Out on the Porch

A Virginia family's screened porch recalls simpler days

Back when their Virginia house was off the grid, architect John Rust and his wife, Mary, knew their screened porch would be the most important room in the whole place. They have electricity now, but the porch they created remains the family hub. It serves as their dining room for most of the year and the main center for family entertaining, as well as the best vantage point from which to view the river expanse, woodlands, and marsh that surround the house on three sides.