Mayflowers: The porch on the right does have an entry door. But it takes you to a screened porch that adjoins the living room. Between that and the fact that is it like 8 steps instead of 2, and that people are usually not parked there, no one enters there.

Jojoco, I think I will look at screen doors. OTOH most of them skew Victorian which I think is suboptimal.

Annie, Are you implying that I am spoiled/inpatient? Wherever did you get that idea! I will say, in my defense, that I have lived with this for 5+ years already! I was wondering if a light over the door might signal entry? Goose neck with a small escutcheon/plate would work but I think it needs to be lantern style --- Ineed to measure to see what is feasible.

Local, those are great and echo the pool area coping.

Mtn.....I would make the steps larger/deeper (don't like skinny little steps) and if you do, a rail would work I think. Rails are very helpful for older folks and even those temporarily handicapped. It would also be a visual marker to the door for those pulling up the drive.

A painted accent color screen door, nice big "front door light" with house numbers, and a large, flaring, paver walk from the parking area (I would edge with timbers of some kind) would say "This is the door!". A large pot or two of flowers to draw attention. All of the above could be moved whenever needed. A welcome post at the road and the door would help. You just want something cute for a few years.

I can't see a painted screen door there. For one thing, it doesn't seem to relate to anything else on the house. For another. it can't be seen from the road or even where folks park. What would help is, indeed, a better landing at the bottom, and bigger steps. For the time being you can do a simple concrete steps with a flagstone-type veneer on top, and I like the walkway that localeater showed. Then, put a post with the numbers on it next to the porch. Just a white post. Simple.

I mocked up stoop, a non-Victorian screen door, and I closed in one side light to give you a place for a sconce. I like the house number on the screen too!

That's nice! And THAT color screen door I could go for.

Local, I adore that screen door! Where did you find it? I typed in "screen door vintage" in Google search and I got this: (it's what is there now!)

For one thing, it doesn't seem to relate to anything else on the house. The porch floors and verandah floors are all painted medium gray, so I said I wanted paint the door the same gray.

For another. it can't be seen from the road or even where folks park.People usually park to the left, exactly where the door is. So you can see it from where you park (As if "parking" were that official anyway ... the road is not paved and parking can become very free form esp if there are several people... we may change that but asphalt would look terrible, not even sure id want to see that much gravel ... maybe gravel with a strip of grass ...and anyway changing it implicates several other decisions about flow and about the guest cottage (which will be garage below) ... so long story short, parking will remain ambiguous for some time). You cannot see anything at all from the road, we are maybe 1/4 mile or so in from the main road and it is wooded and curvy.

better landing at the bottom, and bigger steps

This is i totally agree with, esp because once the point was raised I realized that not only do they look wrong, they don't function as well as they could for sure.

Crushed shells are used for driveways on the Cape.

Yes, I know. I don't think I have seen that in So. Maine. We have pea gravel here in CT and I like it. But again, driveway decisions, location, incl. layout, materials, are a long way off because it very much involves the planned new structure.

Mtn - here is link to screen door

https://westernmainescreendoors.com/project-gallery/ 

I know the driveway is a down the road project but I love the idea of gravel with a grass strip. We havent decided about the driveway for the new house, I would love permeable but that might need to wait.

I hear you you Mtn about keeping landscaping after it has outgrown/served its purpose/whatever. But I agree Japanese Maples are nice and perhaps a good thinning and shaping would add enough of an accent to that area without blocking the view to the house. I would probably start with that option and see how you feel.

Mtn, I have 3 endless summer hydrangeas in Mi and they never bloom til almost summers end. This year I am ripping them out. No matter what I do they are not fast bloomers and then they don’t get nice big flowers.

Mtn - another screen door company. My neighbor has one with the sailboat cutout.

http://seaportshutter.com/wooden-screen-doors-2/

Love your porch mudroom, Mtn! Maybe start with the heaving walkway stones, then determine if the entire stair area needs to be regraded. If so, then you will need new steps and can have them built wider to fit the length of the porch and paint the porch. Since space for lighting is limited, how about a pole lamp near the entrance? That could serve as a place to put your house number.

Once the functional issues are addressed you can add a welcome mat, wreath or flag to the door area. Some potted urns and window boxes could add some (gasp!) color. I'm not thinking red!

