Here at Oak Porches UK, we know it’s not just important that your porch perform perfectly- it’s got to look great too. Yet how do you decide between the many great packages we offer? Especially as we offer bespoke design services too! If you’re struggling to picture what the perfect oak porch for you looks like, need oak porch examples to fire up your imagination, or simply want to have fun looking through oak porch galleries, we’ve got the tips you need!
Start close to home
In fact, you’re going to start closer than close to home! Start with your own imagination. We know that can seem easier said than done, but don’t worry- we don’t expect you to be an architect. You do, however, know exactly what would make a porch perfect for you. Take a moment to list out the things that are most important to you in your porch design. Perhaps you need a small log store, or want to make a mud room? Maybe you need there to be a lot of natural light? Brainstorm all these ideas on a piece of paper, and organize them in order of what matters most. There’s obviously plenty of architectural ways to solve the same problem, but having a keen idea of what practical elements your design needs to cover will help prevent you getting distracted by hundreds of oak porch examples, and help you hone in on the ones that will match your needs and lifestyle.
Once that’s done, get outside with your camera, and rediscover your own garden and home. One of the nifty, but annoying, tricks the brain plays on us is ‘zoning out’ of noticing details when we’re in a familiar place. It’s time to rediscover what makes you home unique and special! Having physical pictures you can look at on your smart devices while you browse oak porch galleries will help you match up key characteristics such as roofline and type, construction style, angles and unique features, and even help you picture how colors and building materials will mesh with your existing home.
Lastly, it’s not a bad idea to grab the dog (or your kids) and take a walk around the neighbourhood. Chances are the homes around yours are somewhat similar to your own. Now’s a great opportunity to take a sly look at what their oak porches and other extensions look like. If you’re not in our area, you can even have a chat and ask them where to buy oak porches like theirs!
The 4 ‘stages’ of creativity
Now you’ve done the groundwork to prepare your brain for creativity. Did you know that preparation is the vital first stage of any creative endeavour? The next is known as ‘incubation’. Think of how often you have been advised to ‘sleep on it’, and woken up with a great idea the next morning. Our brain puts together pieces of information subconsciously while we rest, and you may even find it starts to do that for you right now. Once you’ve had some time to mull over everything, you may find you just ‘know’ what’s right for you.
This is called ‘illumination’, and can be thought of that moment where you scream ‘Eureka, I’ve found the perfect design!’ We’re not just going to wait around for that moment to happen, though. We’re going to go looking for some inspiration to set us on the right path.
Heading to the internet
Now you’re so much better armed than you were. Not only do you know exactly what you need your porch to do for you, you’ve had a good look at what makes your home unique and probably have the beginning of an idea of what would look great. Now it’s time to go looking for oak porch examples to inspire you further.
This is the fun bit, so go wild! Pinterest is possibly the best known ‘design board’ in the world at this point, and certainly a great place to start looking for oak porch galleries that will fire up your imagination. We found several amazing oak porch galleries on the site, such as this one dedicated to timber-framed porches, and this lengthy board that’s sure to house many complete designs you can enjoy.
You can also utilize trade sites to browse galleries. Sites like Houzz are where builders will put up oak porch examples from their own portfolio. If you’re still debating where to buy oak porches as well as what design you need, this can be a nice way to see what’s been done near you. Do bear in mind, of course, that these are portfolio sites, so you’ll only ever see the best that’s been done- you should always do your research into any company carefully and make sure they have the high construction standards you need.
Using the Oak Porches UK difference
Of course, you also have access to our very own oak porch galleries, too! Here you’ll find some classic oak porch case studies we’ve put up to help you in this very demanding design process. There’s also our full galleries to enjoy.
With all these fantastic oak porch examples swimming around your head, and armed with your own hard work, you’re sure to find the perfect design. It’s time for the last key step of the creative process: verification. Here is where you’ll explore what’s great about your design, and what’s impractical, with your chosen builder. The team of experts at Oak Porches UK are always on hand to help you consolidate your imagination phase into real, practical designs that will look great for years to come, so don’t be shy to get in touch with us today!