Architectural Inspiration : The Porte Cochere
As long as I'm dreaming about exterior updates on our home, I mind as well go big. Right? And by big I mean adding on a Porte Cochere.
What? You don't know what a porte cochere is?
Definition of PORTE COCHERE
1
: a passageway through a building or screen wall designed to let vehicles pass from the street to an interior courtyard
2
: a roofed structure extending from the entrance of a building over an adjacent driveway and sheltering those getting in or out of vehicles
I didn't either, until I started researching this architectural detail. Before that I referred to it as a "drive thru thing-y", which as you might suspect, is a very technical term. And one our architect might have snickered at - whoops!
The image above is a quintessential porte cochere, oozing with European charm. I love everything about it, including the massive tree smack dab in the middle of said passageway.
But, around these parts, they tend to look a little more like this. Still beautiful, no doubt, but lacking a little compared to the Euro-charm-oozer.
Perhaps a little ivy covering the entry will help achieve the charming look I'm after.
Or maybe it's more about the vaulted ceiling within?
Any way you look at it, it's safe to say I am smitten with the Porte Cochere and would love to add a similar architectural detail to our home. A girl can always dream…
until next time,