We had zero luck with Endless Summer hydrangeas, but a good nursery can advise you on varieties that do well in your area. I think Mayflowers gave you excellent advice on the landscaping.

I must admit I haven't read all the comments, but I do agree with perhaps replacing the steps. We have a wonderful company that makes these screen doors . I would love to have one but not really appropriate for our home. seaportshutter.com please check it out, they have vintage to nautical all custom made, beautiful colors too!

mtn, also should say beautiful home and yard :-)

I read most of the comments, and have to say I agree with everything mayflowers said about taking out the tree and the ivy. My thoughts exactly. I would remove all the ivy. But I could be biased because I attended a workshop about invasive plants today and one invasive is English ivy.

I have had a Japanese maple moved and they are surprisingly hardy and resilient, given good care and watering after the move. You could replant with a true dwarf JM that only grows to 3’ tall, but do your research and ensure that is what you are getting.

I also agree with removing the ivy around the left lower bed and planting some low evergreens there.

The walkway heaving could be due to tree roots. It looks like a large tree off to the left in your photo. I think a flat flagstone walk would be more casual and easy to add to if it fits in with later plans. It looks like some cobble stones were used instead of flat stones but maybe I am wrong.

You don’t have a lot of real estate to mount a light unless you put it above the door, something like this. I love that screen door and would really like it in a soft pastel blue or light gray.

Yes, I've
always loved that look, Local. The permeable, not so much.
Neighbors down the street at our summer house have it, and I always think it
looks like bad hair plugs!

Kathy, I
have them elsewhere on the property, on the ocean side, and they do well.
Here in CT i have a ton of them too. I have a habit of buying them for pots at my entry every spring, and then having them replanted somewhere. I have a great photo somewhere of them. To be honest, if it were up to me, the only plant material id have anywhere would be blue and white hydrangeas. I wanted to surround my pool with them but my gardener wasn't sure we should rely on just one specimen is such a finickly clime.I settled with a blue and white and purple palate by the pool instead.

RN, I
am sure that both my gardener and my DH will want to keep that tree (men and
their wood, in all forms). I will consider pruning and or transplanting
but really, a tree right in the middle of everything is just wrong.

Seagrass
and Cran, those are gorgeous too! We need to get up there and measure and
also see if it is terribly out of square.

Cran,
Thank you. We have spent a lot of time on the interior and the front lawn/pool,
which is my pride and joy, but the time has come to at least tidy this area up!

Bonnie,
thank you. I would love window boxes but we aren't always there. I agree
about the steps, too. The pole light might be a good solution but it
could feel crowded too.

Outside, I think you may be right, someone used cobblestone. last time we were there, I notice that when I wear heels I walk off to the side to avoid them. That makes no sense! Something similar to what we have on our pool decking would work much better. We may even have some of it. AS far as lighting, I think I could just fit a gooseneck up there and not interfere with the door swing. This one has a very small footprint. I can get it in aged brass, black, copper, etc etc. Can also customize the length etc.

It looks like the door swings in now. Unless you are changing that (which I wouldn't), there shouldn't be any issue with a light. That light above would be perfect!

oh yeah, cyn! (duh, what was I thinking)

LOL, I am just reviewing all the comments to enter into a spreadsheet, and "repeal and replace. ;)" finally hit me Annie.

You.

Annie, Are you implying that I am spoiled/inpatient? Wherever did you get that idea!

Not at all...just a woman with exquisite taste who believes in making the world more beautiful wherever she can...

A gravel and grass driveway is a maintenance PITA because the gravel never stays where you want it.

Oh great. I opened the link and now I have to have all new screen doors. Those are nicer than any I've seen.

I don't know if they are used in Maine, but sometimes I see a colorful flag or a windsock on staff in a bracket that would stick out and indicate an entrance. I'm not one to fly the US flag so that's not what I'm suggesting, but I'm sure there are some nice, non-tacky, non-beachy type flags or windsocks that could work. displayed like this...

eta: okay it took me a minute to locate some that I wouldn't consider tacky, lol...ymmv...

Etsy has quite a few monogrammed ones: I think I'd like this 1st one without the writing..

It looks like you have stairs on the right side of the house, do you have stairs in the front of the house? - if so I would build new stairs as previously mentioned but tie them in with whatever is already in existence.

