Types of Side Porches

Mudroom

• A mudroom is a transitional space between the outdoors and the living spaces in your home. A side porch with its protective overhang and private location makes a perfect spot for folks to shed their outerwear, boots and sports equipment. Equip it with a bench or other piece of furniture where people can sit to remove and shoes and clothing. Install hooks or a clothes tree or partition off a corner of the porch for a more formal closet area complete with rods and hangers. Lay a mat at the top of stairs for folks to wipe their feet.

Summer Kitchen

• Getting away from the heat of your main kitchen is a relief when temperatures climb. Even if your house is air-conditioned, a summer kitchen offers a space much like a butler's pantry, where you can prepare meals without dirtying up your kitchen. It can also be an energy saver, cutting down on your electric bill because you don't have to cool your home to perform tasks that heat it up.

  Furnish your side porch with a table to act as a work surface and casual dining area. Add some freestanding storage like a vintage Hoosier cupboard or portable shelving unit like one you might use in the garage. Make your summer kitchen even more efficient with a small refrigerator. Set up a cooking area with propane or electric hot plates, a toaster oven and microwave. Include a rocking chair to relax in after your work is done.

Laundry Porch

• Hanging your laundry on a clothesline is coming back into vogue as people become more aware of the importance of saving energy. But when the weather takes a turn for the worse and you can't hang your wash outside in the sunshine, you don't have to wait for the weather to clear. Simply string a clothesline on your side porch or set up a couple of drying racks.

Piazza

• Side porches, also known as piazzas, especially in the South, can be as comfortable and inviting as their front porch counterparts. Furnished with wicker, or mismatched kitchen chairs surrounding a table, they are game rooms, dining or craft areas and spots to do homework and pay bills. Porch rockers provide places for quiet contemplation or lively conversation. Add an area rug to pull it altogether, a ceiling fan or air circulation on hot days and floor or table lamps for illumination, and you have an inviting outdoor room.