I do not find it disconcerting in the least that the door is not centered. Having it off-center in the porch area is as common as air. It might seem more noticeable now because the house has an unfinished look and a certain "emptiness" about it, which will all change as you add landscaping and the finishing touches. The black shutters seem okay ... like black eyeliner making the window features look larger. But the black posts remind me of black lipstick or fingernail polish. They look ghoulish. So I'd paint those white and another thing that would make the porch seem stronger visually is the addition of filigree trim at the top (at both front and sides.) I've used this before and it makes a huges difference. The trim I'm speaking of is made to go at the top of cabinets so it's a ready-made, big-box item. Or you could make something if you're handy with simple carpentry. One more thing I'd do there is add full length shutters along each side of the door to expand its size and importance. (This, again, is along the lines of how eyeliner makes eyes look larger.) If the door seemed larger, the porch area it would seem less "empty" looking. If ready-made shutters won't clear the utilities, make a pair of simulated shutters that will. They don't have to match existing shutters. And I'd paint the door and door frame white, too. (The darker grey adds a gloomy, instead of cheery, touch, I think.) A bench or seat of some time below the porch window would be a nice touch, too. You stated that everything was now paved, so it's probably too late for my walk suggestion. However, if not, I'd create a walk that acts as a landing for the entire front of the porch so as to make entering it seem like a spacious, unconfined experience. It would also leave some space for planting at the left side of the garage. Since that's blank wall space, a pair of matching small trees could flank the garage. (Such trees would be made of shrubs that only get 9'-10' height so as to minimize maintenance. One would pick the shrub that adds the particular personality they are looking for.) The rest of the plant suggestions are more or less self explanatory as to heights you might consider and the placement of foliage masses. This post was edited by Yardvaark on Tue, May 28, 13 at 10:38

Have you considered no mantel at all? If you were to remove the raised hearth and the current mantel, then do your stacked stone all the way to the floor, it would give it a cleaner, more modern look. Because I couldn't sleep and decided to take the opportunity to think more about your fireplace . . . Many of these asymmetrical fireplaces have a niche to the side for logs. I know you can't manufacture such depth, but the addition of the stone will give you a little depth, and you could play with that. Assuming you do away with the raised hearth, you could even cover a portion of the existing brick on the left with drywall or panelling of some kind so that the fireplace itself would be symmetrical.

Hey everyone! It’s been a while since I posted updates and to be honest there isn’t too much to report at the moment! Trying to figure out where to put ducts for central air. I’m attaching some photos I thought you might like :) the first is what the beams look like inside the walls and what I’m hoping the ones exposed will look like when they stain is rubbed out. The second pic is the original flooring upstairs (dusty from construction). It’s called pumpkin pine flooring and that’s the flooring I want to put on the ground level kitchen and sitting room. Then a picture from the notching looking at the stone room, and vice versa! Hope everyone is healthy and safe ❤️

I u sweat and why you want to take that piano wall out. It could be a game-changer in terms of expanding your layout options and being able to add an island is definitely worth serious consideration! But as other posters have pointed out, it does have some drawbacks. You are smart to listen to them all and weigh these drawbacks. The best advice is living in the space for awhile before making major changes. Think about what happens on each side of that wall and how you will manage without the wall there. If there are cabinets there, will the storage space you lose in those cabinets be relocated elsewhere, like the island? Will the type of storage function similarly? Island storage is low, and generally not as easily accessible as wall cabinet storage. There are pullouts and organizers that help improve function, but they only go so far. We’ve been in our home for 34 years and just recently (finally!) remodeled our kitchen. Our peninsula countertops had a stepped up design that I wanted dropped down to one level. I had to weigh the pluses of chopping that wall down: more open feel in a fairly small footprint, better use of space and more prep & serving area. The drawbacks: the stepped up area provided a spot for the coffee maker and other small appliances, had the disposal switch and two pairs of outlets and yes, did hide food prep messes and dirty dishes from view in the family room. I had to rethink where I would relocate the coffee maker and other appliances and how I would address the kitchen messes being more visible. And weigh each thing on MY scale, according to priorities. Ultimately I decided the more open feel and improved function of that work area was most important to me and I worked to resolve the issues that taking that wall down created. I have edited down the “stuff” I used to keep on my counters. We went from a double sink to a larger single bowl to have a better landing place for dirty dishes. Ultimately, after about 4 months time we are very happy with our decision to lose that wall and open up the space. Good luck with all your figuring and planning. This is such an exciting time!