You should have a gable portico similar to this one, bit a smaller scale. Have the lantern below the roof of the portico rather than above. I would not paint the house. I am concerned the level of the soil is quite high around the front door and the foundation. Maybe you should regrade it away.

Lighting that welcomes you home · More Info

Exterior · More Info

A round shed portico with a metal roof would look good, too.

Albans Road Residence · More Info

Can you post a picture taken straight on from further back? Also agree with houssanon about the soil. Why is there no step up to the door?

It does look like the grade (soil) is either at or above the finish floor line. That will cause water intrusion into the walls (which I'm sure you are aware is not good). I would pull the soil away from the house and would also be sure that any mulch stays below floor level. You house could be enhanced with some good landscaping. I agree with you - the entry canopy should be removed and replaced with something. It might be a small porch or in could be a low pitch gable roof that is supported by brackets instead of columns.

Pictures for exploring foundation planting are best taken while looking square to the face of the building, with the camera in line with the door (or building center), but from not too far away, or beds/walks, etc. can't be seen well. What standing at one position, take slightly overlapping pictures that include 20' flanking space beyond house ends.

I think your house is really lovely! Are you able to paint the windowframes? If so, I think dark brown or black instead of white trim would look nice. I wouldn't paint the brick, but I would create some kind of entry arbor/enclosure around your front entry following the modern style of your fence. Then, I would focus on some large concrete pavers (maybe air conditioner pads?) and heavy plantings, if water near your foundation isn't too much of a problem. Maybe some large ornamental grasses to settle the house into the landscape a little more softly? Whatever you decide to do, you have a great house!

I love the suggestions by houssaon - a gable or rounded portico over your door would really improve your wonderful home.

The next step, after installation of the portico and coach lighting (see pic) for the covered area (and nice large address numbers!) would be the planting beds. You have a great opportunity here to have a planting bed plan, along with a walkway, if you follow the pic instructions so Yardvaark and others can 'see' the whole context to give you the best advice.

To me, landscaping and hardscape (walkway) is very important to finish your home. An example below of what I mean by finish:

Evanston Residence - Eclectic Colonial · More Info

I will post better pictures this afternoon.

This is the front and side of the house. The truth is there is no decent interior entrance with storage, which is also a challenge.

We will need to update the side entryway as well, perhaps similar to the front?

What about a breezeway with storage/mudroom between the garage/workshop and the house? I think looking to prairie or usonion style architecture for some inspiration could be good. I really love the brickwork on your house.

Good pictures are a big time saver for explaining the property and some of us use them to give pictorial feedback. In the new pics you are too far away. You should be lined up with the door and your back should be pressed up to the birch tree. You'd need to take a series of slightly overlapping pictures (as I mentioned above) while panning the space, including EXTRA space beyond the right and left corners of the house.

On another note, that has got to be the homeliest birch tree I've ever seen. And in the worst location. I would plan for its demise. If your home was a palace, it could not look good with that birch in front of it.

I hope I got the pictures right this time

What do you think about a modern pergola that extends from over the front door, off to the right (as I look at the picture), to the right edge under the upper window? I think it will make the lack of symmetry make more sense. Maybe a nice patio underneath, too?

This is a wonderful idea! I absolutely love how it would look and better he idea of making a front patio too! Love it! The only issue is that it doesn’t offer protection from the elements. Unfortunately, the interior is very small and it would be more practical to have a full roof.

I meant the interior entryway is very small. Excuse the typo.

How about something like this front patio with slats for shade and privacy?

Or something more like this one?

That would be wonderful!

landscaping and some type of portico will give you the most bang for the buck. it's really whats needed. merely painting the brick isn't going to do anything for the lack of landscaping.

spend the money for a landscape designer. you need a walkway, yard definition, flower beds, etc.

BTW, if you do want to change the brick, look into Romabio. 20 year no maintenance guarantee

When you take pictures of the house for landscape, you're trying to achieve a panoramic view. You must stay at ONE position for all pictures of a scene. Instead of moving, pivot the camera. I was able to fudge the left side together, but its more work and less accurate.

This is a general concept. The plant representations are not of specific plants, but of general forms. You'd use what works in your location to achieve them.

This is a similar layout to your house. If you like this color scheme, paint the brick the same color as this house and add some shutters painted the same color as the picture. Your already have white windows, so make sure the trim around your door is white and either get a new front door or paint your existing one. Add a neat walkway with pavers for a cottage feel and add some beautiful landscaping along the front of your house. If your roof is in need of replacing, I would go with a dark roof.

I got a closer look at your front door. You have a very nice looking front door that would actually probably look good the same dark color as the shutters in the picture I posted a above.

One more thing to add. Paint your gutters white to match the white windows and the white framing of the door. Or just replace your gutters with white gutters.

Update: we still plan to put up a portico, but this is our achievements so far. We removed the old awnings, put in a concrete walkway and added some black mulch. We were surprised by how much the garden fills out in the summer. I still plan to refresh and perhaps add a couple evergreens to frame the house in the winter months.

Looks great!

The birch was allowed to grow past young age with a horrible structure, especially for its placement directly in line with the house center. Were it mine, I'd either want it to reform, in spite of the fact that it would need to go through an awkward period, or I'd want it gone. It is the bottom limbs branching off at 4' above the ground that looks so bad. I'd remove the two lowest every year until it was reformed.

time to make a few decisions

Yardvaark , Thank you for the advice. We will remove the tree. We have another fairly young Golden chain tree that needs to be moved from another property. We were thinking of putting it off to the right of the house more.

Good work!

I would relocate the bushes that are hiding the lower level windows. Get the pruners out this fall on some of the others to keep think in appropriate size.

Much improved though I don't like shrubs covering windows. Walkway is especially nice as it is not too close to the house.

Taking away the awnings and putting in that walkway makes a huge difference. I don't know what your budget is, so that would impact what changes you could make. I think a metal roof portico with simple square columns would add dimension and interest to the front. Metal roof

I don't know what condition the house windows are in, but I feel that white is not the right color for windows at that house. I'm out of touch with what's available right now, but I think you need windows with frames that are darker and complement the color of the brick better and that color would also be the right color for the front door frames.

go to a lumber yard or home designer and the can show you what is available now they can get u back in touch with what is available now