Craftsman style house goes with my cottage style of gardening. One of the two blue spruce in the pictures, the one on the right, came down in a big rain and windstorm early this spring. So there is a lot more light in the front. That side is now in full sun. As to lots of land, I don't have it. I have a typical suburban size lot. What makes it all work here as far as everything I have planted is that the yard is all multilevel. Harder to deal with but more things can be squeeezed in. It would never all work if it was just level. The parking lot you can see across the street is to a 16 acre park and beach so its really very nice here in the summer. Its for our City residents but never crowded just afew people arounhd weekdays and not that much more on weekends. Next to it immediately adjoining so you can walk from one into the other is a large county nature preserve, this time all wooded. Also with shoreline accress. I remember going fishing there with my dad when I was a young child. Well, I went with him. He fished, I played around.

Thanks. We do have some preliminary sketches and will be tweaking those. The landscape designer was pretty good about asking what we wanted and trying to improve on that. =P We weren't sure about the steps so we let her be herself on those. There are curves of course--the drive is curvy and the walk has to curve. Curved planting areas and a rounded lawn since the alternative to that is a weird polygon like I already have. I should get my scanner working maybe! Or camera. The porch doesn't run all the way across--the roof does, however. The house extends to the edge of the roof on the right side which is absolutely impossible to tell from that photo. The little window behind the lamppost looks over the porch, the larger one near the garage is all the way out to the typical setback under the eaves. (I know there are proper terms for all this somewhere.) Much wider steps would be nice, but with half the front being driveway already, I don't think we can pull it off! I don't know if it's relevant, but the only places one can sit inside the house and appreciate any front yard landscaping is the kitchen table (the window closer to the garage) where you can't see much more than driveway and the toilet whose window is tucked between the garage and kitchen in the direction of the garage. That's the good seat. I really do appreciate all the views on this. Thanks!!

I think the only code issue that applies here is the riser height which yes, RG, is 7 3/4" so even if the other riser is off, it still complies with code because these are not considered stairs which my understanding is any set of steps that are at least 3 in succession are considered stairs and must comply with applicable codes (like a hand rail and riser height conformity). But regardless of code, the riser heights are just too far off for any reputable contractor to think they did a decent job. Codes for steps and stairs are for safety concerns, and everybody knows riser heights with different heights in succession cause the brain to get confused. Especially for the elderly. I suggest you put aesthetics aside and focus on safety, workmanship and the integrity of your contractor to do the right thing.

Agree with Weil. Think porch not deck. With overhanging roof you could use a tongue and grooved 1x6 ipe ( this project in Burlington, KY is 5/4x4 Ipe but you'll get the idea https://www.houzz.com/projects/2745609/5-4x4-tongue-and-grooved-ipe-burlington-ky ) or just a regular 1x6 deckboard. Tropicals are not as cost prohibitive as some think. 1) given the depth of the porch if you run your joists in the right direction you can use ipe "shorts" pieces shorter than 8' and that will save you a lot of money. 2) using random length boards if using longer lengths will save you a lot of money. 3) look at more inexpensive alternative tropical species like Cumaru and Garapa that similar lifespans (all the various species on our website will weather to the same basic grey color so if you're going to do that then color of wood is irrelevant) 4) ipe left to weather grey is about as maintenance free and long lasting of a product as you will find. Arguably will outlast the pointing in the brick facade and in the long run it will absolutely be a cheaper product not to mention more environmentally friendly.