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Home Repair entry Design Dilemma

Front porch/Curb appeal help!

3 years ago

Hi there! Recently closed on our forever home and am looking for ideas to break up the monotony of the red brick.
My husband and I have no desire to paint the brick so suggestions other than that would be helpful!
We also are planning on replacing the door with a double door if that helps.

p.s. the bench in the picture was the previous homeowners so it will not be there.

Comments (6)

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BeverlyFLADeziner
3 years ago
Rreally lovely home. IMO all you need is some properly sized shutters for the home, a terraced retaining wall on the left and new new extensive landscaping.

I would not bother with a double door. They are a pain and you need the sidelights to get light into your foyer. Good Luck.
Jessica Barbir
Original Author
3 years ago
I love that so much! Wow. Thank you! I'm blown away! Do you have any suggestions for sizing of those shutters? This was exactly what I was wanting without knowing what I wanted! haha.
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The proposed addition would make your house very similar to houses around me from the 70s. Some homeowners have brought the entrances forward, or embraced the tunnel and added a gate (or done nothing). If it were me, I would go for a courtyard or atrium where the tunnel to your door is and add a killer gate on the front of the house. Some visualizations (I’m not saying these are necessarily good-looking homes, fyi). I’ve had this photo forever and I love what they did with the cedar around the windows. I’d paint your house white with the windows on the right side of your house trimmed in cedar and other cedar accents. I’d suggest getting an architect, but this is a great place to figure out what you like and what might be possible.
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You have a wonderfully low maintenance home. Adding a porch to older homes I have noticed really does elevate them and bring them a more modern look, curiously. Curious because front porches are a thing of times gone by really. Adding a porch to your home would add maintenance. At this point 36 years in I am not sure that makes sense. As stated your home is lovely as is. I am sorry you have never embraced its look, but I am guessing your vision as a young homeowner had you thinking a totally different sort of home. You can't turn a ranch into a Farmhouse/two story Colonial by adding a porch. Perhaps a wider front walk, maybe give it a bit of a meandering curve...sometimes we just need a bit of a change I get it. You could also widen the front steps/stoop so you could get a chair or two on it. Create a bit of a seating area. That would look better with your roof line than an add on roofed porch. Extended to the left under the smaller window would keep you away from your picture window.
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The front appears to be a deck--not a porch and that is not a look I find attractive ever. The deck does not match the south western architecture of the home. It doesn't appear to be an inviting place to 'hang out'--no shade, up against a street??? what's the view???? Without more pictures of the entire property I would be tempted to remove the decking, give the home a modest entrance, possibly get something green growing where the deck now is and spend my money where people will be hanging out.
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P Banos
3 years ago
Jessica shutters should each be 1/2 the width of the window, so they would meet if you could 'shut' them. With your lovely house I'd buy shutters that have hardware that is or at least looks functional. More expensive, but nice for this forever home.
V K
3 years ago
Very pretty porch - you can fit some kind of seat (maybe at an angle?) and/or some big pots of flowers. I agree on the shutters and not switching out the door for a double.
loobab
3 years ago
Hi Jessica- Congratulations on your lovely new home! Enjoy it in good health!

If you need a larger door, can you just get a larger door without it being a double door?

Are you able to move in furniture through the back, e.g. a patio or sliding door in the back of the house?

I agree that the shutters should be the correct size and not be fixed, they should be able to be closed (be functional) and you can get shutter dogs to keep them open.

I like the door the same color as the shutters, some shade of green would be nice.

Beverly's landscaping looks great.

Some colorful perennials would be nice in front as well.

An alternative is the hedges as Beverly shows and window boxes with colorful perennials or annuals. Or even plants with colorful leaves like coleus.

Window boxes are way easier to take care of than getting on your knees.

Window boxes are usually white.

Unless you get ones made out of cast iron.

If your neighborhood is one where people walk up to your house, you might want to think about putting in a walkway from the street to your front door that is attractively curved with plantings along the edge.
houssaon
3 years ago
I am in total agreement with BeverlyFLADeziner. I really like the retaining wall for the plantings. Keep the front door with the sidelights. It is a classic look.

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