Porch Design Ideas for College Students

The best porch design ideas for college students focus on simplicity, mood and function. With the right furniture and accessories you can create an outdoor workspace as well as outdoor room for the ultimate relaxation. Here are a few guidelines to follow when you want to figure out ways to design your porch:

Mood

What mood do you want to create on your porch? Do you want an atmosphere that stimulates your intellect and creativity to help you study better? Do you want to forget about classes and work altogether when sitting on your porch? Think about how you plan to use the porch, and the mood that you want to set. Once you make that determination, you can pick the right colors, furniture and accessories to match.

Colors

Choose festive colors if you want to use your porch for entertaining peers. Black and yellow, red or orange are great choices for creating a celebratory mood. Select calming colors if you want an outdoor workspace, like sky blue, white or soft green. Your porch will stand out if you can paint it, but if your landlord won’t let you, then incorporate these colors into your artwork and furniture.

Wicker Chairs

Buying an entire wicker furniture set will blow the budgets of most college students. However, you only need one chair for yourself, or two if you have a roommate. This makes the prospects of getting a wicker chair much more affordable. White compliments any design ideas you have. However, a brown or beige chair will make your porch look natural.

Outdoor Draperies

You will want to include these in your porch design for a number of reasons. First, they’ll make your porch look elegant and stylish and can take attention away from any eyesores on the structure of the porch. They also give you a level a privacy that you’ll appreciate if you plan to spend a lot of time on the porch working or entertaining. At the same time, the draperies will give you shade from the sun, when you’re seated outside. White draperies work well for college students, whereas most families with young children wouldn’t dare try it. The color white is a traditional look that will make your porch look classy. You can hang draperies in the doorway, enclose the porch entirely, or hang them in select portions of the porch.

Ottoman

You’ll want an waterpoof ottoman on your porch. This makes it that much easier to use your laptop and study, without the need to put a bulky work desk on your porch. You might just want to put your feet up and rest, and it can double up as a make-shift end table to place books and other items. A matching outdoor chair and ottoman set might be worth the investment if you plan to buy a chair anyway. However, if the apartment already has a comfortable chair that works, buy an ottoman that won’t get damaged from the rain, snow or other weather.

Take the time to choose the right porch design. It’s a great way to expand a small apartment.