Congratulations! Looks like a great building and a smart investment. I love the brick detail. I wouldn't call the facade plain by any means, but it is subtle by modern standards and would be best appreciated at a walking, not driving, pace. Before you dive in, try to find out when your building was constructed and who the architect was. Then look for buildings of the same era and/or by the same architect for ideas. You shouldn't have any trouble finding similar apartment buildings within a short distance. If you see something you like, don't be shy about asking the owner about it and for the name of the contractor who did the work. People love to talk about their renovations. Be sure to find out if there are any preservation requirements that would apply to buildings in your neighborhood. In some places, they can be very restrictive, but historic commissions can also be a great source of information. Also, use local preservation and historical societies for resources and ideas. Finally, find out if there are any tax breaks for renovating historic buildings -- this would vary by state, and even by city. In Massachusetts, where I live, there are incentives for restoring historic commercial properties, but not residential ones. Illinois may have a similar program. Since you have a rental unit, your building might be considered commercial. Now for a few specific suggestions for your building: 1) To me, the style of the door looks all wrong. I'm not sure what door style would be appropriate, but it shouldn't be hard to find out. A canopy or overhang over the door might not be historically correct, but it would certainly be practical. 2) Are the glass block windows original? (They could be - glass block has been used for a long time.) If there's trim around the glass block window over the door, I'd paint it white to match the trim on the other windows. 3) Most importantly, landscape the front yard. Plain grass isn't adding much to your curb appeal. Try to choose plants or shrubs of varying height and seasonal interest. A small tree near the front of the yard (so it doesn't block the basement windows) would be lovely. (Make sure the roots won't damage your sidewalk, though.) 4) consider fencing in the front yard with a decorative wrought iron fence, or with a cast aluminum fence that looks like wrought iron, which would be far more affordable and easier to maintain. It would look great, and it would protect your landscaping investment, not to mention keeping off the dogwalkers. 5) Flower boxes made of wrought iron (or cast aluminum) under the first-floor windows would look good, IMO,. You'd have to be willing to maintain them, of course. 6) I disagree with everyone who said that pavers would be inappropriate. Brick paving has been used for centuries and is essentially timeless (although the patterns would vary). If you do replace the sidewalk with pavers, be sure it's done properly so they won't heave and cause a tripping hazard. You might also consider leaving the concrete sidewalk (assuming it's in good shape) and edging it with brick. This wouldn't be historic, but it would add interest and be much less expensive than ripping out the entire sidewalk and replacing it with pavers.

I'd want to see what water does in that area -- you have an overhang and shouldn't need the awning, but there's an odd set of angles meeting up, and maybe something unfortunate happens, like rain from the garage roof corner spraying the door area. If it's not strictly useful, i'd get rid of it and not replace. If it is solving some problem, then I'd look for a more pleasant solution, one that doesn't block the door and maybe stands out less as well.

We use the front door as an entry, it has a couple planets on it, I rant to decorate it a little bit more with a little bistro set maybe! I am looking for more budget friendly fixes currently since we are hoping for an addition on the back at some point and my husband does not want to put too much into the front, so if i can think of a good fix that's affordable then it's manageable! He is also amazing at diy and reno projects and my brother is a contractor so that helps!

That brick may be historical, but it isn't very attractive. paint it using something like Romabio. very little upkeep that way. That whole house would look so dramatic in a gray scheme. cannot wait to see the after.