I have the good fortune to have friends who rent a home every summer in Millbrook, NY, about 80 miles north of the city. One weekend a summer I join them there, along with another good friend and her family. The house is perfect for summer entertaining--a large eat-in kitchen, several bedrooms, a pool--but my favorite element is the screened porch. I wish I had thought to take a picture of it to share, but this porch is octagonal, with mexican tile floors that help keep the room cool, a large table and chairs, and upholstered wicker chairs, sofa, and chaise. Situated off the kitchen, and shaded by large evergreens, the room always gets cross breezes, and we find ourselves there for meals, lazy newspaper reading, post-dinner lounging and conversation--really almost any time that we are not sleeping or swimming.
I have long been a fan of the screened porch, and someday, when I build my own home, I'm adding one to my program requirements. I quickly rummaged through my stash of magazine tear sheets to find a few examples, but none had the comfort of the Millbrook porch. One, though, had a fireplace, which is a lovely idea and would make the room cozy on those cool late-summer rainy afternoons, and perhaps allow for the room to be used in three seasons. Here are a few images of screened porches, and I'll add more as I find them.
