Adding a front porch/ fixing hidden front door

5 years ago

My front door is hidden in a deep entry way. we also do not have a large front porch. I am interested in help with some ideas that will bring the front door forward or more welcoming and ideas on how to add a front porch. do we need to add a gable / shed roof. I realize that this will stop light from coming in. thinking of adding some sky lights to counter this. i want to some how eliminate those slanted support beams for something more transitional design. I hate those posts!!! I love my house just redid the kitchen and love my neighbors and school district. I'm not moving! please help with ideas.

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katinparadise

5 years ago

What is your budget for changes to the outside? Just removing the bottom two limbs from the left and right of the tree will help expose your door. Then remove the small evergreen that is partially blocking the door. Add a full lite storm door, or remove it altogether if possible and paint the front door in a color that will draw attention to the entrance. Then I would simply have the post moved and squared up so that it is as close to the end of the overhang on the right as possible. You could then shorten your stone planter, which I love by the way, and expand the front porch over to close to the window on the left. I think that alone would do wonders to open up the entry.

Comments (11)

houssaon
5 years ago
I agree with everything katinparadise mentioned except touching that post. I think it gives a real mid-century vibe and it would be a shame to lose it. It is an attractive house.
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I know this post is a few years old, and you have probably solved your porch problem...but it made my heart so sad that no one helped you. So I decided to put aside an hour and draw something out for you (just in case you still have no idea)... If you can do a wrap around that would be even better, but this would be a simple porch that could be added to your cute little home Without any major changes. Hope this helped in some way, and have a wonderful day.
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From your idea book for the front yard, it's clear you prefer a clean, modern, angular design. I suggest changing out the garage door for one with a grid of frosted glass panels. (Search images for "modern garage doors" and you'll see what I mean.) Consider stucco instead of siding. Maybe you can find more modern windows as well. Use the horizontal fence idea to screen the trash cans. Remove the existing driveway and pour fresh concrete scored into a very large grid pattern. Or, use large rectangles of concrete and lay river stones in between. (Again, search for images of "modern concrete driveway" and you will find lots of inspiration, including many with the curve you need.) I agree a modest pergola at the entry will signal where the door is. If you have room for a small trickling pot fountain under the pergola, so much the better. Remove the grass from the parking strip. Figure out where car doors will open if parked on the street -- set large rectangular floating pavers at that point, and plant the other areas with succulents. Top dress around the plants with either thick mulch or a layer of river rock (smooth, flat, rounded stones). Minimize your lawn area. I'd use the corner swath between the sidewalk and the drive for a very large succulent (examples: Agave attenuata, Euphorbia tirucalli "sticks on fire", Aloe petricola) and lower growers around it (Senecio mandraliscae, Graptoveria, etc.) along with some that produce flowers on tall stems (example: Clandrina spectabilis, Kalanchoe thyrsiflora, Anigozanthus falvidum), and maybe some tufted grasses (Muhlenbergia capillaris, Sporobolus aroides, one of the many Carex). If possible, repeat some of the same plants along the house below the windows (I can't tell in the shadows if there is soil for planting or not). Good luck! You can turn this plain Jane into a stunner -- all you need is money, a vision, and more money. Did I mention money? ;-) I hope you will follow up with progress photos.
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Here are some house styles I like... Ours is obviously smaller and we have less money than the people in these houses!
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Oh wow, it's really hidden! lol Your furniture plan for the porch sounds lovely and I imaging having the door tucked away adds a nice sense of privacy and security. What about removing/relocating the bushes in front of the porch? Removing them might make the space look larger and more welcoming where as now they seem to make the space small and dark. Maybe swap them for some flowerbeds. It doesn't sound like you'd want to take on awindow-to-door conversion but it would look really great if you did. You've got a lot of space from an exterior view and having the steps lead up to the door would look very welcoming. You'd also have to consider what's on the other side of the wall and how that would affect the layout of your porch furniture, too (I'm sure you've already thought of that though). You've got a beautiful home, I'm sure whatever you decide it'll look great. Good luck! - Ariana
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PRO
TruBuild Construction, LLC
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Hello Autumn, I think the above suggestions are really great! I don't know if this is your taste, but if you didn't want to do a formal "porch" and were worried about blocking out light, you could do some type of pergola between the entrance and the garage. It would still let in light and you potentially wouldn't have the cost of changing your roof! Just a thought..
PRO
User
5 years ago
wood-red-brownish-door-white-wood-armchair-beautiful-white-wood-porch-black-wall · More Info

honestly making a path from the door to the street and having lights/flowers around it will make a huge impact and would make your entrance pop out even more. This photo is just a concept of what i am talking about.
PRO
User
5 years ago

light well porch at DuckDuckGo · More Info
as for the porch i feel like subtraction and subtlety would be a nice way to go because the front yard is such a huge space a nice high vaulted entry would really compliment it. especially if you ad spot lights that would really put quite a show at night
User
5 years ago
You've got a beautiful home. I don't like the slanted columns and would replace them with simple verticals. I would not expand the porch, but agree with the previous comments that removing some of the bushes and lower tree limbs would make the entry more open and inviting. Really, everything about the house looks great to me except for the landscaping on the left side.
sheloveslayouts
5 years ago
I LOVE your house. Especially the posts. Please please please do not change the structure.

Remove the evergreen, limb up the other tree, and install a generous (~ 5' wide?) side walk directly to the street:
katinparadise
5 years ago
I love the slanted posts as well but since OP mentioned that she hated them, I was offering another, less expensive alternative to a shed roof porch.
Denita
5 years ago
I love those posts too, along with the asymmetrical roof line that is currently hiding behind the trees. Agree with the others about leaving the posts and removing the limbs and shrub as shown by benjesbride.

If it were my home, I would emphasize the roofline and the posts. Look at what was done here (different type of home, but same type of posts - only taller):

Casper Residence · More Info
PRO
User
5 years ago
hmmm i agree on the idea of using what you have with those diagonal posts. one thing i think we all need to see is how the house would look like without the landscape covering up the front as it is hard to tell when we only have the 1 photo , if you do decide to remove the landscape it would give us all a better picture of how the facade would look and what may compliment it.
J Kay
5 years ago
I don’t like the slanted posts. If you can get them vertical that would be an inexpensive option. If you have the budget I’d check with a builder if the roof over that side could be cut back to match the left side. Then if you have additional monies you could add in something like a trellis.

Adding a front porch/ fixing hidden front door

katinparadise

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houssaon

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