An Indoor-Outdoor Addition That Does It All
A Baton Rouge, La., family got the three new rooms they wanted — by building just one screened-in porch. HGTV Magazine shows you how.
By:
Alyse Harral Stevens
From:
HGTV Magazine
In Need of Space
With two teenage sons and an 85-pound yellow Lab, Jay and Barbin Graham were craving more space in their 2,600-square-foot home of 15 years. But when they got an estimate for an addition — $350,000 — they had sticker shock. "You could build a new house for that!" says Barbin, who owns a sign-manufacturing company with Jay.
From:
HGTV Magazine
The Better Plan
Instead, they found a way to add room for a lot less money: Replace the back deck with a 500-square-foot screened-in porch designed as an outdoor living room, kitchen and dining area. Total cost? $65,000. Plenty of prime features — pine floors, vaulted ceilings, a brick fireplace, a built-in gas grill and weather-resistant furniture — have made it the family’s favorite spot.
From:
HGTV Magazine
Strong Window Screens
Aluminum screening keeps bugs out and fresh air in. During the coldest winter months, the Grahams add heavy plastic roll-down sheeting panels from enclosureguy.com.
From:
HGTV Magazine
Extra-Large Coffee Table
Barbin knew she wanted a coffee table big enough for a crowd. A local metalsmith built the base (painted Intellectual Gray by Sherwin-Williams) and added a 4-foot-by-5-foot reclaimed-pine top.
From:
HGTV Magazine
Blue and Cream Color Scheme
To give their new "living room" a kick-off-your-shoes feel, the Grahams chose a beige sofa and chairs (from Pottery Barn) made of outdoor Sunbrella fabric and eucalyptus wood. The floor pillows and indoor/outdoor rug are from Dash & Albert.
From:
HGTV Magazine
Casual Dining
Barbin, Jay, Denton (left), and Turner eat dinner together on the porch as often as they can. For seating, they picked benches made of weather-resistant eucalyptus wood (from Pottery Barn).
From:
HGTV Magazine
Countertop Space
The main kitchen is just inside the house, but the family wanted a place to cook on the porch, too. They put in a 20-foot granite countertop and cabinets. Jay cooks with the Bull grill and fryer (bullbbq.com for stores) twice a week year-round.
From:
HGTV Magazine
Durable Floors
The pine floor is pressure-treated to prevent rotting. To clean it, Barbin just gives it a garden hose rinse. The water drains out of the spaces between planks, and screening under the floor keeps bugs from climbing through the cracks.
From:
HGTV Magazine
Window Seat
The fireplace’s 2-foot-deep hearth extends along the wall, creating a window seat that’s perfect for curling up with a book.
From:
HGTV Magazine
Wood-Burning Fireplace
The prefab brick fireplace (from isokern.net) was about half the price of a custom-built version. With a gas ignition, it’s a cinch to light with just a match — no old newspapers or kindling needed.
From:
HGTV Magazine
TV Cabinet
The Grahams had a 5-foot-by-7-foot cabinet built for their 60-inch TV, which is wired with outdoor surround-sound. "We used to have season tickets for LSU football games," says Jay. "But then we realized we had everything we needed right here! Now our friends invite themselves over to watch."
From:
HGTV Magazine
