Wow Amy what a nice place! I love what you've done with adding the porch. That's a huge improvement and it looks like it's been there forever. Your garage looks super too.

In my mind I can picture pretty hanging baskets on your porch in the summer. A bright cheery front door? House numbers on one of the front posts, maybe done in a pretty colorful tile? A windsock? A walkway done in brick or slate? Of course, the porch would look fabulous dressed in Christmas garlands.

Maybe I'm not very imaginative today, but I like it just the way it is. I just want to see grass, bushes and flowers. I think you can put in some very colorful landscaping. Sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear. I just think it's very pretty as it is.

I also like the way it is : ) Your home is very beautiful.
I'd put my money on landscaping, flowers and definately outdoor lighting!!!! A MUST with such a gorgeous home.
These sites have some really nice pics

http://www.imaginations.ca/waterworks/lighting.html
http://www.encorelandscapelighting.com/gallery.html
http://www.outdoorlights.ca/index.html

Here is a link that might be useful: outdoor lights

Great house. If you're in a historic district, those must be wood windows (as opposed to vinyl)? If so, for some extra color you could paint the sashes a different color than the trim. And I agree with others about skipping the shutters and going all out on the landscaping!

Thank you for converting that home back to what it originally was...a single family house! It's such a treat to see those double hung windows, too. Is your roof slate? And is that copper flashing around the base of the chimney? Did your home originally have the full width front porch? It looks great, really great as is! Quite a few homes in my village look very similar to yours. I wouldn't use any other paint colors on the exterior nor would I ever put shutters on the home, either. I fully agree to add color through your landscaping and I agree with hanging planters on the front porch. Just please don't add touches that clash historically with your home. The prairie style/large four-square style of your home was not intended to be a frilly/frou-frou style home.

Thanks for the ideas everyone! I guess I'm just getting tired of looking at trash in front after so many months of construction - but I agree, with landscaping and landscape lights it'll be great. With the wood windows, I could paint the sashes another color. We are trying to stay true to the historic district - so we won't do anything crazy.

Kec01 - I'm so excited that it looks to you like it used to be a house because it started out as that hideous 1950s fourplex - and was an eyesore to the street filled with 1920s craftsman and tudor homes. we definitely have prairie influences with those deep eaves, but that's not a commmon design element in our area. It is a tile roof - to make repairs we had to find some reclaimed off a house in Ohio (we're in NC). There are some copper accents (chimney, hip flashing), we'd use copper on the porch roof too - but it turns to bronze so quickly we couldn't justify the huge expense over aluminum.

You've done a wonderful job - that's a lovely home with grace and presence just as it is.

There's only one thing that comes to my mind, but it may be too late to do it even if it appeals to you - lights on the pillars flanking the steps. I imagine your walkway will be dark at night and with the huge overhang, those lights by the front door won't cast light beyond the porch. Glowing, Craftsman type lanterns would be lovely, I think.

Wow! I love your house. The porch transformation is amazing. I think you could do shutters, but I think the house looks very classic without them. I think the new roof will add alot and the shutters may be too much?

I think you should wait until the roof and landscaping goes in to see what else is needed. So post pics again, PLEASE.

Any before and after pics of the interior?

Hello lovetorenovate. I believe we may live in the same city. When I saw your before picture I thought - Hmmm that looks like a lot of the homes in my city, then I saw the same red recycle bins.

You have done a wonderful job and I love the garage! The bronze metal roof on the porch will really help tie the house and garage together. I do like your idea of using the sage green somehow. Will the porch floor be wood, stone??? If wood, you could paint or stain it a similar sage or maybe paint the porch ceiling that color a few shades lighter.

love to renovate, Are you working on the inside, too? I'd love to see some pix, if you can post them. I think that once the port-o-john and the lovely gas tanks are gone from your yard, and you get grass and sidewalks in, you'll really see a difference. Your home is gorgeous!