The Lost Art of Front Porch Sitting: Why It Matters, What We’ve Lost, and How to Bring It Back

Nov 6

Remembering the Porch

There was a time—not long ago—when the front porch was the soul of the home. Before garage doors and glowing screens took over, porches were where life happened: neighbors waved, kids played, and adults lingered with a cup of coffee or a cool drink as the day slowed down.

Today, most new homes trade that spirit for concrete driveways and façades dominated by garages. The porch, if it exists at all, is often ornamental—a gesture toward hospitality rather than a space for it.

At Montecito Valley, we believe in bringing the porch back. Not just as architecture, but as a way of life—an emblem of slow living, thoughtful design, and the beauty of stillness.

A Brief History of the American Porch

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, porches were integral to American homes. From the wraparound verandas of Victorians to the shaded entries of Craftsman bungalows, they offered connection and comfort—a liminal space between private life and the public world.

As architectural historian Thomas Durant Visser notes, porches were outdoor living rooms long before the term came into use. They encouraged conversation, reflection, and a shared sense of place.

But by the mid-20th century, the cultural landscape shifted. Postwar suburbs prioritized cars and air conditioning over community. Television replaced twilight breezes. By the 1980s, the front porch had largely disappeared—replaced by the garage door and the cul-de-sac.

Why Porch Sitting Still Matters

Porch sitting isn’t nostalgia—it’s a daily ritual of presence. It invites us to:

Observe the world. Morning light, birdsong, and passing neighbors all remind us we’re part of something larger.
Connect with others. Porches turn strangers into friends; they make communities feel alive.
Create rhythm and rest. Like the Italian passeggiata or French apéritif hour, porch sitting is about slowing down and savoring transition.

And porch culture doesn’t end at the front door. A bench under a lemon tree or a garden chair tucked by lavender offers the same reward: quiet time to breathe and belong.

What We’ve Lost to the Garage Door

Modern home design often favors utility over humanity. When garages dominate facades and driveways replace lawns, we lose the architectural gestures that invite community. The result is a landscape that’s more functional than soulful.

But in places like Santa Barbara, Montecito, and Ojai, vestiges remain—bungalows with wide verandas, hacienda courtyards shaded by oak, and tiled entries that open to the ocean breeze. These are reminders that design once had rhythm, humility, and grace.

How to Bring Back the Porch Life

1. Create a Sitting Spot
Two chairs on the front step. A bench beneath a citrus tree. A shaded nook with a view. Start small—what matters is that you sit.

2. Resist the Urge to Multitask
Leave your phone inside. Let the light shift, the chickens cluck, the day unfold. Quiet attention is the point.

3. Invite Others In
Wave to neighbors. Offer a drink. Connection often starts with an open seat and a friendly hello.

4. Design with Intention
If you’re remodeling or building, prioritize human spaces over car spaces. Choose natural materials that age beautifully and face your porch toward morning or evening light.

5. Reclaim Your Evenings
Trade one night of streaming for a sunset sit. A blanket, a glass of wine, and the sound of wind through the trees—that’s slow living.

Our Montecito Valley Porch Ritual

On weekends, when the kitchen smells of sourdough or roasted lemon chicken, we sit on the deck as the orchard catches the last light. The chickens are settled, the kids’ laughter fades, and we pour a drink as the sky turns amber.

It’s not productive. It’s not performative. But it’s restorative—and that’s enough.

Final Thoughts: The Porch as a Philosophy

The lost art of porch sitting is really the lost art of pausing. In a world driven by speed and screens, the porch asks us to look up, to breathe, to be part of the world outside our walls.

Whether you’re designing a dream home or simply reclaiming your mornings, make space to sit. The porch isn’t gone—it’s just waiting for us to come back outside.