,
we offer some ideas for enhancing your porch, including furnishings
and greenery that add finishing touches.
We think it's easy to see why the porch has
become an American icon- and we hope this book will provide you with
the information and inspiration you need to create one of your very
own. It's our pleasure to share with you the idyllic place we've
come to know and love so well.
Table of Contents:
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I: The Porch You Choose
CHAPTER 2: The Porch and the House
CHAPTER 3: The Anatomy of the Porch
CHAPTER 4: Porch Adornments
PORTFOLIOS
Hard-cover, 10 x 9-1/2 in., 208 pages, with color
photos and drawings
Published 2007
ISBN: 978-1-56158-849-7
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