As a city dweller I'm desperately jealous of those who have a porch. This is one of the most perfect times of the year to grab a cold one from the fridge and head outside to watch the sunset and relax after a long day of work. Porches don't have to be boring and uncomfortable — they're meant to be an outdoor representation of your home; so make them count!
A porch can be an open air or somewhat enclosed portion of your home. Don't be afraid to bring linens, lamps and life outside to make the space more inviting. When I think of sitting on a porch with a cold Arnold Palmer (the drink, silly) I immediately think of a calming environment and that certainly entails a comfortable place to sit and attractive accessories to look at.
It's okay to hang curtains on your porch or have a couch covered in pillows; the more the merrier! Hang paper lanterns to add dramatic color and a romantic ambiance. Lay out a lush outdoor rug with floor pillows so you can take your relaxation to the next level. Life is about enjoying the beautiful days and not being worried about a little rain!
Images: 1. Jessica Thomas, 2. Martha Stewart, 3. Lonny Mag, 4. House Beautiful, 5. Domino Magazine
Find Your Style: 20 Classic to Contemporary Kitchens to Add to Your Inspiration Board
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Shaw's Original Fir...
How To Make Perfect Bacon in the Oven
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
Great porches. Very inspirational.
Inspirational indeed! The rustic feeling in these is really very relaxing.
Love the crocks on the first porch! I think planters and vases are a great way to give a porch personality. LookInTheAttic has some great selection on outdoor accent pieces.
Porch # 5 is from my all-time favorite Domino Mag issue. I loved that house and that porch!
Very inspirational. Porches are the perfect place to relax after work.
Love photo number 2 :)
Wow, amazing use of space! Love them all but my favorites are #1 and #4.
My husband and I joke that we bought a large, screened-in porch with a small house attached to it.
LOVE my porch, but since we live in the midwest, it only gets about 6 months of use per year.
love the last one, very cheerful. the other ones are a bit stiff/stuffy for me
Great looking porches!
Living in the city doesn't necessarily mean no porches. Our Philadelphia rowhouse has one out front, and we love it. We knew it would be a nice feature, but never guessed how much we'd actually use it. Like mjs7640, we joke that we bought a porch with a house attached.
We've been slowly decorating it, though since it's not screened and it's in the city, we can't get too fancy. (Stuff is liable to grow legs and walk away...) Still, what we have is nice and livable.
Waaah! I wish I had a porch. I'm in love with #4. Perfection.