The house is only 10 years old and we actually just bought the house 8 months ago. We decided to live in it (as built) for 6 months and then make a list of things we'd like to change before breaking out the hammers and recip saw. The entry way is top of the list as the tiny tile area just doesn't work for us. We live in the snow-belt and while we have a huge porch, snow still makes its way inside and onto the floor. We refinished the hardwood before we moved in and it was very evident that the previous owner also had issues with the small entry... most of the polyurethane finish was worn near the front entry tiles and in front of the hall closet. I agree that the boxed beams are a good idea to visually separate... I'm really just contemplating the need for a column as it doesn't really fit with the openness of the remainder of the main floor. In terms of furnishings, we both like to read and a quiet reading area with a pair of comfy ekornes recliners away from the living room sounds perfect. Another open question is whether to put the closet into the room, or bump out the wall. We do have space in the north-east side of the house, and the bump out would be in the direction of the floor joists travel. Of course, this would raise the cost a fair bit and would delay implimentation until it warms up in May.

Our entry is like yours, except the foot of the stairs is between the front door and the kitchen. The kitchen doorway has a double door, two narrow doors in a regular opening. They swing into the kitchen. What I like: the look, the symmetry, the fact that they don't take up much space in the kitchen (a regular door would partially block a window and bump one person sitting at the table under the window). It is nice to close it off sometimes. When they are closed, they look less like "this is a closed door, no entry" unfriendly;they are more interesting than a single door. What I don't like: the light switch is behind one of the doors! Now, it's only a small door so the switch is barely behind it, but it means the door is often not quite all the way agains the wall. Honestly, how hard could it have been to move the switch over? Our house has few double doors, so it all looks consistent.

I think this one is doable. since you're doing the roof, have them do this and elongate the porch. bring in chunky cedar posts, new door. love the white brick. (romabio) Here's the Before: this one was almost like yours w/the metal porch. look how they redid it (painted brick, revamped path, flower beds, porch posts, painted windows, extended porch) what about this one? painted brick, black trimmed windows, simple overhang (like above) slightly different porch posts. The slate tile porch, extended over to one side, and the pathway w/flower beds, really add a lot. I like this idea too do a little arbor, redo the porch w/some coposite wood decking, or maybe some black slate tile w/wood steps. Get a more modern door. I hope you go w/a dark charcoal roof tile. I reall like this one too. what do you think about extending your porch under either window? since you're redoing the roof, adding a wood arbor like this wouldn't be too diffult. (can those windows be painted or are they vinyl? They'd look great trimmed out in black) And, I really like how they painted this porch deck and added the tiny flower beds in front of it. here's the gable you mentioned. porch is simple. what do you think about painting the brick? Look at Romabio Lime Masonry paint. all natural. what if you extended the roof over the front door similar to this? bring in some chunky cedar posts, new door, NO shutters. maybe paint the trim of the windows. They painted the brick black in this one. looks great w/the cedar Or, do the brick in all white. ignore the right side. you can see how they built onto the front porch and did the overhang w/a gable. this is going into the farmhouse vibe rather than the mcm vibe

Are you going to DIY? There is a product called peel-away that will remove the paint from the concrete on the stoop. However, my husband says it has to sit for quite a while to work so you need to have another way to get in and out of your house in the meantime. For the walkway there are so many choices - bluestone, interlocking pavers, laying concrete again. For a walkway or patio the crucial thing for longevity is the base. If you use a good contractor they will know that, if you DIY be sure to go to the trouble to lay about a six inch base of gravel (it should be a certain size) and then a thinner layer of shaved rock. This prevents heaving during the freezing and thawing cycles we get in PA. I am vague on the details now because my husband did this at our previous house almost ten years ago. But his helper was someone who had worked for EP Henry (laid off during the recession), so he knew how to do it right. I'm sure you can find information on how to do it online.