Here at Oak Porches UK, we know that half of the worry (and all of the fun) lies in finding a porch design that’s right for your home. While our expert team is always on-hand to ensure you get the very best service and use of our products, we know that you’re going to spend a lot of time looking for just the right inspiration for your build, too. Here are some of our favourite tips, tricks, and Pinterest posts to help you get started!
Know your site
Of course, not every home is the same. That’s why it’s important that you know your own site, and what will work (and won’t) for your home before you get your heart set on an oak porch that won’t work for you.
It’s amazing how much we miss day-to-day. Even though you’ve lived in your home for a long time, we can guarantee the little details aren’t as firm in your mind as you think. Our advice is always to take a long, hard look at the site for your oak porch. Most of all, take some pictures of your existing home, from all sorts of angles. That way you’ll have an immediate visual reference on-hand to check out all the little things, from the way the gutters fall to the trim used on your roof and the exact colour of your paint. It also helps to take some measurements, so you know the working space you have to fit your new porch into.
Design features to consider
Another thing that will make your oak inspiration easier to find is having some rough idea what you need from your porch. Do you like fully enclosed porches, or want a more colonial look? Do you intend to put glazing in, or want to use a half-brick look to match your area? Do you think you’d want to paint over the oak, treat the oak to stay a specific colour, or allow it to weather naturally? Painting some broad strokes in your imagination about your future oak porch will help guide you naturally to the options that look like something you’d love, instead of just getting overwhelmed by the many beautiful choices out there!
Look at the manufacturer website
Most oak porch manufacturers, like Oak Porches UK, are also the designers, and they shape your future oak porch to your exact specifications based on your chosen model line. So a great place to start is our very own website! We do have a display gallery of some of our projects for you to see styles ‘in the flesh’. You can also take a quick look through the full design catalogue. This can help get you familiar with porch styles, and you may find a design or two that catches your eye.
Think of the practical
Don’t worry- we’re almost to the fun part! But your porch is going to be a practical addition to your home, too, so you need to narrow down some aspects that matter to you. We don’t just mean design looks, either. You’re going to be living with your porch, and it’s going to provide an anchor to your home that will add joy for years to come, so you want to get it right. With that in mind, consider some aspects:
- Do you need storage, and for what? A boot room or mudroom will be different from a built-in log store, and different again if you’re just looking for a beautiful frame for your front door.
- Do you want to decorate with plants? An oak porch can provide a beautiful frontage for a riot of colour, even in miserable British weather, so open sides can be a great way to display hanging baskets. Tender plants, however, might enjoy the warmth of a glass-enclosed porch, or porch with a sunroof.
- Do you have a need for disability access, or even a pet who needs measures like steps or a sloped access?
With a better idea of your perfect porch, it’s time to get your creativity flowing!
Where can I look for beautiful porch designs?
You may get lucky, and have a friend, family member, or neighbour who has already embraced a beautiful oak porch- but don’t let what you can find in your neighbourhood be your only source of inspiration.
It’s time to hop on Google Images and explore the world of oak porches to your heart’s delight. If you’re really stuck for any starting place, there’s plenty of porch-focused articles that will give you a grounded overview of basic designs. However, your real inspiration is going to flow from sites designed specifically to help you make the very best of your creativity. Mood boarding, journaling, and photographic curation sites are designed exactly for situations like this, and there’s a ton of existing collections you can enjoy. These will all be staged beautifully, so you can see the design used to its maximum potential, too.
Not sure where to start? Pinterest and Instagram both offer endless potential for porch inspiration galleries. Here’s a couple of our favourites!
Don’t worry- there’s plenty more to find, so why not get clicking?
Remember that we have our own galleries for you to enjoy, too, so don’t forget to stop by our website! We’re also always happy to answer any oak porch related questions you may have, so don’t hesitate to reach out to the Oak Porches UK team today.