You’d never know that the porch on this Grandview Heights house hasn’t been there for the entirety of its nearly 100-year existence.
The reality, though, is that the porch is a fairly recent addition – and, per the homeowners, a much-needed one on a house that was aching for more outdoor living space.
As much as Natalie and Pierre Wolfe appreciate their 1928-built home, they had long found it lacking when it came to entertaining.
When they first reached out to the Cleary Company to rectify that situation, they were thinking more about a terrace than a full-fledged porch. But the 336-square-foot addition, completed in 2020, has been all that they hoped for and more, they say.
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“Grandview is kind of a front porch community … and our house never had a front porch,” Natalie says.
A wide overhang marks a clear division between sections of the new brushed concrete porch. On one side, covering about two-thirds of the space, is a fully covered area for dining and inclement-weather gathering. On the other is an open pergola with a fire pit, more suited for casual get-togethers.
“We wanted to make sure it looked like it had been part of the home the whole time,” says Cleary Design Manager Laura Watson. “We didn’t want it to look like an addition.”
The positioning of the house – thanks, in large part, to its proximity to a scenic ravine – is such that what most people would consider the front (with the garage and driveway) is actually the back. As a result, the official front and surrounding yard were largely devoid of character, despite the house’s otherwise charming architectural details.
“They didn’t really have a good place to sit outside, unless they sat in their driveway, which is on the other side of the house,” says Watson.
Now, the couple have all the space they need for entertaining, and have hosted as many as 16 people for dinner. Even in the winter, the fire pit keeps the porch appealing for company.
Not only did the Wolfes want to be able to host guests outside, they wanted to make it easy for those guests to split their time between the indoor and outdoor spaces. To accomplish that, Cleary replaced the standard single door leading outside with a set of French doors, which the Wolfes can leave open, weather permitting, when they have company.
The sitting side of the porch is designed to be open concept, bringing light and ventilation into the house through the French doors, and allowing for a more natural look with vines and other greenery on the roof.
“Our goal is to have wisteria grow on that open end so we can add a floral element there,” Natalie says.
Because the lot has a steep drop, the porch juts out between the middle posts, making it feel more like a balcony, Watson says. That’s a definite plus for the homeowners, who wanted to take advantage of the view, Pierre says.
The porch is surrounded by a gated metal railing so the couple’s dogs can have the run of the porch space, but not the whole yard.
Visitors are struck by the flexibility of the space, Natalie says, not to mention how well it fits in with the character of the neighborhood. Neighbors are drawn to it, and one has already expressed interest in building their own, Pierre says.
“We went from something simple to something really elegant,” he says. “It’s really added to the quality of our life.”
Other highlights of the new porch include:
- A modern farmhouse-style chandelier over the dining area
- Modern light fixtures with soft lighting
- A set of columns designed to keep with the original architectural design of the home, with caps on the top and bottom of each
- Pavers leading around from both sides of the house
The project won local and regional Contractor of the Year awards through the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, in the category of Residential Exterior $50,000-$100,000.
Garth Bishop is a contributing editor. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
