Life-Changing Front Porches

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A good front porch can change your life…yep…I said it…a porch can change the trajectory of your life.  Period.

My parents live on an island…remote by most people’s standards.  They take a boat to go almost everywhere and they have been retired as long as I can remember.  When they committed to island life full time, many were skeptical on their ability to be so isolated.  Hmmmm….25 years later, nothing could be further from the truth.  And the porch was the solve for that.  The front porch.  Not the sprawling back porch with seating for 20 and a gorgeous view of the waterway coming in.  But the front porch…albeit, ocean front and palm tree layered lawn…the front porch ended the isolation.

A golf cart doesn’t pass go without collecting a cold beer on my parent’s front porch.  It’s the place people slow down to see who’s sitting out front so they can pop over for a laugh and a drink.  It’s become this thing!  My sister and I joke when we visit them…their friends come in waves throughout the week, sometimes by bike, sometimes on foot in wet bathing suits and sometimes roaring in laughing on a golf cart blowing their horns for effect.


You can hear Jimmy Buffett through the open windows and no one needs an appointment.  It’s this open invitation…come as you are.  The mounted bottle opener bolted to the wall a sure sign that we are on Island time.  This porch is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week…all my parents have to do is walk outside and they have community.  A front porch can change your life…it can create friendships and deepen bonds.  It can solve problems…two heads are better than one.  And it can relax your spirit.It can change the trajectory of your life.  Period.

So recently, a client asked us to design from scratch an outdoor living area on the front of their house.  I’m talking smack dab on the front of a house that has a huge backyard living area.  Add the fact that this property sits in Indiana.  A house that is Mediterranean in style.  Huh?  Why?  “Your back porch is stunning…and overlooking a pool…with beautiful seating and lovely landscaping…you want a porch off your driveway…help us understand?”  Then it hit me like a ton of bricks!  BRILLIANT INDIANA!   Yes…Let’s get to work!

Author

Alli’s passion for home design began during childhood when she’d accompany her father to various fixer-upper properties he was working on. Years later, Alli received a degree in physical therapy from Indiana University, but her love of design and personal need brought her back to the home design industry. Alli co-founded brick&batten in 2017 with her sister, Cassie, out of necessity. She was looking for a service like brick&batten for her own home, but one didn’t exist. Alli loves designing exteriors that inspire people. She’s also interested in real estate investment and enjoys creating exterior designs that will provide a great return on investment. Alli lives in Atlanta with her partner, three children, and their dogs. She loves to travel and often finds herself looking at houses in the areas she visits for inspiration and ideas.