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parsonse1

How do I finish this porch?

Beth Parsons
11 years ago

We're down to the wire in deciding what kind of posts to use to finish off the porch and can't make up our minds between painted 12" x 12" columns or stained cedar posts. I am severely challenged in the decorating arena and would greatly appreciate input!

Here's the exterior:

Painted columns would match the off-white trim - something simple like this:

Or cedar posts - either 6" x 6" doubled for the width:

Or single cedar columns, most likely 8" x 8" in size but without the bracket detail here:

We're soooo close to finally finishing this house and this is the LAST big decision to make and I feel paralyzed! Thank you for any direction you can give!

Comments (20)

  • Beth Parsons
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks oakleyok! I totally get trying to achieve the proper balance - it's hard to picture stuff like this when you're spatially challenged as I am. :)

  • funkyart
    11 years ago

    I like the painted posts.. I believe they fit the style of the house and are classic. But I think it may depend on where you are and what style you are looking for. Cedar posts would be very out of place here.

  • jakabedy
    11 years ago

    I think either the painted or the single chunky cedar with corbels or base/capital of some kind) would work. I don't like the doubled cedar. What is planned for the front door and shutters? If you're going with a stained door and shutters, the cedar makes the most sense. If a painted door and shutters, then painted makes the most sense.

  • Beth Parsons
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks funkyart & jakabedy!

    The front door is mahogany and will be stained a very dark espresso. For shutters we planned on either painted black or stained cedar board & batten style to match the posts, whichever direction we go!

  • Vertise
    11 years ago

    The wide trim piece across the top of the porch is very bold. I don't think it could stand alone. I think you need to balance the light colors to the bottom half of the house. I like the single cedar posts, pretty with your brick like the example, but think they will disappear.

    The first cedar post example doesn't really fit with that house. It's rustic and there is nothing else about the house that is styled that way.

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    11 years ago

    I like the nice chunky painted columns.

  • sameboat
    11 years ago

    I like the last pic best, the cedar posts. But I really love it with the corbels. What a beautiful home!

  • teacats
    11 years ago

    A big vote for big, hefty, painted posts -- painted in the same color as the trim so that they blend into the visual whole facade of the house ...

    Pretty house! :)

  • nanny2a
    11 years ago

    I could envision single painted columns like in the first photo, with a piece of trim added to the center of the wide facia board that is already in place above your porch, to tie the two together, as shown in that photo.

  • gsciencechick
    11 years ago

    I also like the painted to go with the large overhead board that will be above them. OTOH, you could not go wrong with the wide cedar either.

    Love the home!

  • bethohio3
    11 years ago

    I like the painted posts--I'd be concerned about having too many materials--the trim, the posts, the door, the shutters, the brick, the roof. I'd want to match something already there rather than introduce a new material and color.

    I love your roof line!

  • lizbeth-gardener
    11 years ago

    Another vote for the large painted columns to match the trim. Very nice home!

  • Olychick
    11 years ago

    I like the painted columns for your house. The first cedar posts look like an add-on to me that don't really fit that home - like they just redid it and haven't yet painted the porch.

    The cedar columns look great as pictured with that house, but think the thing that makes them work is the color similarity to the brick. So if you love that look, maybe you could stain a color close to your brick.

  • Beth Parsons
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks to everyone for the input and especially the sweet compliments on our new house! We've waited a very long time to see this dream come true for us and are sooooo ready to be finished! bethohio3, I love looking at my roofline but my goodness, did it ever add to our construction costs! My Dad was an appraiser and he always advised me to go with simple roof lines to keep costs down - I'm quite sure he's rolling over in his grave wagging a finger at me with this one. :)

    We are leaning heavily toward the large, single, stained cedar posts, at least 10" x 10" and using board & batten shutters to balance the look. The center gable will also have an accent truss that we can do in cedar as well. Yes, lots of materials going on, I know. Our yard has lots of trees and you can't even see it from the road in the summer. We're also sitting on a small amount of land and not in a subdivision if that helps any...

  • arcy_gw
    11 years ago

    It seems to me stained columns will recede into the brick, white would stand out. I would want them to stand out.

  • farmchic
    11 years ago

    Personally I like a mix of materials it adds character. My vote is for the stained cedar posts and shutters to match. Our front porch post are cedar and our shutters will be the same if my hubby ever finds the time to make them : )

  • xantippe
    11 years ago

    Count me as a ditto for teacats:

    "A big vote for big, hefty, painted posts -- painted in the same color as the trim so that they blend into the visual whole facade of the house ...
    Pretty house! :)"

  • dakota01
    11 years ago

    Another vote for the hefty painted posts.
    Though, you might be able to do the large round column type also.
    I have a weakness for the round columns.

  • pricklypearcactus
    11 years ago

    Would there be other cedar detailing elsewhere? Front door? Shutters? In the wood double-post porch picture, things look a little unbalanced to me, but perhaps that's caused by the double columns. I'd vote for either painted or single cedar with other cedar details.

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