Beneath the canopy of a Japanese cherry tree, the sleeping porch in our 1939 Colonial Revival home is a magnet for all who visit. An overstuffed down sofa and a collection of houseplants are the first things to draw someone in. Once inside, a cross breeze from the open cantilever windows is what keeps them from leaving.
When I tell guests that we spend most of our free time sitting out on the sleeping porch, they look confused. “Do you mean the sunroom?” “No,” I respond, “this is an original sleeping porch.”
Although sleeping porches have largely disappeared from modern homes, they reveal a steadfast truth: the places we set aside for quiet, reflection, and everyday routines shape not only how we use our homes but how we experience our lives.
The Sleeping Porch in Southern History
Around the turn of the twentieth century, sleeping porches began to rise in popularity, particularly in the American South. Unlike front porches, which were often spaces for hospitality and socializing, sleeping porches were private spaces for retreating, seeking solace from hot summer temperatures, and sleeping.
Air conditioning wasn’t commonplace in homes until the late 1960s, so sleeping porches were designed to maximize airflow. Normally, at least two sides of the porch would be fitted with screened windows, usually of a cantilever style.
Porches were built on second levels or higher on the corners of houses. At this location in a house, the air would be cooler, and a cross breeze could be created from opening windows on multiple walls.
As well as creating a space for comfortable sleeping on hot days, sleeping porches were thought to help fight diseases like tuberculosis. At the time, air flow and circulation were believed to help patients recuperating from their sickness.
Sleeping porches in the South were considered utilitarian spaces. Furnishings and decoration would have been kept to a minimum, and the porch would have commonly been outfitted with multiple beds.
Sleeping porches are sometimes confused with sunrooms. A sunroom is more open and integrated into the home. Windows in a sunroom are often fixed or are more traditional looking than the slanted cantilever windows found on a sleeping porch. A sleeping porch is more secluded and private than a sunroom. A sunroom would traditionally have had seating and entertaining spaces, and a sleeping porch would have had beds and nightstands.
Today, due to modern air conditioning and medical advances, sleeping porches are no longer commonly found on floor plans. Oftentimes, older homes that originally had sleeping porches are renovated to use these spaces in other ways.
More Than a Historic Home Feature
The sleeping porch was the space in our house that I was most excited about. Immediately after signing the papers, we drove over and ripped the carpet off the porch floor.
For weeks beforehand, I could imagine sitting there with the windows open enjoying fresh air and a breeze.
Rather than thinking of the porch as an obsolete space that needed to be renovated, I considered the idea that it represented something valuable that could translate into modern living.
If sleeping porches were historically places to seek a reprieve from the heat and retreat at difficult times of the day, why not find a way to use the space to achieve similar results today?
In our home we have turned the sleeping porch into a space that shapes our daily habits.
How Rooms Shape Daily Habits
In modern floorplans, designs are often developed to consider traffic patterns and how to increase flow between rooms.
Looking at a floor plan on paper, it’s easy to see how spaces in today’s homes continuously flow into each other. The kitchen is often connected to the dining room, which is connected to the living room. In open floor plan houses, there is often little to no physical separation of rooms.
Because the rooms in modern houses are so connected, it can be difficult to find a space to truly disconnect and relax. With constant distractions and stimulation, many people have forgone pastimes and hobbies and replaced them with screens.
In our home, our daily routine is that we go to the sleeping porch when we get up in the mornings. After stopping at the coffee pot to fill up a cup, we immediately head to the porch to sit down. I can’t think of a morning when it hasn’t been my ritual to sit with the dogs and watch as people walk by as I sip my coffee.
After dinner, when the sunlight is just right, I return to the porch to pick up a book or work on a hobby. These habits of retreating to our porch have shaped our daily routines.
It’s not uncommon to hear of someone turning a spare bedroom into an extra closet or enclosing a screened-in porch to enlarge a kitchen. But consider if we looked at our overall well-being and imagined how we might use a space like an old sleeping porch to enrich our everyday lives.
Reimagining the Sleeping Porch Today
While our sleeping porch does have a small television, it rarely gets used. Instead, we have created a space that intentionally fosters an environment for analog activities.
Instead of scrolling through Pinterest for hours, you’ll find a stack of Martha Stewart books, recent issues of Southern Living and Garden & Gun, and even a pair of binoculars to watch the deer and birds outside of the windows.
I have brought in some of our favorite pieces of art and even created a space to do watercolor painting.
A 1920s china cabinet is filled with thrifted finds and miscellaneous treasures from our travels, which are good for sharing stories and remembering old times. There’s even a basket of vintage quilts if someone wants to open the windows to take a nap or enjoy chilly weather.
The sleeping porch in our 1939 home is no longer used as a regular sleeping room to get relief from the heat. Instead, we have created a retreat from the busyness of daily life and the constant noise from screens.
Finding a Retreat in Any Home
It was certainly inspiring to find that our house had a room like a sleeping porch that we could use to create a retreat for our family. However, you don’t need to have an old porch or live in a historic home to have a space like this of your own.
Unused spaces like a formal living room or a sitting area adjacent to a primary bedroom can often be transformed into your family’s version of a sleeping porch. By making small changes like removing a television or adding a stack of books, you can slowly begin to create an environment that encourages your family to detach from their phones and laptops.
A small table for puzzles under a window or a box full of old photos can magically turn a previously unused room into a retreat and space to reflect or connect with your loved ones.
Sleeping porches aren’t the only things that have disappeared from homes over the years.
Today, families are living in a constant state of motion in their own homes. We are bombarded with noise from phones, laptops, and televisions. We have lost the daily rituals of connecting to each other over conversation or sitting in silence for reflection.
When our grown kids or guests come to stay, they are drawn to our sleeping porch. It’s a space where we instinctively slow down and talk to each other. In this small space, tucked to the side of the house, human connection and well-being are the first priorities, not notifications and emails.
Consider how you can set aside a space in your own home to create rituals for quiet reflection and activities that enrich the experiences of everyday life.
Create Your Own Retreat
Whether your retreat is a historic sleeping porch, a quiet corner of the living room, or a favorite chair beside a window, thoughtfully chosen pieces can help create a space that encourages reading, creativity, conversation, and quiet reflection. I’ve gathered a collection of timeless furnishings, books, and accessories inspired by our sleeping porch to help you create a retreat of your own.
Check out these other reader favorites:
- Americana Style in the Southern Home: Decorating with Tradition, Comfort, and Character
- How to Update a 1930s Bathroom Without Losing Its Charm
- Traditional Home Design: Five Foundational Elements That Last