Perhaps irregular steps would enhance the look of the 'rickety farmhouse' vibe you mentioned.

Oldbat2be,

(BTW, we have met Oldbat2be, and I think she needs a new screenname. One, she is cute as a button, and two, bat-dom is not even on her horizon).

Love the mock-up; I’m a sucker for symmetry. Only thing is, IRL we can’t really do it that way. With grade changes, the right side is about one story higher, so no way to get foundation stone on the left. You also smoothed over the wonky intersecting roofs in photoshop, which is not possible (cheating!). The wainscosting (or whatever one would term it) sure looks great. But on the left, it has an 8x10’ planting bed in it … which might obscure the look. We are going to ask our carpenter what is involved though, and how it can be replicated.

Olychick, I like the
flag idea, though I am finding it hard to find a particular style I like, and
we don’t really want our name on it, and we have not “named” our house. But I
like the flag in part because it can go on that corner, it adds texture and it
draws the eye up. The buoys do that
too. I am not one for kitch but we have
lobster buoys marking traps floating in the ocean right in front of our house,
so I particularly like using them.

Gray, Yes, even the
pea gravel here is a pain. But practicality is not my strong suit. Even so, we
prob won’t end up doing it because it will look quite busy; it reads like 3
stripes if you think about it, and looks best on a simple straightaway.

Daisy, I know, really! The ones w the appliques are pretty,
but too fancy for the vibe of the house I think. Plus I like having the number on the
door. I actually emailed the vendor over
the weekend about a custom request, and had a quote done before 9am!

More on the door (separately) below, because
GW keeps eating my posts and this is the THIRD time I typed this all!!! Maybe it will submit if its shorter?

Okay, so here is the door situation. I really like the numbered one that Localeater
posted. (thank you) DH liked it too but
had a function issue.

The door we have has a little bar across it, because
everyone pushes the door open with their hands.
That was pushing the screen out, hence the bar. So DH says the door design needs to have a
wood element at about that height in order to provide the same function. I did a rough mock up combing two door styles
to do that, and already had that quoted this am; no problems. His drawing will prob be better proportioned, but here is
my mockup FWIW :

I did have a style question.
Is this door a “style”? Its not
Arts and Craft or Victorian… what is it? Does it work? We do have other curvilinear elements … a
moongate to the pool Palladian window in back, half moon in front. Am I over thinking this? (Moi!?)

Next question. Color.
I don’t have any color on the exterior, but my pool plantings are all green,
white, blue and purple and I will use those colors in the adjacent bed here. Inside the house, 1st floor
especially, all blues and white. When
you walk in the kitchen, an aqua fridge is staring at you. Can I draw from any
of these colors for my side entry door?
Or just go grey like the treads
and painted wood floor, but glossy?
WDYT?

Colors ---

Yes to duplicating the stairs at the front of the house onto this back entrance and have them go from side to side the whole width.

I was going to suggest a robin egg blue for the door so maybe something like the rest assured? or raindrop.

I go back and forth whether or not to paint the outside of the porch entrance a light grey to tie into the main part of the house. Your house trim is white but this is actually part of the structure which is why I think it should be painted a colour closer to the body of the house.

Your house trim is white but this is actually part of the structure

Hmm, BLF, when you put it that way, it seems like something worth considering. But OTOH, the area on the right is even more part of the structure, and it is white.... IDK but maybe I will try a mock up.

Some landscape advice. Pull off the ivy, it's not doing your beautiful home any favors.

Assuming you don't hate the maple and want to tear it out, which is also perfectly viable if that's your taste. But if you want to keep it . . . Take out the shrubs or large perennials that block the view of the trunk of maple tree. Part of the beauty of a small maple is it's trunk and form. You can then CAREFULLY prune the tree to beautify it. The basics of light pruning are to follow the drape of the main branches and cut out branches that cross each other, being careful not to destroy the collar around the base of the branch which is critical for the tree to heal from the cut. Start out with just a few branches. Easier to go back and do a few more rather than regret doing too many. Don't trim the ends of branches, that just causes a hydra effect. Cut where the smaller branch comes out from another larger branch. You can also trim off some of the lower branches to reveal the branching pattern, but tread lightly, you don't want the effect of having given your tree a butch haircut!
https://www.wikihow.com/Prune-Japanese-Maple-Trees

Thanks, Pink. We would have our gardener do that, I wouldn't have a clue. We shall have to see what we decide when we see it in person again. Seems like an off spot to put one lone tree. If you had asked me, I didn't even recall there was a tree there.

