I’ll start this post with a confession: I resented our kitchen porch when we finished it last fall. Resent is a strong and, admittedly, strange word to use for a porch. I’ll explain that later. The good news is that I no longer harbor any ill will toward it. In fact, it has become one of the spaces I’m most grateful to have in our smaller home, especially after a few functional additions we’ve made over the last year.
I love this space so much that I’m actually writing this post from it right now. Call it method blogging — I’m fully immersed in my character.
A Kitchen Porch Renovation Recap
You can find a full write-up of the porch’s previous updates elsewhere, but the quick version is this: the space used to be an off-bedroom porch with eight glass doors leading outside. We closed off two of those doors, which created a wall for our bed, and swapped a black window for a door that now connects the porch directly to our kitchen.
Turning this from an unused bedroom porch into a heavily used kitchen porch has been a complete game changer. The update created a quick path from the driveway straight into the kitchen, which makes bringing in groceries a lot easier and quicker.
We park our car just outside the gate beyond this porch. Guests still use the front yard parking and enter via the front porch, which feels nice, but having a side-yard parking spot is so convenient for everyday life. It’s a more direct route into the house and the porch is covered, offering a dry spot to duck under when it’s raining.
We also love how close the grill is to the kitchen. It’s only a few steps away, so cooking outside is practical and effortless most of the year.
By comparison, this is what the kitchen looked like when we bought the house:
It’s hard to fully describe how much convenience this update has added, but “game-changer” is the phrase that keeps coming to mind.
So How Did We Improve It?
To see how the space functions in real life, we filmed a quick video tour that shows the flow and the added features in action. The tour gives a clear sense of how the porch connects to the kitchen and the rest of the yard and highlights the storage and seating upgrades we made.
Note: the video tour is also available on our channel.
Adding Outdoor Cabinets For Shoe Storage
The biggest improvement since you last saw the porch is the addition of two outdoor cabinets made specifically for exterior use. They fit perfectly in a spot that used to hold a curb-found wicker console table — beautiful but impractical for concealed storage.
These cabinets provide convenient outdoor shoe storage, which is especially helpful since we don’t have a mudroom or a dedicated foyer. We also keep shoe baskets in a cubby by the front door, so this is bonus storage that helps reduce the amount of sand and dirt tracked indoors.
Despite being outdoors, the cabinets have held up through hot, humid months with no issues from bugs, smells, or moisture. They have ventilation slits for airflow and are designed for exterior use, which likely prevents swelling or warping. They also create extra counter space that’s been handy as a grilling prep area; the wood-framed concrete top is durable and weatherproof so far.
Visually, they feel like an outdoor extension of our indoor kitchen cabinets and effectively lengthen our countertop by several feet. Because the porch is covered, that added workspace is usable year-round.
Adding A Water Feature
Maybe “water feature” is an optimistic term, but we wanted to incorporate the calming sound of running water on this side of the house. We bought a compact self-contained fountain kit that’s easy to set up: place the decorative ball, fill the basin, and plug it in. The green patina complements other copper accents in the yard, and the water sound adds a pleasant, peaceful background during the day.
We may move the fountain into the yard later, but for now it’s conveniently plugged into the porch outlet and contributes a nice, subtle soundscape.
Creating A Hammock Zone
We recently expanded the backyard pool area by shifting the fence back, which allowed us to move the firepit and create a more cohesive entertaining zone. That change left an unused spot in the side yard just beyond the kitchen porch, which we turned into a hammock zone.
We tried two types of hammocks: a fabric model that didn’t feel comfortable for lounging, and a traditional rope hammock that turned out to be much better. The rope hammock quickly became a favorite reading and napping spot for the whole family. It’s shaded, relaxing, and fits perfectly in the old firepit area.
The recent cooler, drier fall weather has made the hammock especially pleasant. We’re planning to add more permanent walkways next and keep developing the area into a plant-filled haven.
We’re really pleased with how this side of the house has come together. It’s now functional, welcoming, and gets good use from everyone in the family.
So Why Did I Resent This Porch At First?
Back to my original confession: my mixed feelings had nothing to do with the porch itself and everything to do with timing. One main reason we renovated the porch, fenced the side yard, and added the new door was for our 15-year-old dog, Burger. We wanted a safe, fenced area where he could go outside without supervision and avoid trips in the rain with umbrellas.
Tragically, Burger died less than a week after we finished the porch. We’re grateful he got to use it for a few days, and the photo of him happily enjoying the space is precious, but in the immediate grief I sometimes found myself resenting the timing of it all. Those feelings were complicated and misdirected, but real nonetheless.
Over a year has passed and those emotions have softened. We still miss Burger every day, but it’s easier now to appreciate how important this space is for our family. The convenient door, the added storage, the extra counterspace, the nearby grill, and the closer path to the car all make life smoother. It’s been comforting to watch our current dog, Penny, use the porch in many of the ways we had hoped Burger would. We even placed a small metal chihuahua in the corner as a quiet tribute to him.
I know this might feel like a somber ending for a post about a porch, but it’s meaningful to reflect on how much the area serves our family and how much enjoyment it brings. The side of the house was pretty useless when we moved in, so we’re proud of how it’s evolved. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a nap to finish in the hammock.
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