This sounds like a wonderful opportunity to invest in yourself.

IronBelly

Here is a link that might be useful: Investment Strategy

It is an interesting challenge and it seems like you have some decent options in mind. How much of this could you do yourself versus hiring help? If you are building a porch, then moving the door a little in the process would not be too much extra work (provided you don't have to do anything more than some minor electrical rerouting). I do like that house with the red door...very inviting.

About the only other idea that came to mind was to get rid of the door on the front and treat the door on the side as your main entrance. I don't know how this fit into your interior layout (is it the door into your kitchen?). You might loose a little curb appeal, but I figure that many guests park in the drive and approach from the side anyway.

- Brent

Hey Brent,

Actually, we used to use the side door...it leads into the kitchen (which is cute but small). So, we've blocked that door off and plan to soon put cabinets along the wall.
So, we added the front stone sidewalk to add curb appeal, but from the street the house still looks pretty plain. Sadly, I don't know how to do *any* of this stuff. (I wish I could be someone's apprentice!)

I have some landscape books, but can't seem to "see" the best solution to the problem of flatness.

What did you think about the lattice idea?

Thanks!

Some thoughts on your house. The door on the extreme left side of the house is very unusual, and it should be an inspiration to someone, as such things are. However, my suggestions are not quite so out of the box. If you desire symetery about the front door, then some mass needs to be added to the left-side, as in your thoughts on the lattice or the emphasis needs to be shifted to the center by illusion and leading the eye.

Plant mass can be added with the idea towards suggesting that the rest of the house is hidden away behind it.

Alternatively, asymetry of the facade can be mitigated to an extent by making all the verical architectural details similar. To the windows, add panels beneath them to make them the same dimision as the door, and add/remove shutters or casing to make the doors and windows similar in appearance. To center the eye on the middle of the house, add an arbor and low picket fence about 12 feet from the house with a path way leading to it from the street. The arbor can be a gateway to front-yard patio, which will help justify the arbor and fence.

Adding a darkly screened farmers porch the length of the house with a centered door would probably add do the job as well.

Lots of options and challenges!

Thanks, Isabella.

I like your ideas. There's no street to the house route, really...you have to cross a ditch! I suppose I could build a bridge, but that seems complicated. So far plant mass and lattice seem the easiest way to go..along with centering the door somewhat.

What do you think about adding on a sort of storage shed to the left...in the same paneling as the house...instead of plants or lattice. That might help balance the weight.

I hope someone who sees my left justified door as an "inspiration" will write in.

A wing wall clad with the same exterior finish would probably serve the same purpose, as a shed.

If you do add something to the side of your house, it seems like it would be important to have the roofline extend out as well. I just checked your site and I see that you have a mockup with the lattice. It looks nice. What would the area behind the lattice be used for?

I am not sure how much budget you have but...From your other photos the placement of that door looks awkward from the inside as well since it is almost right up against the wall. It also looks like the door dumps your right into your dinning room. Moving the door over a few feet away from the wall may help the looks from the outside, but it pushes the door even more into your dining area. I have to wonder how much it would cost to build not just a new porch but an extension that would give you foyer area (maybe with a coat closet).

- Brent

I've looked at your photos several times, but not commented because my ideas are probably budget busters. But Brent has alluded to what I've been thinking.

The door is located where it is for a purpose, usually dictated by what goes on inside the house. I was thinking of adding a wrap-around the corner porch and entry. In plan form, this would look like a small square or rectangle overlapping that corner of the house. It would have a roof over the whole shebang, make a defined, covered front entry, and provide some extra space, both inside and out, to use as you please.

Unfortunately, I don't have time to make a sketch (or the skills to do it right). Also, this is pretty involved (drawn plans, building permit, footings, construction, etc.), and I don't know if you have room in your setbacks to do this. I also question whether this is money well spent, that you could recoup in resale in the future, or whether it would be better to bank the $ toward purchasing a future home.

I 'get' your lattice idea, but caution that I have seen a lot of funky, falling down lattice in my lifetime. It has to be done well to last and weather well. Isabella's wing wall suggestion is more appealing, imo.

Ah...a wing wall...that's what it's called? My handy many suggested something like that saying he's seen them in some neighborhoods ...but it seemed odd so we talked about adding a "box" behind the wall to create some storage.

Anyone know if you need a foundation for that??? He was talking like you didn't but if I wanted to extend the roof line, surely you would. Any idea what something like that would cost???

Does anyone have photos of such a thing? I've googled and looked at a ton of links but nothing has photos and I'm having a hard time imagining.

Brent - You're right that the door opens up into the dining room...it can be moved right (from the street view) a little and still provide a clear view to the back of the house when you walk in. This seems important so as to not feel closed in. But, I'm not sure it's worth all that effort.

