No. 32 Porches & Sunrooms · Mediterranean
Terracotta Front Porch with Teal Door
This small front porch features a terracotta-tiled stoop, a weathered wooden bench, and potted agaves flanking a deep teal front door set against white stucco walls and a clay tile roof.
Design notes
Mediterranean design is about shade and thick walls. Look for stucco in warm neutrals, terracotta or travertine underfoot, arches and loggias that throw deep shadow, and gravel courtyards rather than lawn. Water is small and central — a fountain, a rill, a tiled spa — and planting is drought-tolerant: olives, cypress, lavender, rosemary and bougainvillea. Wrought iron, blue-and-white tile and a long table under vines finish the picture.
What to look for
- Depth — eight feet for chairs, ten or more for a table or a swing
- How the steps and railings meet the walk and the yard
- Ceiling: height, material and whether a fan or lights are built in

