Designed for Gathering - Our New Favorite 800-Square-Foot Cottage That You Can Have Too - Southernliving. Out back, another porch holds its own as additional living space, outfitted with wicker furniture and a dresser for storage. "Porches have really become destinations," Ingram says. "They are their own rooms, not just extensions of other rooms." The ceiling and floor match those on the front porch, but he went ahead and screened in this space. "I tend to think that back porches are always a