Alternatively, I'd thought about moving the door to the middle of the room and moving the table (which is now behind the window) flush to the wall where the current door sits...(flush left when looking from the street) maybe with a banquette seat or something. But, then people would come in and see a wall...and that doesn't seem effective.

I'd love to add a little foyer that juts out toward the street...something with a gable...but am sure that I would have to appeal the current rules since such a thing would jut out past my next door neighbors. It would, as noted above, be a crap shoot since they seem to deny these a lot.

What would be the least deep foyer I could get away with, in your minds?

And, you all may be right in that it's not worth the money. I struggle with this. My neighborhood is less than lovely BUT it has great location....it's just that none of the folks in town with money know it. Seriously...I'm so close to lots of great things and only about 10-15 min from work via neighborhoods but the area is not developing in the way other parts of town are...but I think it will have to in the next 5-10 years. Prices have increased dramatically so we would really have to commute if we wanted to buy a new place with more space and I'm not sure I want to. (The thought of it is exhausting)

But, in my neighborhood, prices still range from 80K (for tiny 1000sf homes to 100K). It's mostly immigrants moving in, which I like. But, if we did sell, resale value would be pretty tight, I'd think.

We do hope to add a bath onto the right side of the house...although it would come off the second bedroom so it would be back from the line of the house. That might, in face, make the house seem even more lopsided.

What seems the best *reasonable* option?

Thanks, everyone.

Pre-caveat: I'm not trained any sort of design!!! That said, I have an appreciation of small houses, which often have design challenges simply because everything has to fit into tight plan. I think your house is very charming because itÂs simple and unpretentious. Please tread with caution. ItÂs too easy to make mistakes that can cause structural or aesthetic damage in cases like this.

When I look at your pictures and read your post (and the other comments) I think I identify two issues: one is that you want a stronger visual cue for the entry. A gabled entry certainly signifies "welcome" more than any other feature of a house and itÂs easy to see why you might want this. But I donÂt think that it really fits into the character of your house. Look for other ways to achieve stronger visual cues Actually, I think your front walk really does a good job of this, and I would look for other ways to build on that. A simple corner porch might do this, as catkim suggested, but probably forgo the gable, and keep it simple and small in character with the house. It may not even have to be covered. A red door (as Brent? suggested) would be another way. IÂm sure others can suggest other ideas, but IÂm afraid that a wing wall or trellis would look tacked on and make your cute little house look tacky.

Balance, as I see it, is the other issue. I sympathize, because we have a similar issue with door placement on our house. We havenÂt solved the problem either. But you have such a nice, tidy, cute little house, that I think you should embrace that as a quirk rather than as something that has to be fixed by an "addition" of some sort to the house. Be especially cautious about changing the roofline. How about a really simple, small pergola meeting the house lengthwise? Or instead of attaching a new wall or trellis to the house, how about a freestanding wall that partially hides a little terrace on the side of the house? Those suggestions might not be that different from what other people have suggested, but they leave the structure of your home intact.

haringfan- Thanks for your feedback. It would certainly be easier to avoid construction! And, you're right that the house has to be tidy and on plan since space is at a premium. (Who helps with this...architects? It seems we have enough space, but that the layout and movement could be better!)

Maybe I don't need a gable but a cuter porch covering like the one on my photobucket page with the red door. (And maybe I'll try a red door, too!)

Can anyone describe how a corner porch would fit on my house? I googled for photos and understand the concept...but can't seem to visualize it on my house...would we build out the step a bit and cover it?

>>How about a really simple, small pergola meeting the house lengthwise?

So...on the left hand side of the house? Where are you envisioning this?

>>Or instead of attaching a new wall or trellis to the house, how about a freestanding wall that partially hides a little terrace on the side of the house?

Can you (or others) clarify for me how a freestanding wall works...and how high you see it and why it would be better than a wing wall? I'm new to all this an am trying to visualize what might be great suggestions!!

What all is involved in that?

Thanks, so much, everyone...for continued input. Don't forget to checkout the photobucket page! :-)

BTW, what the heck is the official name of my house style?

We just call them "cottages" here.

It was built in 1948...in Nashville, Tn.

hey all,

I took a few photos of a house with a tiny, tiny gable...and wonder if it might "work" on my house. I like the little porch/steps/lattice, too. That might give more "oomph" and visual wt to the house without much cost.

Or, should I just paint the door red and add a little pitched cover like what's on the blue house/red door photo on my photobucket page?

Lastly, I've added a few houses that I love. One has a flat "face" too--but has huge, lovely windows and is a great natural color. The others are corner porches. I'm trying to envision one on my house.

So...what's the vote for the best option.

I'm thinking that I should spend the money on the inside, but I want to landscape and can't do that until the door issue gets resolved.

It's
http://s77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/andi956/

thanks!!