• Porches provide comfortable shade, and often feature plants and unique railings or awnings.summer porch image by Inger Anne Hulb?|kdal from Fotolia.com
  
  Homeowners who want to build a porch and deck have an overwhelming number of style and design choices to make. The porch is either one of the first things guests will see, or a place where homeowners will do much of their entertaining. Either way, the porch and its important components like steps into the yard or up to the house are very important. These should match the style of the house.
  
  

Use Awnings

• If you are planning a backyard porch or a porch that extends from the house, then plan to add some type of awning to provide shade for guests. Awnings can be made of lattice work, vinyl or cloth, among other materials, giving homeowners a wide range of options and a chance to provide guests with some shade. Stationary awnings provide a place to grow vines, while retractable awnings allow homeowners to choose between sun and shade.
  
  

Prepare for Plants

• The porch and its steps create places to display plants, so include a built-in planter box or two, made from the same wood as the porch to match the rest of the design. The borders of the porch steps also make good-sized niches to put planter boxes. Choose between small boxes for smaller flowers or large boxes for miniature trees.
  
  

Install Lighting

• It is important to add the right lighting to your porch, especially around steps so guests can see their way on and off the porch. The best type of lighting is not overpowering, but gives enough light to comfortably see by in the evening. Use spotlights to highlight certain parts of the porch, and if your porch has a theme that allows for tiki torches or similar natural lighting, include these in your design.
  
  

Use Creative Railing

• Accent the porch's structure with decorative railing. For a solid wood porch, a wooden railing gives a feeling of comfort and flow, while a railing made from lattice work allows vines to grow up and provide a more natural feeling. Other options include using ironwrought railing and widened railing tops that can serve as miniature tables. Railing should also be included along steps to give guests something to hold onto.
  
  

Combine with Decks and Landscaping

• There is no reason to restrict porches to just one area of the house. If there is a nearby deck, consider merging the two together in a wrap-around style, giving guests options for the shade of the porch or the sun of the deck. If large objects are in the way, like trees or rocks, build the porch around them, providing interesting focal objects.