Meantime,my custom screen door is on order and carpenter et al working up proposals.

Hi Mtn, I stopped in to the forum to belatedly reply and was immediately distracted by your handbag post. Yes, I did cheat!! Regarding colors, I like the idea of a colored screen door. I forget what the ceiling is, in the side entry - how would a pop of color there, work?

Funny you should mention the ceiling, because DH, who recalls testing 14 colors to get the right "haint blue" for our porch ceilings here, asked if we should paint that blue. I suppose!

I was really thinking of SW Interesting Aqua for the door, because it would relate to the first space you enter, the kitchen. I did this because there is really no color on the exterior but gray and white. Then I remember that there will be color ... hopefully blue hydrangeas but in any event, flora matching the blue/purple/green/white palette we have pool side.

So then I am thinking I should move away from aquas and toward periwinkle to match the flowers???

In other news, approving a sketch of my door ... my landscape guy tells me the landing did not heave from winter, it is tree roots. Suggests we regrade. Probably that will also reduce the number of entry steps from 2 to 1, in which case a slab may be the way to go, Plus he reminded me we have granite steps in our lawn too. He will look at pruning the tree. He had already removed a lot the bed and as per a discussion I had w him last fall. All snow covered for now.

He wants to add some irrigation, which could also enable window boxes, further obscuring the mass of white wood.

Testing 14 colors, that was all DH, right?! With which color did you end up? Periwinkle is lovely but my vote is for aquas. I think decorating the door for various seasons would be easier. Good news about regrading and reducing the number of entry steps. To make even more accessible, is it possible to omit the steps entirely?

Mtn., I think blue on the porch/mudroom ceiling would look great, and thankfully the testing of 14 colors is behind you! It is a good thing that your landscaper zeroed in on the cause of the heaving walkway and steps. Sounds like regrading will allow for a single (longer step), and that the installation of irrigation will allow you to add window boxes for some color. Now you can select various shades of periwinkle paint to try for the new door! Just a thought: if you plant vinca minor (periwinkle) ground cover around the entrance you will have a nice year-round dash of color. We have tons of it here and it is lovely.

I am wondering how the sprinkler can be designed to reach window boxes without having water enter the porch. We have irrigation at our Cape house, but it doesn't reach the four window boxes. Hmmm. May have to investigate the possibility of turning some of the jets.

I am looking forward to seeing what you do. Knowing you, it will be perfect!

Mtn., I think blue on the porch/mudroom ceiling would look great, and you already know the right color to use.It is a good thing that your landscaper zeroed in on the cause of the heaving walkway and steps. Sounds like regrading will allow for a single (longer step), and that the installation of irrigation will allow you to add window boxes for some color. Now you can select various shades of periwinkle paint to try for the new door! Just a thought: if you plant vinca minor (periwinkle) ground cover around the entrance you will have a nice year-round dash of color. We have tons of it here and it is lovely.

I am wondering how the sprinkler can be designed to reach window boxes without having water enter the porch. We have irrigation at our Cape house, but it doesn't reach the four window boxes. Hmmm. May have to investigate the possibility of turning some of the jets.

I am looking forward to seeing what you do. Knowing you, it will be perfect!

I don't know if this is what Mtn's landscaper is planning but you can run clear tubes to window boxes for irrigation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jll6Hfp5h88

There are some great example for periwinkle doors on grey/white houses like ours. I worry a bit it could look juvenile and I don't want it to read purple. WDYT?

Keep in mind this is only a side door and only a summer home, so a bit of whimsy is fine even desirable.

Both of those are really nice. I’m partial to #1.

While I like a sort of greyed-out historical aqua (not a tropical aqua!) I really do think the periwinkle will pick up on my floral scheme. Because the bed is big, we will need more than just foundation plants and will prob use the same things we have had success w around the pool. You cannot even see my pool hydrangeas in this shot, but this scheme is why I think i need a blue w purple in it not a blue w green in it.

I really like #1 but I am mindful of your colorphobia!

I don't think it looks juvenile at all and bright color doors are very coastal - but it has to feel right for you.