Design Idea

According to my husband, enclosing the front porch was one of the best design moves we made in the remodel! The primary reason is because it really increased the size of the living space without adding much cost (with an existing roof and floor... we just needed walls and windows). Bungalows, for the most part, were built with porches but without an entry space. In Portland, this is a problem because every visitor must first disentangle him or herself from layers of wet coats, shoes, and umbrellas before coming in to sit on the dry furniture. Come to think of it, I should have installed some wall-mounted blowers in the entry! A perfect Portland touch.

The secondary reason why enclosing the porch was a good move is because we live on the corner of NE 30th and Prescott. Prescott is sort-of busy. So sitting on the porch wasn't THAT enjoyable anyway...

Can you see that crown molding between my ceiling and wall? It was a major feat to keep that molding up throughout the process - almost every trade (framers, plumbers, electricians, etc) asked if they could remove it! I had no idea that simply keeping a piece of crown molding would require so much explanation! If you are a homeowner and you hire a general contractor to manage your project, my advise is to just give up on keeping existing molding. Have them install new stuff.