Style Trend: The Porte Cochere

Gil Schafer

The porte cochere is making a comeback in a big way.  This design element, which was extremely popular at the end of the the 19th century, has once again become a popular feature in new homes. It's a way for architects and designers to give a new home the weight, history, and feel of an older home.  We recently designed a home where we used a port cochere to connect the house to a barn.  We drew inspiration from some old examples.  

 

South Hampton Village

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The porte cocheres of these shingle style houses have low pitch roof in keeping with the front porches.

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It's easy to envision a carriage with horses parked in this porte cochere

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The grand scale of this is matched by the extremely tall casement windows, giving the whole wing a porch-like feel.

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Elegant paving, lanterns and trim give this porte cochere a beautiful sense of entry.

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Anne Decker

Brooks Falotico

 

Photo by Huestis Tucker Architects

This is one of my all time favorite buildings. It's a carriage house on Cape Cod.  The image above is the porte cochere.  The gable on the right, shown below, is the carriage entrance.   This carriage house was the inspiration for our recent porte cochere project.  When it's built, I will post photos.

Photo by Huestis Tucker Architects

Ferguson Shamamian

IKBA

Doxahome

Georgiana Design

Melanie Turner

So pretty, offering a view to the garden gate.

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Shingles, stone and an arch...need I say more?

via things that inspire

The gravel path and ivy walls give a country manor house feel to this porte cochere.

via traditional building magazine

This porte cochere offers a view to the barn.