Mark Twain once wrote that sitting on a porch gave him “a deep sense of comfort and contentment.” The bard of American letters was not alone. Porches used to be where the family would hang out in the evening and visit with neighbors and watch the kids play in the yard.  It was a way to catch the evening breeze when there wasn’t any air conditioning.

Mark Twain. Image via Historic Saranac Lake

Porches still make inviting places to congregate and watch the world around you, which is why Home on the Range Interiors brings interiors outside with seating areas for conversation or for quiet contemplation.  Here are a a few porches from our varied projects.

This inviting porch off of the master bedroom wing provides a great place to relax and get some private time. Western Homestead Ranch - interior design by Home on the Range Interiors

This rustic ranch porch is the place everyone congregates in the evening as the sun goes down and the lake below the house glimmers in the evening light. Western Homestead Ranch - interior design by Home on the Range Interiors

This screened in porch overlooking a meadow of wild flowers and Lake Catamount has both a dining area and seating areas for relaxing and conversing. Pioneer Homestead Ranch -interior design by Home on the Range Interiors

Cozy seating around an outdoor fireplace makes this lake cabin porch an inviting place to sit on a cool evening.

Here are some great porches I found on Houzz that are a little more “East Coast” than the porches we have in the mountains of Colorado but that have the same universal appeal.

I can just imagine sitting on this porch below reading a book or sipping an iced tea in the day or a mint julep in the evening as the neighbors stop by to chat!

Photo: Mark Lohman for Tumbleweed & Dandelion. Image via Houzz

Here is another great porch with a fireplace to take the chill off of the evening so friends and family can gather together after a busy day of hiking, fishing and boating.  It’s perfect for a lake environment because it is screened in to keep out the pesky mosquitoes!

Photo and design: Lands End Development. Image via Houzz

This reminds me of an old farmhouse porch where ma and pa would sit and rock in the evening after the chores were done.

Photo and construction: Witt Construction. Image via Houzz

Twain noted that “Each season brings a world of enjoyment and interest in the watching of its unfolding.” And what better place to gaze upon nature than a well-designed porch?

Which porch is your favorite?

Photos 2-4 via Home on the Range Interiors – Photographer: Tim Murphy Architect:  Joe Patrick Robbins,  AIA  Photos 5-8 via Houzz