It might help to see more of the front of the house, to see what other design elements are present. I'd definitely stay with black to match the metal posts on the porch and the black shutters. The proposed lamp is certainly handsome, but to me the style is too modern. I also think it conflicts with the curly porch supports. As I'm neither a designer nor an artist, that's the best I can articulate it. I grew up in three 50s ranches in various parts of California, and for whatever reason -- probably a combination of bright street lighting and small yards -- none of those houses had post lamps. Obviously that doesn't mean much if you need a light source in that location! The 1961 ranch which is now my home also lacks a lamppost (though it's possible there was one before the house was added onto). There is a porch light above a glass panel in the porch roof; I assume it's original as there is no sign in the brick facade of any other light fixture. Here's a site you might find helpful; apparently some of the designs are still available. [That "square recessed can light" is similar to what I have.] http://retrorenovation.com/2009/06/28/41-midcentury-lighting-ideas-post-lanterns-lamp-posts-wall-lanterns-and-landscaping-lights/ I found the site with a Google Images search for "porch lamp fifties."

patser - Thanks for the link. I'll probably get those for the switches I was planning to upgrade. I saw them at a house our two while looking for our home and I really liked them. We don't have a coal door on the house. A PO cut large holes into the concrete foundation and put in glass block windows throughout. It was a great upgrade that let tons of light into the basement during the day. Even at night the sparkle of the glass is nice and it feels much more open than with tiny dingy windows. (I just wish they would have kept/left pieces of history like a coal door.) My wife really wants a functioning gas fireplace so we'll probably install one at some point. I'm certain the f/p was never functioning, but I still wonder why it was built like it was. civ IV fan - I'm pretty sure the porch is original. The roof staining matches that of the rest of the house perfectly. The foundation also shows no changes - so the porch was at least there; although that doesn't rule out the possibility that the roof was reworked at some point. Thanks for the compliment on the window seat. I truly love it. If we get a nice sunny day sometime soon I'll open the curtains and take a picture of the full floor to ceiling woodwork that makes up the whole window seat. We've also got blue velvet curtains that look much nicer than PO's ugly curtains imho. Now for some more questions: Does anyone know about the type of brick used here? It's dark brick, which I don't see very often. It also has an interesting texture added to it, which I've shown in one of the additional pictures. Some of the bricks merely have textured vertical lines, but many have this curvy texture in addition to the vertical lines. Is there a name for this type of brick or a way for me to learn more about it and why it was used? Also, there's a patch that was clearly replaced below the kitchen window. It looks like there was something in the place before that window that took up more room, but I don't have a clue as to what it could be. Any ideas? I took a video of the problem with our pocket door the other day, but it's 5 minutes long and 300 mb or so so I'll have to break it up and change format to upload it. Is there someone here that knows about pocket doors and might be able to help? (i.e. is it worth the time and effort to figure out how to make this into appropriate sized videos to upload it?) Thanks for the wealth of knowledge! I'm truly enjoying learning more about my house (and older houses in general by reading everybody's recent and not-so-recent posts). Here is a link that might be useful: More pictures

Quote by jmbaker3 - "but just don't feel too secure with a post on a deck this size just restng on a paver and not being locked in.." Yah, I'd have to agree with ya there. No way should that be the case. You should dig a hole, install a 12" diameter (min.) sonotube, pour a concrete footing w/ rebar, install a Simpson CBSQ post base in the wet concrete , and let the concrete set up for a week or two THEN install your 4x6 post on the post base. This will keep the bottom of the post out of the ground, away from mulch and generally much happier. Happy posts will last much longer... Regarding the twisting and bowing, not sure if you've got hem-fir or SYP pressure treated wood, but I know a lot of deck guys who build with both those materials with good results. Wrapping the post would further reduce the chance of bowing and twisting because the post would not be directly exposed to sunlight/weather. Mac

Thanks for the response. I water about 2-3 times per week. And by stress, I mean any slight discoloration of the turf. It turns a slight blue, then I water and its fully green afterwards.