You have the perfect 'subject/home' to add a porch. I would just do nice wide steps by the front door, and only there. If your property slopes off on the side that you are considering to put the porch, you don't want anyone falling off on that end. Usually porches w/o railings are low to the ground. Also, I think using wood railings would look best. From the size of your home, they would look more proportunate. Wrought Iron, would look too lost or flimsy. You could use some nice sized columns to set it off as well. There are many here who would photoshop it for you to give you an idea. I've got a porch on my home, and we love it. I'm in New England, and I've seen many homes here, like yours, add on porches. Here's a link that might help. Check out Porch Additions Before & After

http://www.vintagewoodworks.com/porposbalrai.html

An extended porch will look great there. I'll second slinkey on wood railings and using steps only by the front door. You might want to do some kind of detail to the roof of the porch to define the front porch area too. Maybe raise that part only with a pediment look or an arch. Look at some new house plans with homes with front porches to get some ideas too of what might work with your house.

I'm not sure if you can get away without railings. Code often dictates at what height you are required to do railings.

Thanks, slinkey. One issue is the porch will extend beyond the depth of the overhang, so columns can't be added to the perimeter of the porch. Maybe what we're adding is more like a patio since it will be partially open to the sky?

And the reason I would prefer wrought iron is we're installing a large window in the dining room, and a wrought iron railing wouldn't infringe on the view as much as white posts would. The house isn't much to look at, but it has good views from the inside! Also, wrought iron goes better with stone, I feel. The stone work ought to have the spotlight, not the railing system.

The house will have white shingle siding, no shutters, a double glass door, a pediment over the door, taller windows in the dining room & LR, and a red roof. The idea is to take the emphasis off the misaligned windows & focus on the door area & roof color. I just don't want a porch design that's going to detract too much from the central focal point -- the door.

I agree with others on the rod iron. It doesn't feel like a fit with your home, especially if you want the door to be the focal point. It seems you are actually adding a deck to the existing porch rather than extending the porch/roof. As Slinky suggested, looking at houses similar with porches/decks may help. Love your home.

Here are 2 examples of public places with broad steps, so I guess if we went this route, we wouldn't need railings. (Except at the steep drop-off to the right of our door.)

And here are some stone steps or porches with iron railings that I love:

A white wood railing would be too Midwestern farm house looking, whereas the stone & iron is more common here in Connecticut.

I'm here in CT..and I see mainly Wood porches..perhaps w/stone foundations...but I don't see any w/wrought iron.
I've got a Farmhouse colonial..and mine is all wood, I wouldn't call it Midwestern tho. JMO

Whether or not you need railings may be something that is determined in building codes. Around here we have to have them if 3 or more steps are involved. You might want to check you city.

Threw this together for you. I think your idea looks good. The house looks really attractive. IMHO>

{{!gwi}}
I angled the steps a bit and toned down the color of the siding, but thats just me.

nalcar...Bravo >> job well done. I think this is what awmo3 is looking for. You've made the front door the focal point she wants as well as given her the railings and stonework too! I like the dark railings, as they blend in nicely.

THX. Sounds like she wants to tear up the place and change a lot more but I'm not quite there yet. At least this might help for now..

nalcar, that is stunning!!! I can't believe how beautiful you made our house look.

If I had seen that picture 3 months ago, I would have changed our remodeling plans completely to make it look like your fabulous design.

Yes, that's exactly the kind of feel we are aiming for with the porch but weren't quite sure how to execute it. Thank you so much for taking the time to do the visuals. You must have put a lot of time into it.

I love the walkway that leads out from the center of the home. Unfortunately, one would drop off our hill when arriving at the end of the path, LOL! Gee, you even made the unraked leaves and DH's scruffy blueberry patch look good.

I'm impressed with how you nailed this concept on the head. Thanks ever so much again. Your ideas are wonderful.

Wow, Nalcar... that's fabulous.

It looks REAL.

You all are quite welcome. Actually, this is quite quick and easy for me and I am gratified to be able to help out with photoshop stuff for such nice people any time I can. I personally believe most people's instincts are right when it comes to their own home but they just need a little confidence created by helping them be able to visualize their idea. IMHO>