Have you priced doors yet? We've been pricing them for the past two years since we desperately need ours replaced. More glass = more expense. If expense isn't an issue, my point is moot. Also, if you are doing doubles versus the single with sidelites, you will be talking a custom size which may cost even more. On top of that, unless you go with a very well made door, the glass may not be warrantied for as long and the insulating levels will be less. In shopping for doors, Provia has an excellent warranty on their door AND glass, most others like Therma-Tru have very limited warranties on their glass; it's a read the fine print type of thing. The downside is Provia is a higher priced than Therma-Tru and only sold through dealers who install the doors themselves. I live in a center hall colonial in New England, I don't think double doors fit my house style or my neighborhood. I've lived in homes with them in the past and when they are full sized, double doors, they are indeed quite nice to have. Do you have a standard 36" door with 12" sidelites? Your double doors would be two 30" doors. Privacy would be a concern unless you covered the windows or opted for designer glass. With the expense, be sure you truly want what you think you want, consider all the changes, before going that route.

You’ve got a terrible program that’s driving the drafter’s terrible exterior. Get that basketball court outside and in the back yard. Unless you’re building a high school, trying to marry a gymnasium type volume to a “normal” scaled personal residence is doomed to fail. You’d need something more Biltmore scaled in order to not have that court be the 50 pound non absorbed second twin tumor on the side of the house’s face. Then there is the rest of the window dressing trying to distract the eye from the tumor. It’s offensive to the eyes. More tulle on a hairy 300 pound dancer doesn’t turn them into a sleek and graceful 90 pound ballerina. Either accept that your eccentric program that you gave the drafter is driving a pretty awful looking house, or accept that you need to do the painful surgery to eliminate that indoor basketball court. And hire a real architect. One that tells you all of these painful truths that the drafter wouldn’t tell you. You found someone to draw up your bad ideas. Not someone who is skilled in design and who tells you that your ideas are bad and result in a very poorly proportioned structure.

Curious to know what you all think of this. I made it using a virtual exterior paint tool, which really isn't the tool for the job. It was, however, one I had access to. I basically drew it all for a rough idea and wasn't able to fully edit out everything I would have wanted. I also couldn't choose quite all the color variation I would have wanted in my decor here simply because all the colors except black were translucent. The house and door colors are actual colors I am considering as well adding the shutters. Anyways, very curious to hear what you think. Also I would probably do something to hide the basement window...just not sure yet. Again this is a general idea made with, let's face it, a very poor tool. Thanks for all the help you've given me on this!

It's a fact ... you'll not be able to get rid of the mess until you create a permanent, hard walk where there is now mulch. The magnolia roots are going to make it harder, but it must be done if there is to be a cure. I agree with others that something like concrete (simplest and cheapest) or pavers/brick are suitable. A walk laid out to acknowledge the tree will look and work better than one that doesn't. The bench only makes sense if there is a way to get to it ... i.e., use it. But because of Magnolia roots, it would add a lot of difficulty extending the walk to the bench. Therefore, I'd recommend using the bench elsewhere and having only plantings at the front of the house. Consider using a groundcover like Asiatic Jasmine to cover the magnolia roots.