Front Porch Columns: On-Trend Materials & Styles
By: Rachel
What do you picture when you think of porch columns? Do you think of them as merely structural, or do you see them as a design element? At brick&batten, we believe porch columns can be both! There are so many different sizes, materials, colors, and placement options to consider when incorporating columns in the exterior design of your home. We’ve compiled some of our favorite on-trend ideas below to get you thinking about new ways to implement columns.
Does your home’s exterior design feel outdated? If you want to freshen things up, brick&batten has you covered! Our team of experienced designers will work with you to understand your tastes and create a virtual exterior design you can use as a guide to bring your home back to life.
Simple Wooden Columns
In the example above, the porch columns in the before photo are white and narrow. This homeowner wanted a new look that transformed the home’s traditional style into a modern farmhouse. The black and white color palette serves this aesthetic, and the wooden accents take things up a notch. Our designers used wooden columns under a black steel awning, bringing in striking contrast. This simple upgrade accentuates the home’s other charming wooden elements: the front door, the face of the mailbox, and the gate leading to the backyard.
Wrapped & Painted Columns
This home features two-story, or colossal, columns across the front. They were classic round columns, not fluted, with Ionic capitals. To freshen up the design and elevate curb appeal, our designers updated the columns to a square shape with a Tuscan capital. Wrapping and painting the columns to match the shutters gives this stately home a refreshed feel, honoring its history but bringing it into this century. The cultured stone at the base of the porch columns creates a contrast in texture that works perfectly.
Colossal Stone Columns
When it comes to cultured stone, the opportunities for exterior design are almost endless. One of our favorite ways to use this material is for porch columns. The large columns shown in the before example above are one of the home’s most striking features. Wrapping them with cultured stone takes the design next level. The stone veneer is continued around the base of the home, grounding the façade. Finally, this new textural layer works well against the existing darker stone on the walkway and stairs.
Timber Framing with Columns
Columns do not have to be a standalone design element. The wooden columns on this home function as part of the screened porch’s exposed timber framing. This bold aesthetic makes the covered porch feel more connected with the yard, despite being screened in.
Steel Porch Columns
Our designers used black accents to provide contrast against this modern home’s light gray exterior. The black steel porch columns coordinate with the other dark design elements, including the garage door, planters, trim, and chimney cap. Our designers frequently work with wooden columns, but steel is another on-trend material we love recommending.
Two-Story Wooden Columns
This modern rustic home’s large wooden columns create a focal point on the entrance, and they set the tone for the entire exterior design style. They also emphasize the symmetry of the façade. We love using columns to make a statement — this home is a prime example.
Iron Columns
This new exterior design of this home has so many interesting elements that make it dynamic — and a world apart from the before photo. One of the biggest upgrades is the new deck and lower level patio beneath it. The iron support columns have a concrete base and bring in an edgy, industrial feel. This is one of our favorite examples of how columns can function as a strong design element and a structural component at the same time.
Combine Materials
As you can tell, we love mixing materials and textures on porch columns. For this home design, our designers used wood with a stone base for the columns surrounding the set-back entryway. The tiles at the top of the columns, beneath the gabled awning, bring in even more texture and color. This layered look is both on-trend and unique.
Takeaways
Updating or adding porch columns in your home’s exterior design is a great way to bring in attractive structure. There are so many materials to consider: steel, iron, wood, stone, brick, or some combination thereof. Whatever your style and whatever your tastes, there’s a porch column design out there for you.
Porch columns are just the beginning. Itching to overhaul your home’s exterior design and elevate its curb appeal? That’s what we’re here for! Get started today.
Subscribe for more content like this!