Thanks Yardvaark. The original pic at top of thread was in mid construction so of course it was not welcoming -- very ugly it was (or perhaps you were referring to the original house with white siding that had overgrown burning bush that obscured the circle pavers). Either way the result is an improvement for sure. I am very glad we decided from the good advice on this thread not to do plantings around the circle entry courtyard as I like how open it is now with just a garden around the birch (future garden that is). emmarene, We are definitely still doing the glass railing around the deck over the garage. We just have not got that done yet. That will really finish off the outside.

What stands out immediately to me is the narrow exterior space between the proposed addition and the dining room of the existing home. That seems awkward - why not make the extension meet up with the dining room for a more cohesive rear exterior? Granted you'll have a dark kitchen, but since you show a range in the one spot where you could put a kitchen window, it seems you don't have/plan on having a window there anyway...

What is the flooring in the rest of the house? Do you have original floors? I have a 1910 craftsman kit home and my floors are original. If I didn't have the hardwoods I would do LVT slate.

I was also considering a patio outiside the newly added bedroom as you can see in the picture below..pls share your feedback on that as well