Yep, need photos.

Our neighbors had a second step put on their front stoop and it was way to narrow and small. Looks bad.

Trying!!!

I would have steps that are continuous all the way around. Love your house!

Thank you both for your suggestions and your compliments :-)

All the way around would be an impressive look.

My parents have wrap-around steps from their terrace to the patio, and it always feels odd when I take them. It's disconcerting, somehow.

Will the courtyard be all/mostly solid or walkable surface? Do two sets, one set to the front, one parallel to the recess, both the full length or width of the stoop.

Have you considered stairs AND a ramp? I'm thinking ramp parallel to the recess. Handy for moving, and for the future.

Bp, I have a goofy question- wouldn't full length steps on each side yield a wrap around step, or would there be some corner treatment I'm failing to envision? I guess there could be a void with a planting between?

Is the style of the house going to be like a modern farmhouse? My first inclination was to say steps around the whole corner, but then I started thinking about whether that would be awkward to walk up without a railing in the center. Now I am thinking steps coming down just the front with a contemporary, horizontal metal railing on the left.

Thanks! Yes it is a modern farmhouse with some Scandi influences. One option we have is just to get a cheap set of prefab concrete steps for now and wait to do the porch steps until we design the courtyard. What do you all think of that option? I think DH is in a bit of a hurry to have the front look "impressive" with permanent step, but part of me wonders if it's not a design decision that we should make under duress.

I do like the idea you are suggesting, though CF. It may be the most prudent option design-wise if we do need to decide right away.

My only fear is that if you put off something permanent now, you will get busy and financially committed to working on other areas of the house and won't come back to it for years. If you know you won't do that, then maybe temporary is the way to go...

This is kind of what I had in mind although I don't think I would do floating steps for you...

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Full step and a wrought iron railing that "pops".

Gorgeous home!!

I don't have any suggestions for you. Just wanted to say I love your house. It has really turned out beautiful.

Wrap around steps. They would be welcoming from all angles. What a beautiful house, kiwigem!

You asked what I meant by full length, and if they go the length or width of the stoop, there will be a square at the corner. I kind of do like the idea of steps across the front, but a ramp along the side, with a cool railing on the open side of each.

Oh, I really like your house!! I love the style and simplicity!
I think dark slate steps would be really pretty. I think they'd look nice wrapped around continuous, with very simple rails on the house sides.

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Please don't make a decision on aesthetics only. Not having a railing is NOT practical for those with mobility issues, in areas where there may be ice or snow, small children, etc. No railing can be dangerous.

Hi, Kiwi! Haven't talked to you since we shared lighting ideas a long time ago! Hard to believe, but I finally ordered this week! Love your house!! I agree with CF that you should at least get that second step in, but take a few days to have an idea of how you'd like to integrate it with your future walkways and landscaping, at least in a general perspective. I like the corner steps jkc712 posted, especially the wide ones in the second pic. If you did a wide second corner step with a plan for walkways to the right and access to the courtyard to the left. Is the builder doing any landscaping? I have not been on GW much the last few months so haven't followed along for your build. Can't wait to see more!

Can we assume that you and family will enter the house through the garage and that the front door is for visitors mostly? If so then where the stairs should go depends on how people will approach the door -- where will guests be parking and walking from to the front door. If they are coming from the direction of the garage, I'd put steps off of the side of the landing with a railing (in the same color as the dark trim on the house) across the front of the landing and down the stairs with plantings in front of that. If people will come from straight on or from around the taller part of the house, then stairs off the front, with a railing on the side of the landing and down the left (as you face it) side of the stairs. While I like some of the pics of wrap around stairs, I don't like them for your house design -- too elaborate when everything else is so minimalistic (and I mean that in a good way -- love it!) All that said, if you can put in temporary stairs until you have a complete landscape plan (if you don't already), I might do that, just to keep options open.

Very interesting home! I love the wood siding. I can't wait to what the landscaping unfold and see what you do inside!
As for your porch, what is your building codes say? That would be the first thing I checked before I thought about design.

Thank you everyone! I think for now we are leaning toward just having steps across the front of the stoop. Any suggestions for how to treat the open edge of the steps? I've seen steps that have walls or planters on the side, some that have sort of a pyramid effect where the top step is narrower than the bottom (fall hazard?), and of course some where the edge just looks like the side of a normal stair case.

As

justgotabme said...check with code regarding height allowed/required for one or two steps. I like the idea of wraparound steps, but think the entry would look better with just the front. Also the wrought iron for safety and design would be a great added feature.

Can't wait to see the landscape idea/finish.

if you're having a courtyard with seating to the left of the stoop, I would make them wrap around... I would incorporate hand railing tho- maybe at the corner...

but if you plan to just have a walkway up to your frontdoor and landscaping in the area beside the stoop, I would just have steps across the front......

Since your stoop is fairly small, I'd do brick steps using your foundation brick, and make them as wide as your stoop is across and as deep as you can. You can always add a planter to the left side, sort of like that last photo jlc posted. Although it looks as if you'd have to be careful butting it up against the side of your house, so it might have to be lower.

The house looks amazing, congratulations!

How high will the stoop be from finished grade? Two risers? three? four?

If only 2-3 risers from grade I probably would wrap the steps for a better connection to the courtyard area. Extra seating for the kids. Perhaps I am biased because my parents' stoop has wrapped steps (3 sides) as does our porch, and I really like it (3 risers).

I hesitated before posting, though, because I also would be tempted to do the temp steps and get the landscaping figured out first. Good luck!

Elraes Miller, thank you. I'm really surprised that no one else has mentioned local building code. It would be a shame to put time and money into a project and have it rejected by the inspector and have to redo it.

Regardless of the building code personally I probably would not want to wrap the steps if the stoop height would be more than ~18" above finished grade. (I think some building codes don't require a handrail unless you are 30" or above?) The steps in the first photo jlc712 posted look precarious to me because there are so many and the top landing looks too small for my liking.

kiwigem, if you are just doing steps on the front, I think it makes sense to keep the edges of the steps even, rather than using the "pyramid" approach you mentioned. What materials are you planning to use for the steps? Are you planning any cladding below the siding of the house? I think it would help to keep those types of things in mind when deciding how to finish off the side.

You really need a landscape architect. Your house is too beautiful to guess like this. Since you want to call it a courtyard I assume there will be some hardscaping. The area looks big now because it is empty but I think it will fill out quickly once planted. I also have changed my mind on the wrap around steps. With your house it may look grandiose. For safety now you should have temporary wood steps. Of course your DH wants an impressive look now. I would feel the same after the long build. I just think you are doing a disservice to you courtyard by making the steps not part of the design. Remind your hub that good things are worth waiting for.