In the Hamptons, porches are an integral part of life as well as an important component of our architectural heritage.

Porches became a part of home design in the Hamptons as the community evolved. The first settlers built small, square utilitarian houses, Capes and Salt Boxes, which featured small windows and thick walls. These houses did not have porches. Our first settlers went indoors to seek shelter from the elements after working in the fields all day. They did not want to sit outside. In fact, every effort was made to keep the outdoors out of the house, if possible.

The concept of bring the outdoors into home design evolved as our way of life changed. Life became easier thanks to technology, which lead to the creation of leisure time, a bi-product of the industrial age. In addition, the evolution of the Hamptons from an insular rural farming and fishing community to a "resort" area where urban dwellers escaped to beat the heat of the city in the summer had a profound effect on home design and the evolution of the porch.

Today, porches of all kinds dominate Hamptons home design.

The small overhang porch made its appearance in the early 1800's. You will see the introduction of some frivolity and extravagance in homes of this era, reflected by gingerbread trim, decorative moldings, ornate columns and railings and other architectural details. These houses are a marked contrast to the stark early American colonials, which were strictly utilitarian houses built by the first settlers.

On Sag Harbor's Main Street you will see narrow front porches that act as "intermediary spaces" between the front door and the sidewalk. These small overhang porches have enough room to accommodate a chair and provide shelter from the sun and rain. It's a perfect place to observe the street scene and talk to neighbors as they pass by.

On the side streets of this winding little Village, you will see houses with all kinds of porches, old and new, that reflect the distinct sense of community that exists in Sag Harbor. Many of the houses in the Village have overhang porches that are incorporated into the roofline and the overall design of the house. You will see second story balconied porches in many of these homes. Columns and railings can be simple and streamlined or elaborate and grand scale depending on the house.

As we move forward on a time line, the porches on these homes get wider, longer, deeper and more involved. The simple over hang becomes part of the design, the semi-circular porch appears winding its way around the side of the house in a graceful design that provides shelter, architectural detail and a semi-private outdoor gathering place.

These wrap around porches incorporate both public and private areas as they wind around the house taking you from the front steps to the side yard.

The addition or restoration of the porch is an important component of owning a home in the Village of Sag Harbor. New owners of vintage homes instinctively know this. Look around. You will see the results of several home improvement projects undertaken this past winter nearing completion.

The small overhang porch is an outside parlor that has endured for centuries. It reflects a tradition of community that traveled to the United States from the villages of West Africa where the porch was an integral part of the community culture in the local village. The tradition is being preserved. It has also been embellished and improved.

The wrap around porch is a classic design feature in many houses in the Hamptons. It is a particularly gracious component of homes designed and constructed at the turn of the century which ushered in a new era in design and gave rise to the classic Shingle Style Home which began to dominate coastal resort areas along the Eastern Seaboard.

These porches were both public and private gathering places. Their application was both commercial and residential. Large seaside resort hotels of the era, always featured a veranda, or large wrap around porch that encompassed three sides of the building. These shaded verandas were lined with rows of rocking chairs and Lloyd Loom chairs designed to weather the elements.

These porches were used all day. At meal times, certain areas were set aside for dining. This provided additional seating for guests, and also offered respite from the heat. Ceiling fans were installed. Awnings and roll up shades were added to block the sun and beat the heat. Outdoor fire places were also installed on these porches to take the chill out of the evening air in the late summer and early fall. These outdoor porch fireplaces are an important component of resort home design today. It is a highly sought after feature in new construction.

In residential design these wrap around porches were used in the same way. The wrap around porch provided shade all day if you moved from one side of the house to the other following the rise and set of the sun. In addition, the wide overhang of the wrap around porch provided shade on the first floor of the home and kept the interior of the house cooler in the summer by blocking the sun's heat. It was an early "energy" efficient feature of home design created in an era before air conditioning.

The upstairs sleeping porch, usually screened in, and located off an upstairs bedroom provided a place to sleep out in the open air and beat the heat. It also provided great beach views in Ocean front houses, and served as an observatory at night, when the telescope pointed at the beach all day, was redirected to the sky. The upstairs sleeping porch was also a place to take an afternoon nap or retreat to read a book, away from the downstairs porch usually filled with family and friends who wiled away a summer's afternoon playing cards or parlor games.

These early wrap around porches were furnished with wicker and rattan settees, tables and chairs, chaise lounges and rocking chairs. Many porches had outdoor carpets referred to as "porch rugs". These carpets were made of natural woven fibers that could withstand sun and moisture.

These porches were electrified, and cooled by large ceiling fans. The use of awnings and roll up match stick porch shades hung from hooks attached to the porch moldings also kept the sun at bay during the day.

Sleeping porches usually had beds on the. These beds were left outside permanently for the duration of the summer in some cases. At other times, portable cots were used and moved on and off the porch depending on weather conditions and homeowners preference. These screened in upper porches were used an added windows at night also, since the doors leading out to these porches were often left open at night to catch the breeze.

People also began to enclose portions of their large porches. Some were screened in and incorporated into the living room area accessed by large French doors that connected the inside of the house to the porch very directly. Others chose to glass in areas of their expansive porches.

These "semi outdoor" rooms were furnished with as much care as the rest of the house. The way these rooms outdoor rooms were furnished with wicker and rattan, sisal mats, floral pattern chintz and awning striped fabrics became another "Hamptons' style trend that is widely imitated and duplicated today.

The look is timeless. It is a preferred look favored by designers and their clients to this day. It reflects the emergence of the Hamptons Summer Colony. It also reflects a style that was created when the haute style of New York City meshed with a community composed of farmers, fisherman and trades people. The result is a distinctly Hamptons style that survives while it constantly evolves. It is a mixture of town and country that inexplicably combines the sensibilities of New York City, our urban compass, with our deep rooted love of the country and the beach that defines the East End.

New homes are being built that incorporate all the design elements of the over hang porch, the wrap around porch, the veranda, the upper level balconies and sleeping porches as well as the glassed in and screened porches that flow out of the living room area.

These new Hamptons homes mimic all the best design elements of the classic shingle style houses that emerged at the turn of the century as 1899 went into the year 1900. The porch had its origins in the 1800's, evolved and endured thorough out the twentieth century and is going strong in this new millennium.

You cannot attend a designer showcase house of any consequence in the Hamptons and not find a fully decorated porch or porches depending on the size of the house. The house will usually have several porches and balconies, all designed to take advantage of the views.

The design and decoration of porches in show case homes and spec houses is just as important as any other room in the house. Careful thought is given to the style and design of porch furniture. All weather fabrics are used to seat cushions and porch drapes. The ever popular roll up match stick shades are still a staple and a favorite of designers throughout the Hamptons. Sisal rugs are here to say also. There are also many weather proof indoor/outdoor carpets being used. Awning striped fabrics, and chinz are still key as well.

So stick with your porch rocker, your Adirondack chair or your wicker chaise and remember the old expression, "A porch is not a place, it's a state of mind."